Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-12-14

eyes, and the uncle appeared lost in
sad thought of the future. Presently
he turned to Duane with an expression
that denoted resignation, and yet
spirit which showed wherein they were
of the same blood.
you've got a fast horse-the fast
est L know of in this country. After
you meet Balm hurry. back home. I'll
have a saddlebag packed for you and
the horse ready"
With that he turned on his heel and
went into the house, leaving Duane
to revolve in his mind his singular
speech. That hour Of Duane's life was
like years of actual living, and III it
he became a thoughtful man.
He went into the house and inspect
ed his belt and gun. The gun was a
Colt .45, six-shot, and heavy, with an
worry handle. He had packed it, on
and off, for five years. Before that it
lad been used by his father. There
we're a number of notches filed in the
bulge of the ivory handle. This gun
vas the one his father had fired twice
and his hand had stiffened so tightly
upon it in the death-grip that his fin
gers had to be pried open. It had
never been drawn upon any man since
t had come into Duane's possession.
But the cold, bright polish of the
weapon showed how it had been used.
Duane could draw it with incOnceiv-
able rapidity, and at twenty feet he
could split a card pointing edgeWise
toward him.
Duane wished to avoid meeting his
mother. Fortunately, as he thought
she was away from home. He went
| out and down the path toward the
gate The air was full of the fra
GRANGE of blossoms and the melody Of
birds. Outside in-the road q neighbOr
woman stood talking to a cOuntryman
in a wagon; they spoke TO him; and
he heard, but did not reply. Then he
began to stride down the road toward
| the town.
WellStOn was q small town, but i'm
| portant in that unsettled part of the
| great state because it was the trading
| center of several hundred miles Of ter
ritOry. On the main street there were
| perhaps fifty buildings, some brick,
some frame, mostly adobe, and one
! third of the lot, and by far the most
| prosperous, were saloons. Duane's eye
! ranged down the street, taking in all
at a glance By the time he reached
Sol Whites place, which was the first
saloon, he was walking slowly. Sew
eral people spoke to him and turned
to look back after they had passed.
loon, took a sharp survey of the inte-
riOr, then stepped inside.
The saloon was large and cool, full
of men and noise and smoke. The
noise ceased upon his entrance, and
the silence ensuing presently broke to
the clink of Mexican silver dollars at
a monte table. All eyes except those
of the Mexican gamblers were turned
| upon Duane. Several of the cowboys
and ranchers present exchanged
| chances. Duane had been weighed by
unerring Texas instinct by men who
| all packed guns. The boy was the
son of his father. WhereupOn they
greeted him and returned to their
drinks and cards. Sol White stood
with his big, red hands out upon the
bar; he was a tall, rawboned Texan,
with a long mustache waxed to sharp
points.
"Howdy, Buck" was his greeting to
Duane. He spoke carelessIy and avert,
ed his dark gaze for an instant.
'Howdy, SOL" replied Duane, slowly
Say, Sol, L hear there's a gent in
town looking for me bad"
Reckon there is, Buck" replied
White. "He came in heah ABBOTT an
hour ago. Shore he was some riled
an a-roarin' for gore. Told me conf
Dental a certain party had given YOU
a white silk scarf, an he was heIl-bent
on wearin' it home spotted red"
anybody with him?" queried Duane,
Burt an Sam Outcalt an a little
| cOwpuncher never seen before THEW
all was coaXin' him to leave town. But
he's looked on the flown glass, Buck,
an he's heah for keeps"
''Why doesn't Sheriff Oaks lock him
up if he's that bad?"
"Oaks went away with the rangers.
There's been another raid at Flesher's
ranch. The King Fisher gang, likely.
An so the towns shore wide open"
Duane stalked outdoors and faced
down the street. He walked the whole
length of the long block, meeting many
peOple-farmers, ranchers, clerks,
merchants, Mexicans, cowboys and
women. 1t was a singular fact that
when he turned to retrace his steps
the street was almost empty. If it
was an instinct for Texans to fight, it
was also instructive for them to sense
with remarkable quickness the signs
of coming gun-play. Rumor could
not fly so swiftly. In less than ten
minutes everybody who had been on
the street or in the shops knew that
Buck Duane had come forth to meet
his enemy.
Duane walked on. When he came
to within fifty PAGES of a saloon he
sWerved out into the middle of the
street, stood there for moment, then
went ahead and back to the sidewalk.
He passed on in this way the length