Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-12
Ok
4 he Lone
Star 1 Ranger
a Romance Of the Border
BY ZANE GREY
n Author q
TINE LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS
''1lDE1S or THE PURPLE SAGE" ETC


When they unclasped and Duane
stepped back to. drop into chair
MacNelly fumbled for cigar and.
lighting It, turned to his visitor,
NOW calm and cool. He had the look
OF man who had justly won some
thing at considerable cost. His next
move was to take long leather case
\ from his pocket and extract from It
several folded papers.
Here's your pardon from the Cover
nor" he said. quietly. you'll see,
when You look II over, that It's condi-
tional. When you sign this paper I
have here the condition will be met"
he smoothed out the paper, handed
Duane q pen, ran his forefnger along
dotted line.
Duane's hand was shaky. Years
had passed since he had held pen.
It was with difficulty that he achieved
i his signature. Buckley Duane-how
strange the name looked!
"Right here ends the career Of Buck
Duane. outlaw and gun-nghter," said
MacNelly; and, seating himself, he
took the pen from Duane's fingers and
wrote several lines In several places
upon the paper. Then with smile
he handed 1t to Duane.
THAT makes you member Of Com
pany A, Texas Rangers"
$50 that's It'll" burst out Duane. a
light breaking In upon his bewilder-
ment. sYou want me for ranger serv-
ice1"
-sure. That's it" replied the
Captain dryly. "Now to hear what
that service - to be. I've been a busy
man since took this Job, and. as you
may have heard, I've done a few
things. I don't mind telling you that
political influence put me In here and
that up Austin way there's good deal
Of friction in the Department Of State
IN regard to whether or not the ranger
service Is any good-whether 1t should
be discontinued or not. I'm on the
party who's defending the ranger serv-
Ice. contend that It's made Texas
habitable. Well, It's been up to me to
produce results. So far have been
successful. MY great ambition is to
break up the outlaw gangs along the
river. have never ventured In there
yet because I've been waiting to get
the lieutenant I needed. You. Of
course, are ~ man I had In mind.
It's my idea . start way up the Rio
,Grande and begin with Cheseldine.
He's the strongest, the worst outlaw
Of the times. He's more than rustler.
It's Cheseldine and HIS gang who are
opefasingson 4hS banks. No one seems
to have seen him to know what he
looks Ike.
II assume. Of course, that You are
stranger to the country he dominates.
It's I'VE hundred miles west Of your
ground. There's q little town. over
there called Fairdale. It's the nest
Of rustler gang. They rustic and
murder at viii. Nobody knows who
the leader is. / want you to find out.
Well, whatever way you decide is best
you viii proceed to act upon. You are
your own boss. You must find some
way to let me know when I and my
rangers are needed. The plan Is to-
break up Cheseldine's gang. It's the
toughest Job on the border. We want
to kill Of jail this choice selection Of
robbers and break up the rest Of the.
gang. To ind them, to get among
them somehow, to learn their move
ments, to lay your trap for us rangers
to spring that, Dusne. is your service
to me. and God knows it's q great,
One!"
II have accepted II, replied Duane.
Your work win be secret. You are
now . ranger in my service. But no
one except the few i choose to tell
will know Of 1t until we pull OF the
Job. You viii simply be Buck Duane
TIL It suits our purpose to acquaint
Texas with the fact that you're
ranger. You'll see there's no date on
that paper. No one will ever know
inst when you entered the service.
Perhaps we can make 1t appear that
al or most Of your outlawry has
really been good service to the state.
Al that, III believe it'll turn out 80"
NacNelly paused q moment In his
rapid talk, chewed his cigar, drew
his brows together In i dark frown,
and went on. ,@.No man on the border
knows 80 we'll a. you the deadly nature
of this service. It's long, long chance
against your ever coming back"
That's not the point" said Duane.
aBut in case I get killed out there
what
Leave that 10 me-" interrupted
Captain MacNel1y. III you lose your
life out there I'll see your name clear
"a the service you render known.
You can rest assured Of that"
IT am satisfied" replied Duane.
THAT'S 10 much more than I've dared
to hope. Z
even, its settled, then. I'll give
you money for expenses. You'll start |
- soon ~ you like the sooner the
better. I hope to think Of other sug-
gestions especially about commune
eating with me. /"
Long after the lights were out and
a s.sl
round the campfire Duane lay awake.
eyes staring into the blackness, mar
yelling over the strange events of the
day. And as he lay there, With the 1
approach Of sleep finally dimming the
vividness Of his thought, 30 full OF
mystery, shadowy faces aoated in the
hlAckress around him. haunting him
. no nad always Deen haunted.
1T WIS broad daylight when ne
awakened. aiacNelly was calling him