Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-09

The gaunt fellow, who appeared now
about to collapse, lifted shaking
hand and pointed.
"Thet thar feller-he's Buck
Duane!" he painted.
An angry murmur ran through the
surrounding crowd.
"The rope! The rope! Throw II
over a branch String him up" cried
an excited villager.
"Abe, how do you know this fellow
Is Buck Duane?' the cowboy asked
sharply.
"Why--he said So" replied the man
called Abe.
what" came the exclamation, in.
credulously.
"It's a tarnal fact" painted Abe
waving his hand Importantly. He
was an old man and appeared to be
carried away with the significance OF
his deed. Gle like to rid his boss
right over us-all. Then he jumped Off.
says he was Buck Duane, an he want
ed to see Jeff Aiken bad"
This speech caused a second COM
motion as noisy though not so enduring
as the first. When the cowboy, assist
ed by q couple of his mates, had re-
stored order again, someone had
slipped the se-end of Duane's rope
over his head.
eyed youth.
The mob surged closer was showed
back by the cowboys.
"Abe, if he's Buck Duane how'n hell
did you get hold of his gun?" bluntly
queried the cowboy.
"Why-he set down thar-an' he
kind of hid his face on his hand. Ar
grabbed his gun an got the drop on
him."
What the cowboy thought Of this
was expressed in a laugh. His mates
likewise grinned broadly. Then the
leader turned to Duane.
"Stranger, reckon you'd better
speak up for yourself" he said.
That stilled the crowd as no COM
mand had done. I'm Buck Duane,
all right" said Duane, quietly. ut was
this way"
The big cowboy seemed to vibrate
with shock. All the ruddy warmth
left his face; his jaw began to bulge
the corded veins in his neck stood out
in knots. In an instant he had hard,
stern, strange look. He shot out a
powerful hand that fastened in the
front of Duane's blouse.
"SOmethin' queer here. But If
you're Duane you're sure in bad. Any
fool ought to know that. You mean
it, then?"
"I'm Duane; yes. But I won't stand
for the blame of things I never did.
That's why I'm here. I saw that pla-
card out there offering the reward.
Until now I never was within half a
days ride of this town. I'm blamed
for what I never did. rode in here,
told who I was, asked somebody to
send for JEFF Aiken"
can then you set down an let this
old guy throw your own gun on you?'
queried the cowboy in amaZement.
II guess that's it," replied Duane.
"Well, it's powerful strange, if you're
really Buck Duane what do you want
to see Aiken forT'
II wanted to face him, to tell him I
never harmed his wife," r.
Suppose we send for Aiken an he
hears you an doesn't believe you !;
what then?"
Z" IF he won't believe newly. then
my cases 80 bad-Td be better off
dead" g -. E
A momentary silence was broken by
Sibert.
IF this isn't queer deal! Boys,
reckon we'd better send for jeff"
somebody went fer him. He'll be
comm soon," replied man.
Duane stood head taller than that
circle Of curious faces. He gazed out
above and beyond them. 1t was in this
way that he CHANGED to see number
of women on the outskirts Of the
crowd. Some were old, with hard
faces, like the men. Some were young
and comely, and most Of these seemed
agitated by excitement or distress.
They cast fearful, plying glances up
on Duane as he stood there with that
moose around his neck. Women were
more human than men, Duane thought.
He met eyes that dilated, seemed
fascinated at his gaze, but were not
averted. It was the old women who