The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-01-04

"Pve been brought up in Texns. !
remember what hard lot the men OF
my family had. But poor as they
were, they had u roof over their heads,
n hearth with n fire. n warm bed
somebody 10 love them. And you,
Duane-Oh, my God What must your
life bei Yoy. must ride and hide and
watch eternhiy
She ended with n sob and dropped
her hend on her knees. Duane was
Amazed, deeply touched.
my girl. thank you for that thought
o. me-" he said. with a tremor In his
voice. "You don't know how much
that means TO me-"
She raised her face. and II wns tenr-
stained. eloquent, beautiful.
I've heard teil--the best Of men
go 10 the bad out there. You won't.
Promise me you won't. never
knew any mnn-llke you. live
may never see ench other agnin-after
to-day. I'll never forget you. I'll pray
for you. and I'll never give up trying
toto do something. Don't despair.
its never too late. II was my hope
that kept me allve-out there at
Bland's-before you came. was only
n poor weak girl. But II could hope
so can you. Stay away from men.
BE a lone wolf. Fight for your life.
Stick out your exile-and maybe
some day"
Then she lost her voice. Duane
clasped her hand and with feeling us
deep as hers promised to remember
her words. In her despair for him she
had spoken wisdom-pointed out the
only course.
Duane's vigilance, momentnrily
broken by emotion. had no sooner re-
asserted itself than he discovered the
bay horse. the one Jennie rode. had
broken his halter and gone OF. The
soft wet earth had deadened the sound
Of his hoofs. His tracks were plain
In the mud.
Duane did not want 10 leave Jennie
nlone In the cabin so near the road.
SO he put her on his horse and badc
her follow. The rain had ceased for
the time being. though evidently the
storm was not yet over. The tracks
led up a wash TO n wide Hat where
mesquite. prlckly pear, and thorn-bush
grew 80 thlckly that Jennie could not
ride into II. He could not expect her
20 scramble quickly through that brake
on foot. Therefore he decided TO risk
leaving her at the edge OF the thicket
and go In alone.
AZ he went in sound startled him.
Was t. the breaking Of a branch he
had stepped on or thrust nsidei He
heard the impatient pound OF his
horses hoofs. Then all was quiet.
Still he listened, not wholly satisfied.
lie was never satisfied In regard to
safety; he knew too woll that there
never could be safety for him in tids
country. Certain he wns now that
some Kind OF danger threatened.
Suddenly there came an unmistak-
able thump Of horses hoofs on some
where TO the fore. Then scream rent
the air. II ended abruptly. Duane
1eaped ,forward, tore his way through
the tbbrpy brake. He heard Jennie
cry agnin2-an appealing call quickly
hushed. II seemed more TO his right,
and he plunged that way. He burst
into II glade where smoldering fire
and ground covered with footprints
and tracks showed that campers had
lately been. Rushing across this, he
broke his passage out 10 the open.
But he was too late. His horse had
disappeared Jennie was gone. There
were no riders in sight. There was no
sound. There was a heavy trail of
horses going north. Jennie had been
carried oG.-probnbly ~ outlaws.
Duane realized that pursuit was out
Of the questlon-that Jennie was lost.