The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-03-08
CHAPTER xxui-contlnued.

Will l Il oNer mere any uny. III
they're friendly I'll light n fire on the
hill there, say three nights from to-
night. II you don't see 1t tibet night
you hlt the trail. I'll do what | can.
Jim Fletcher sticks to his pals. So
long. Dodge"
He left Duane In n ~quandary. This
news was black. At the moment
Duane did not know which way to
turn, but certainly he had no idea
of going back to Bradford. Friction
between the two great lieutenants OF
Cheseldine! Generally such matters
were settled with guns Duane gath
cred encouragement even from dlsas-
ter. II Knell knew anything 1t was
that this stranger In Ord. this new
partner Of F~le.cher's. was no less than
Buck Duane. Well. Il n about time,
thought Duane, that he made use of
his name II It were TO help him Mt all.
That name Ind been MacNelly's hope.
He had anchored all his scheme n
Duane's fame. Duane was tempted 10
ride OFT after Fletcher and stay with
him. This. however. would hardly be
fair to an outlaw who had been fair to
him. Duane concluded to await devel-
opments. and when the gang rode In
to Ord. probably from their various
hiding places, he would be there ready
to be denounced by Knell. Duane
could not see any other elimination of
this series of ven than n meeting
between Knell and himself. II that
farp.tpntnl fnfu1lty fnr EnalI thArA r.ao
all probability Of Duane's being In no
worse situation than he vas now. II
Poggln took up the QUARREL Here
Duane accused himself ngaln-tried In
vnin TO revolt from n Judgment that he
was only reasoning out excuses to
meet these outlaws.
Meanwhile. instead of waiting. why
Aot hunt up Cheseldine In his noun
tain retreat? The thought no ooner
struck Duane than he was hurrying
Tor his horse.
In an hour he struck the slope OF
Mount Ord. and as he climbed he got
among broken rocks and cliffs. and
was hard put To II to find the trail.
He halle" ut n little side-canyon with
grass and water. and here he made
camp. And on this night, lonely like
the mes he used to spend In the
Nueces gorge, and memorable Of them
because of Il likeness To that old hid
lng-place. he felt the pressing return
Of old haunting ~things-the past so
long ago, wild flights, dead faces
and the places of these were taken
by n quiveringly alive. white, tragic,
with It's dark, intent, speaking eyes
Ray Longstreth's.
That last memory he yielded to I'M
Ill he slept.
In the morning. satisfied that he
had left still fewer tracks than he had
followed up this trail, he led his
horse up to the head Of the canyon,
into II narrow crack In low cliffs, and
with branches of cedar fenced him In.
Then he Wen back and took up the
trail on foot.
Without the horse he made better
time. Once, through II wide gateway
between great escarpments, he saw the
lower country beyond this, vast and
cienr as II lay In his sight, was the
great river that mace the Big Bend.
He rounded a juttlng corner, where
view had been shut Off, and presently
came out upon the rim Of a high wall.
Beneath, Ike n green gulf seen
through blue haze. lay an amphltheater
walled In on the two sides ne could
see. II lay perhaps u thousand feet
below him and, plain ms all the other
features Of that wild environment,
there shone out n big red stone or
adobe cabin. white water shining
away between borders, and horses
and cattle dotting the levels, II was
a peaceful, beautiful scene. Duane
could not help grinding his teeth Mt
the thought OF rustlers living In quiet
aud ease.
Duane worked halfway down 10
the level, ard. well hidden In n niche,
he seated himself TO watch both trail
and valley.
The sun went down behind the
wall, and shadows were horn In the
darker places OF the valley. Duane
began TO want 10 get closer 10 that
cabin Still he fingered. And sudden
ly his wide-rovIng eye caught sight Of
two hsrsemen riding up the valley,
They must have entered at n point
below. round the huge ahutment of
rock. beyond Duane's range OF sight,
Their horses were tired and stopped
81 the stream for a long drink.
Duane left his perch. tool TO the
steep trail. and descended as fast ms
he could without making noise. II
cid not take him tong to reach the
valley floor. II was almost levo!
with deep grass. and here and ther,
clumps OF bushes. Twilight was al
ready thick down there. Duan,
marked the location OF the trail. an,
then began 20 slip like a SHADOW
through the grass and from bush q
bush. He saw a bright light before h,
made out the dark outline of IN,
cabin. Then he heard voices, a merr
whistle. n coarse song. and the elm
OF iron cooking utensils. He smelle,
fragrant wood smoke. He saw NOV
lua, a. ,E n.rtaraa rroaa tho llohe Fol