The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-01-25

agftated 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 yes that dllated, seemed
fascinated at his gaze, but were not
averted. It was the old ONE who
were voluble, loud In expression Of
their feelings.
"Thar comes Jeff Aiken now" called
a man, loudly.
The crowd shifted and trampled in
eagerness.
Duane saw two men coming fast,
one Of whom, In the lead. was Of stall
wart build. He had a gun In his hand,
and his manner was that Of fierce en-
ergy.
The cowboy SIbert thrust open the
J%ostllng circle Of men.
Hold on, Jeff," he called, and he
blocked the man with the gun. He
spoke so low Duane could not hear
what he said, and his form hid Aiken's
face. At that juncture the crowd
spread out, closed In, and Aiken and
Siber. were caught in the circle. There
was a pushing forward, n pressing OF
many bodies, hoarse cries and flnging
h~ands-agaln the insane tumult was
about to brenk out-the demand for
an outlaws blood, thu call for {. wild
justice executed n thousand times be-
fore on Texas bloody soil.
Sibcrt beloved ut the dark en-.
%croachlng mass. The cowboys with
him bent and cufred In vain.
"JeT, will you listen7" broke In ST.
bert, hurriedly, his hands on the other
mans arm.
Aiken nodded coolly. Duane, who
; had seen many men In perfect control
of themselves under circumstances like
i, these. recognized the spirit that donl-
, mated Aiken. He was white. cold,
p~asslonless. There were lines of bitter
grief deep round his lips. II Duane
ever felt the meaning Of death he felt
, 1t then.
"Sure this s. your gnme, Aiken"
snld Sibert. "But hea: me n minute.
. l reckon you'd better hold on TIL you
' hear what he has to say."
Then for the first time the drawn
:, faced, hungry-eyed giant turned his
gaze o Duane. He had intelligence
which was not yet subserylent TO pas
sion. Moreover, he seemed the kind
of man Duane would cure to have
\ Judge him In a critical moment like
. this.
"Listen." said Duane, ~gravely, with
Y his eyes steady on Alken's. "Tm Buck
- ~ " =
life. I was forced into outlawry. I've
never had q chance to leave the
country. I've killed men to save my
own life. I rode thirty miles to-day
deliberately to see what this reward
was, who made 1t, what for. When
read the placard I went sick to the
bottom of my soul. So I rode In here
to find you-to tell you this: I never
saw Shirley before to-day. It was Inn
possible for me to have-killed your
wife. Last September / was two
hundred miles north Of here on the
upper Nueces. I Gun prove that. Men
who know mi will tell you couldn't
murder n woman ! haven't any Idea
why such a deed should be laid ar
: my hands. It's Just that wild border
gossip. And see here, Aiken. You I'M
derstand I'm q miserable man. I'm
about broken, I guess. I don't care
any more for life. for anything. II
you can't look me In the eyes, man to
man, and believe what I ~say-why. by
God! you can kill mel"
Aiken Leaved q great breath.
|" "Buck Duane, whether I'm i'm
pressed or not by what you say need
n MT matter. You've had accusers
Justly or unjustly. as will soon appear,
The thing Is we eau prove you In
nocent or guilty. My girl Lucy saw
o my wife's assailant."
He motioned for the crowd Of men
to open up.
"Somebody-you. sibert-go fol
Lucy. That II settle this thing"
Duane heard as O man In an ugly
dream. The faces around him, the
hum Of voices, all seemed far of. His
Q life hung by the merest thread. Yet
h he did not think Of that so much as
: Of the brand Of q woman-murderer
which might be soon sealed upon
him by a frightened, imaginative child
a ThJ crowd trooped apart and closed
e again. Duane caught a blurred image
Of a slight girl cllnging to Sibert's
hand. He could not see distinctly.
Aiken lifted the child, whispered sooth-
n ingly to her not to BIO afraid. Then
he fetched her closer to Duane.
d Lucy. tell me. Did you ever see
this man beforef" asked Aiken, huskily
and low. SIS he the one-who came
In the house that day-struck you
a down-and dragged mama-T
d Aiken's voice failed.
A lightning fash seemed to clear
0 Duane's blurred sight He saw a
pale. sad face and violent eyes fixed
8 In gloom and horror upon his. No
horrible moment In Duane's life ever
equaied this q Of silence-of sus
pense.