The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-12-11
Jennie Slept While Duane Watched.

Jennie Slept While Duane Watched.
noble one, and helped him to hold on
to his drifting hopes. Hardly once
since Jennie had entered into his
thought had those ghosts returned to
torment him.
Tomorrow she would be gone among
good, kind people with a possibility OF
finding her relatives. He thanked
God for that; nevertheless, he felt Il
pang.
Jennie awoke. They cooked a mea
and afterward sat beside the littl'
fire. Sometimes when her eyes wer'
on him she did not seem to be think
ing of her freedom, of her future.
This time tomorrow you'll be il
Sh~elbyville," he said.
Where will you beT' she asked
quickly.
me? oh, I'll be making tracks for
some lonesome place." he replied.
The girl shuddered.
"Pve been brought up in Texas. !
remember what a hard lot the men OF
my family had. But poor as they
were, they had a roof over their heads,
a hearth with a fire, a warm bed
somebody to love them. And you,
Duane-oh, my God! What must your
life be? You must ride and hide and
watch eternally."
She ended with a sob and dropped
her head on her knees. Duane was
amazed, deeply touched.
"My girl, thank you for that thought
OF me-" he said, with a tremor In his
voice. "You don't know how much
that means to me-"
She raised her face, and it was tear
stained, eloquent, beautiful.
1--WE heard tell-the best of men
go to the bad out there. You won't.
Promise me you won't. I never
knew any man-like you. live
may never see each other again-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.
It's never too late. 1t was my hope
that kept me alive-out there at
Bland's-before you came. ] was only
a poor weak girl. But If ] could hope
so can you. Stay away from men.
Be a lone wolf. Fight for your life.
Stick u your exile-and maybe
some day"
Then she lost her voice. Duane
clasped her hand and with feeling as
deep as hers promised to remember
her words. In her despair for him n
had spoken wisdom-pointed out the
only course.
Duane's vigilance, momentarily
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 h sound
of his hoofs. His tracks were plain
in the mud.
Duane did not want to leave Jennie
alone in the cabin so near the a
So he put her on his horse and babe
her follow. The rain had ceased for
the time being, though evidently the
storm was o yet over. The tracks
lCu up n Nucn W q a h0A
mesquite, prickly pear, and thorn-bush
grew so thickly that Jennie could not
ride into 1t. He could not expect her
to scramble quickly through that brake
on foot. Therefore he decided TO risk
leaving her at the edge of the thicket
and go in alone.
As he went in a sound startled him.
Was it the breaking of a branch ne
had stepped on or thrust aside? He
heard the inpatient pound OF his
horses hoofs. Then all was quiet
Still he listened, not wholly satisfied.
He was never satisfied in regard to
safety; he knew too well that there
never could be safety for him in this
country. Certain he was now that
some kind of danger threatened.
Suddenly there came an unmistak-
able thump of horses hoofs of some
where to the fore. Then a scream rent
the air. Ii ended abruptly. Duane
leaped forward, tore his way through
the thorny brake. He heard Jennie
cry again-an appealing call quickly
hushed. Ii seemed more TO his right.
and he plunged hat way. He burst
into Il glade where a smoldering hre
and ground covered with footprints
and tracks showed that campers had
lately been. Rushing across this, he
broke his passage out to the open.
But he was too late His horse had