The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-01-04
The Lone Star Ranger
A Fine Tale of the open Country By ZANE GREY

u you gave me a handle, didn't you
Dodge. Thet's as good as any. Shor'
It hits me hard. Jim, I've been prett!
lonely for years, an I'm gettin' II
need of pals. Think IT over, viii you
See you manana."
The outlaw watched Duane go of
after his horse, watched him as he re
turned to the tavern, watched hin
ride out in the darkness AL without
word.
Duane left the town, threaded a
quiet passage through cactus and mes
quite TO a spot he had marked before
and passed the night. His mind was
50 full that he found sleep aloOf
Luck at last was playing his game
He sensed the first slow heave Of a
mighty crisis. The end, always haunt
ing, had to be sternly blOtted from
thought. II was the approach that
needed MI his mind
Late In the morning he returned 10
ord. If Jim Fletcher tried 10 disguise
his surprise, the effort was failure.
Certainly he had not expected to see
| Duane again. Duane allowed himself
little freedom with Fletcher, an at
titude hitherto lacking.
That afternoon a horseman rode in
from Bradford, an outlaw evidently
well known and liked by his fellows,
and Duane heard him say, before he
could possibly have been told the
train-robber was in Ord, that the loss
Of money in the hold-up was slight.
Like a flash Duane saw the luck Of
this report. He pretended not to have
heard.
In the early twilight at an Opportune
moment he called Fletcher to him,
and, linking his arm within the out
laws, he drew him off in stroll to
a log bridge spanning a little gully.
Here after gazing around, ne took out
a roll Of bills, spread it out, split it
equally and without a word handed
one half to Fletcher. With clumsy
fingers Fletcher ran through the roll.
give hundred!" he exclaimed
Dodge thet's damn handsome Of you,
cOnsiderin' the job wasn't"
"Conslderin' nothin'," interrupted
Duane. I'm maxim no reference to
job here or there You did me
good turn. l split my pile If tibet
doesn't make us pards, good turns
an money amt no use in this coun-
try"
Fletcher was won.
Tho two mar, g,,opI r,,,,cI, tfv,,n 20
gether. Duane made up a short ficti-
tious story about himself that salts
fed the outlaw, only it drew forth a
laughing jest upon Duane's mOdesty.
For Fletcher did not hide his belief
that this new partner was a man of
Knell and Poggin and
then Cheseldlne himself, would be
persuaded Of this fact, so Fletcher
boosted. He had influence. He would
use it. He thought he pulled a stroke
with Knell. But nobody on earth, !
not even the boss, had any influence |
on Poggin. POggin was concentrated |
ice part Of the time; all the rest ne |
was bursting hell. But POggin loved |
a horse. He never loved anything |
else. He could be won with that |
black horse Bullet. CheseldIne was
already won by Duane's monumental |
nerve; otherwise he would have killed
Duane.
Little by little the next few days
Duane learned the points he longed
to know and how indeIibly they etch-
ed themselves in his memory! Chesel.
lines hldng-place was on the far
slope Of Mount Ord, in a deep, high
walled valley. He always went there
lust before a contemplated job, where
ne met and planned with his lieuten-
lnts. Then while they executed he
)asked In the sunshine before one or
mother Of the public places he owned.
He was there in the Ord den now,
Getting ready to plan the biggest job
yet. 1t was a bank-robbery; but
where, Fletcher had not as yet been
.dviSed.
Then when Duane had pumped the
low amenable outlaw of all details
pertaining to the present he gathered
ata and facts and places covering
'll'u VI zen years fleJtnef udu Deeu |
With Cheseldine. And herewith was {
nfolded a history so dark in its
lOody regime, so incredible in its /
razen daring, so appalling in its proof d
+ the outlaws sweep and grasp of
he country from PecoS to Rio Grande,
nat Duane was stunned. Compared
, this Cheseldine of the Big Bend. t
, this ranCher stock-buyer, cattle II
neculutor property-hOlder, all the &
utlaws Duane had ever known sank d
Ito inSignifcance. The power of the o
ian stunned Duane; the strange r,
deity given him stunned Duane; the Ii
ltrtcate inside working Of his great I"
'Stem was equally stunning. But Ii
hen Duane recovered from that the 90
d terrible passion to kill consumed II
m, and 1t ragged fiercely and it could H.
Vt be checked If that red-handed OF
oggtn, If that cold-eyed, dead-faced ST
nell had only been at Ord But fc
icy were not, and Duane with help in
time got what he hoped was the al
per hand of himself. III