Nogales international., 1928-12-11
Sixth Installment
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
Buck Duane quick on the draw, kills Cal
Balm in self-defense and finds himself an
outlaw Flying from pursuit, he meets Luke
Stevens, another outlaw. and the two be-
come pals. Luke narrowly escapes capture
and Duane is shocked to find his brother
outlaw severely wounded.
Duane buries Stevens. Then he goes on
TO BANDS camp where he gets into hight
with man called Bosomer and wounds the
| latter He makes friend of outlaw
at Hands called Euchre, who tells him of
Mrs. Bland and the girl Jennie.
| Duane meets Jennie, and promises to try
his utmost to get her away from Bland's
! camp. To avert suspicion, It is planned
that he pretend to care for Mrs. Bland.
Euchre introduces him to the latter and he
| engages in conversation with her,
| Buck plays the game, making Mrs. Bland
! think he loves her. To avert Bland's suspa.
i cion, Mrs. Bland pretends to her husband
| that Buck has come to visit Jennie: Bland
urges Buck to become regular member OF
| his outlaw gang.
| A quarrel later develops in which Duane
kills Bland and rushes off with Jennie after
! terrific struggle with Mrs. Bland. lie
| plans to leave Jennie in good hands until
relative or friend is located, and then go on
alone on the trail. He keeps careful guard
over her.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
About the middle of the afternoon
| Jennie awoke. They cooked meal,
and afterward sat beside the little fire.
| She had never been, in his observation
of her, anything but tragic figure, an
unhappy girl, the farthest removed
from serenity and poise. That char
actcristic capacity for agitation struck
him as stronger in her this day. He
attributed it, however, to the long
strain, the suspense nearing an end.
| Yet sometimes, when her eyes were on
him, she did not seem to be thinking of
her freedom, of her future.
This time tomorrow you'll be in
Shelbyville," he said.
Where will you be-" she asked
quickly.
me? Oh, I'll be making tracks
! for some lonesome place" he replied.
! The girl shuddered
| tive been brought up in Texas. I
remember what hard lot the men of
my family had. But poor as they
were, they had roof over their heads,
hearth with fire, a warm bed
| scilICi'Otty ~ IOsC tIiCiAt.
And you, Duane, oh, my Codl
What your life must be You must
ride and hide and watch cternally. No
decent food, no pillow, no friendly
word, no clean clothes, no wonan's
hand Horses. guns, trails, rocks.
hoies-these must be the important
| things in your life You must go on
riding, hiding, killing until you meet
She ended with 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 tremor iii his
voice. "You don't know how much
that means to me-"
She raised her face and it was tear
stained, eloquent, beautiful.
I've heard tell-the best of men GO
to the bad out there. You won't. Pro-
mise me you won't. 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 poor weak girl But if
/ could hope-so can you. Stay away
from men! Be lone wolf! Figh,
for your life! Stick out your exile
and maybe-Some day"
Then she lost her voice Duane
cIasped her hand, and with feeling as
deep as hers promised to remember
her words. In her despair for him
she had spoken wisdom--pointed out
the only course. rsr
Duane's vigilance, momentarily bro
| ken by emotion, had no sooner reas-
serted itself than he discovered the bay
horse, the one Jennie rode had broken
his halter and gone off. The soft wet
earth had deadened the sound of his
hoofs. His tracks were plain in the
mud. There were clumps of mesquit
in sight among which the horse might
have Strayed. 1t turned out however
that he had not done so.
Duane did not want to leave Jennie
alone in the cabin, so near the road
So he put her up on his horse and
badc her follow. The rain had ceased
for the time being, though evidently
II the storm was not yet over. The
tracks led up wash to wide flat
where mesquit, prickly pear, and thorn
bush grew so thick1y that Jennie coult
not ride into it.
Il Duane was throughly concerned, He
| must have her horse. Time was fly
| ing. 1t would soon be night. He
could not expect her to scramble quick
:, iy through that brake on foot. There
fore he decided to risk leaving her a,
the edge of the thicket and go in alone
II Suddenly there came an unmistak-
1 .blc thump of horses hoofs off some
where to the fore.
II Then scream rent the air. 1t ended
| abruptly. Duane leaped forward and
tore his way through the thorny brake.
He heard Jennie cry again--an appeal
ing call, quickly hushed. It seemed
more to his right, and he plunged that
way.
II He burst into glade where smol-
derins 6re and ground covered with