Nogales international., 1928-12-04

BANDS body. Duane caught her arm,
swung her behind him. He feared the
woman when she realized how she mad
been duped. His action was protec-
tive, and his movement toward the
door equally significant.
Duane" cried Mrs. Bland.
1t was no time for talk. Duane
edged on, keeping Jennie behind him.
At that moment there was pounding
Of iron-shod hoofs out in the lane.
Kate Bland bounded to the door. When
she turned back her amaze was chang
ing to realization.
"Where're you taking Jen?" she
cried, her voice like mans.
Get out of my way" replied Du-
ane. His look, perhaps, without speech,
was enough for her In an instant she
was transformed into a fury.
"You hound Ali the time you were
fooling me. You made love. to mel
You let me beleve-you swore. you
loved me-! Now / see what was queer
about you! All for that slut But
you can't have her, You'll never leave
here alive! Give me that girl! Let
me get at her! She'll never win any
more men in this camp!
She was heavy, powerful woman,
and it took all Duanes strength to
ward off her onslaughts. She clawed
at Jennie over his upheld arm. Every
second her fury increased.
Help! Help! Help!' she shrieked
in voice that must have penetrated
to the remotest cabin in the valley.
LET goi Let go!" cried Duane,
low and sharp He still held his gun
in his right hand, and it began to be
hard for him to ward the woman off.
His cooiness had gone with her shrek
for help. LET go!" he repeated, and
he showed her hercely.
Suddenly she snatched a rife off the
wall and backed away, her strong
hands fumbling at the lever. AS she
jerked it down, throwing she'll into
the chamber and cooking the weapon,
Duane leaped upon her He struck UP
the rife as it went off, the powder
burning his face.
Jennie, run outi Get on horse |"
41V ontQg StIAr kOW- dil0' SkldA
Jennie flashed out of, the door
With an iron grasp Duane held to
the rife-barrel. He had grasped it
with his left: hand, and he gave such
a powerful pull that he swung the
woman off the floor. But he could not
loose her grip. She was as strong as
he.
Kate! Let go!" ~.
He tried to intimidate her. She did
not see his gun thrust in her face,
or reason had given way to such an
extent to passion that she did not care.
She cursed. Her husband had used
the same curses, and from her lips
they seemed strange, unsexed, more
deadly.
Like tigress she fought him. Her
face no longer resembled a woman's.
The evil of that outlaw life, the wild
ness and rage, the meaning to kill
was, even in such q moment, terribly
impressed upon Duane.
He heard a cry from outside-a
mans cry, hoarse and alarming.
1t made him think of loss of time.
This demon of a woman might yet
block his plan.
"Let gol' he whispered and felt his
lips stiff. In the grimness Of that in
slant he relaxed his hold on the rifle
barrel.
With sudden, redoubled, irresist-
ible strength, she wrenched the rife
down and discharged it. Duane felt
a blow-a shock-then a burning
agony tearing through his breast He
staggered backward, almost falling
The woman's strong hands, awkward
from passion, again fumbled at the
lever of the gun.
He caught the rihe-barrel again, this
time in his right hand, and pulled She
tripped over a chair and crashed down
Duane leaped back, whirled, flew out
of the door to the porch. The sharp
cracking of a gun halted him. He saw
Jennie holding to the bride of his bay
horse
Euchre sat astride the other and he
had Colt leveled, and he was firing
down the lane. Then came a single
shot, heavier, and Euchre's ceased. He.
fell from the horse.
A swiftly shifted gaze showed to
Duane a man coming down the lane.
Chess Alloway! His gun was smok-
ing: He broke into a rum Then, in
an instant he saw Duane, tried to
check his pace as he swung I'D his
arm. But that slight pause was fatal.
Duane shot, and Alloway was fall
ing when his gun went off. His bullet
whistled close to Duane and thudded
into the cabin. %
Duane bounded down to the horses.
Jennie was trying to hold the plung-
ing bay. Euchre lay fiat on his back,
dead, bullet-hole in his shirt, his face
set hard, and his hands twisted around
gun and bride. u.
"Jennie, you've nerve all right"
cried Duane as he dragged down the
horse she was holding. "Up with you
now. There! Never mind long stir
rups! Hang up somehow
He caught his bride out of Euchre's
clutching grip and leaped astride. The
frightened horses jumped into run
and thundered down the lane into the
road. Duane saw men running from
cabins. He heard shouts. But there
which floated out of the: theatre
: it can be judged that they enjoyed