Show cc az LOA E stad damm OF THE BORDER 1076 ZANE OF THE LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE ETC ty BY AND AMS BROTHERS L SYNOPSIS CHAPTER 1 aw wellston texas it N becomes becomes with aith buckley duane I a cabe case of I 1 glit or run from cal biln duane kills his bis man and be becomes coines an outlaw I 1 CHAPTER ir he meets luke ens an ouEla outlaw xv 4 CHAPT CHAPTER rR ITT III stevens goes into the town of mercer to buy supplies sup plies and Is snot sh ot by a rancher duane buries him CRA CHAPTER ITER IV duane goes to blands outlaw stronghold in the rim rock and alter after shooting Bosom cr who quarrels with ith him over stevens Sl ovens death decides to stay stav there euchre takes duane for a L partner and tells him about bland the outlaw chief ind and his band what did you come here for she asked at last well euchre thought he wanted me to talk to you cheer you up a bit replied duane somewhat lamely the earnest eyes embarrassed him euchres euchred Eu chres good hes the only person in this awful place chos been good to me but hes afraid of bland he said you were different who are TOO yon dunne duane told her youre not a robber or rustler or murderer or some bad man come here to hide bide no im not replied dunne duane trying to smile im on the dodge you know what that means I 1 got in a shooting scrap at home and had to run iun off when it blows over I 1 hope to go back oh I 1 know what these outlaws are yes youre different she kept the strained gaze upon him but hope was kindling and the hard lines of ter ber youthful face were softening something sweet and w warm arin stirred deep in dunne as he realized the unfortunate I 1 0 60 00 U 0 00 0 0 0 0 Q 0 0 0 00 0 t look at me straight in the eye co girl was experiencing a birth of trust in film then the glow began to fade doubt once more assailed her it cant be youre only after me too like bland like fill all of the them dunnes duanes long arms went out and his hands clasped her shoulders ile he zook shook lier her f look it at me ine straight in the eye there tire are decent men you a father a br brother otherl dond dead killed by raiders ive ve lived in dimmit county I 1 was jennie replied it hurried carried way away a ly she put up lip an appealing hand blind to him forgive roe me I 1 belleve 1 hilow youre good it was only I 1 jive so fco ive I 1 ve ol al muel much in fear lm im halt half crazy most f what good me men 1 I MC are like mister duane help me yes jennie I 1 will tell me how what must I 1 dd do have you yo it any plana plan 1011 oh loll no but take me i ill try said duane simply that gall are arc V watched arched 11 you wont ont bo be ca easy 1 Y though kept prisoner off lots of times ii wo I 1 could run rd id only have fallen r but ut I 1 was afraid told 1 11 euchre ba has hands into worse halt half beats me that sirs mrs bland ane from has kept me but she me starves other dogs and those husband her nd rm im that a and as been as good ches it for I 1 love done she ills nt teul lra grateful hated bated me W 21 me though she always I 1 jealous I 1 sacs growing and lately about me bland be henr arher her fighting with try then ti ve heard chess alloway him to give me inc to bland to persuade if b must be quick duane you say save me inc thoughtfully 1 11 realize that r replied he I difficulty NY will ill be to 1 I think M my y bland it if she suspected me fool mrs airs outlaws aws ched have the whole 9 gang ang of on me lac at once to be got youve 1 1 she would that careful ca r eaul and quick shea she 1 Is 1 what kind of 0 VL a woman woma inquired inqui ashes brazen ive heard beard her with her lovers they get drunk sometimes when blands away ashes got a terrible temper ashes vain slie she likes flattery oil you could fool her easy enough if lower yourself to to ta to make love to her interrupted duane jennie bravely turned shamed eyes to meet his my ry girl id do worse than that to get you away f from rom here he said bluntly but duane she faltered and again slie she put out the appealing hand bland will kill you duane made no reply to this he was trying to still a rising strange tumult in ills his breast the old emotion the rush of the instinct to kill he turned cold all over chess alloway will kill you if bland went on jennie with her tragic eyes on duanes maybe he will replied duane it was difficult difu cult for him to force a smile but he achieved one oh better take me off at once she sald said save me without risking so much without making love to mrs bland surely if I 1 can there I 1 see euchre coming with a woman her oh she see me with you walt wait a moment whispered dunne duane as jennie slipped indoors weve settled it dont forget rn ril find some borne way to got word to you per naps through euchre meanwhile keep up your courage remember ill save you somehow well try strategy first whatever you on see or hear bear me do dont think less of me jennie checked him with a gesture and a wonderful gray flash of eyes ill bless you with every drop of blood in my heart she whispered passionately it was only as she turned away into the room that duane saw she was lame and that she wore mexican sandals over bare feet ile he sat down upon a bench on the porch and directed ills his attention to the approaching couple the trees of the grove were thick enough for him to make reasonably sure that mrs bland had bad not seen him talking to jennie when the outlaws wife drew near the situation took on a singular zest euchre came up on the porch a and nd awkwardly introduced duane to mrs bland she was young voting probably not over twenty five and not quite so prepossessing at close range her eyes were large rather prominent and brown lu in color her mouth too was large with tile the lips full and sh she chad had white teeth duane took her fir proffered offered hand band and remarked frankly that he was glad to meet her mrs bland appeared pleased and her laugh which followed was loud and rather musical mr duane buck duane euchre saad bat 1 he she ask asked col buckley corrected duane the nicknames nickname ts not my choosing im certainly glad to meet you buckley dunne duane she said as she took the seat scat duane offered her sorry to have been out kid fullers ly lying ing over at cegers De gers you know he was shot last night highl hes got fever today to day when blands away I 1 have to nurse all thebe shot up boys and it sure takes roy my time ii you been walting waiting here alone see sec that slattern girl of mine sliu site gave him a svaip glanek the extraordinary ordinary play of tra won woman an had an feature dunne duane thought and unless she was su smiling illing was not pretty at all ive been alone replied duane seen anybody but a sick looking girl with a bucket and she when she saw me xan ran X an that was jen said mrs bland s ashes tile the kid we wc keep here and ana she did E euchre her keep sure b hardly ardly pays tell you nou about her 46 now ow that I 1 think 0 something or other what did he tell you about me bluntly asked naked mrs bland wil 11 kate replied euchre speaking for himself you worry vorry buck but compliments nine for I 1 told ments liked evidently the tb outlaws outlaw 6 wife keen glance rested euchre for her amusement upon him with tell you her story As for jen ill went on the woman w oman its day some this along enough story fl a common tenderhearted hearted tender here Is a euchre it uclide river in him old fool and jen has taken got me fl fig g wal cecin as youve replied euchre dryly correct jennie if i I 1 may talk t alk to in an til ill go ten jen calls ahead go certainly said mrs bland friend you he be best beat always fete etching fling amiably youre roure y I 1 why and soule some mexican stuff s when euchre had shuffled led ifft into 0 the house mrs bland turned to dunne duane with curiosity and interest in her gaze bland told me about you what lid did he say queried dunne duane in pretended alarm oh you von think hes done you dirt elands blands not that kind of a man ho he said kate theres a young fellow in camp rode in here on the lofte dodge slickest slackest Slick est liand hand with a gun ive seen for many a day magnificent chap bigger than any man in the valley just a great blue eyed sunburned boy Ill humph exclaimed dunn duane e rm im sorry lie he led you to expect somebody worth seeing but im not disappointed she returned archly duane tire are you going 11 to stay long here in camp yes till I 1 run out of money and have to move why mrs elands blands face underwent one of the singular changes the smiles and flushes flu and glances all that had been coquettish about her had lent her a certain attractiveness attract Ivene ss almost beauty and youth but with some powerful emotion she changed and instantly became a woman of discontent dunne duano imagined of deep violent nature til ill tell you duane slie she said earnestly earnestin pill im sure glad if you mean to bide here awhile im a mise miserable rable woman duane im an outlaws wife and I 1 hate him and the life I 1 have to lead im sick for somebody to talk to I 1 have no children thank god if I 1 had id not stay here liere im alc sick of this hole im lonely genuine emotion checked then halted the hurried speech she broke down and cried duane believed and pitied her im sorry for you he said dont be sorry for me she said that only makes me see the the difference between you and me and dont pay any attention to what these outlaws say about me ignorant they understand me hear that bland killed men who ran after me but a lie would bland object it if I 1 called on you occasionally inquired duane no he he likes me to have friends ask him ybur yourself self when he comes back the trouble has been that two or three men of his fell in love with me and when half drunk got to fighting youre not going to do that tm im not going to get half drunk cert certain nin replied duane ile he was surprised to see her eyes dilate then glow with fire before she could reply euchre returned to the porch and that put an end to the conversation duane was content to let the matter rest there and had little more to say euchre and mrs bland talked and joked while duane listened once he happened to glance into the house and deep in the shadow of a corner lie he caught a pale gleam of jen jell ales face with great staring eyes on him watching his chance he flashed a look at her and then it seemed to him the change in her face was wonderful later after lie he had left mrs bland with a meaning adios manana and anva was s walk walking ing along besides the old outlaw lie found himself thinking flunking of the girl instead of the woman and of how lie had seen her face blaze with hope and gratitude CHAPTER VII that night dunne duane was not troubled by ghosts hosts haunting his walking and sleeping hours lie ile awoke feeling bright and eager and grateful to euchre tor for having put something worth while into ills his mind during breakfast however lie he was unusually thoughtful working over the idea of how much or how little he be could confide in the outlaw lie he was aware of 0 euchre euchred Eu chres scrutiny wal began the old man at last howd you ou make out with what id d you an she talk about we had a little chat you know you wanted me to cheer her up euchre sat with coffee codee cup poised and narrow eyes studying duane buck ive seen some outlaws whose word was good goed mino mine Is you can trust me I 1 trusted you you von over there an you wise to my tryan to help thet poor ltd kid thus enjoined by euchre duane began to tell the conversations with jennie and mrs bland word for word long before he had reached an end euchre set down the entree cup and began to stare and at the conclusion conc luIon of the story ills his face lost bonic of its red color and beads of stood out thickly on ills his brow wal if thet floor me lie he ejaculated biln blinking king at duano duane young man you was some sift an ail sure to make your mark on tills this river but ut I 1 reckon I 1 missed your reni real caliber do you know what it ill 11 take to do all you von promised jen 1 I any an y idea replied duane gravely have to pull the wool over kate blands eyes eves an ail even if she falls in love with you which Is s shore ebore likely thet wont bo be easy an shed kill alii you it in ii a minnit buck if she ever got wise vise you Youal aint nt mistaken her none are you not NL me euchre ashes a woman rd id fear her more than any man wal have to kill bland an chess alloway at an 11 tin an mcbee some others before be fore you can ride on off into tile hills with thet girl all right ill meet what comes said duano duane quietly qu betly the great point Is to have horses ready and pick the right moment t then rush the trick through taets th the e only chance fer bucce success an you cant can t do it alone scarcely ever forget the reality of things this was a hidden bidden valley a robbers den a rendezvous for murderers a wild place stained red by deeds of wild men and because ot of that there was always a changed atmosphere mo sphere the merriest idlest most careless moment might in the hash of an eye end in ruthless and tragic action duane felt rather than saw a dark brooding shadow over the valley then without any solicitation or encouragement coura gement from dunne the bland woman fell passionately in love wa with I 1 him she launched herself and the tiling thing which evidently held lier her in chock check was the newness the strangeness and for the moment the all satisfying fact of ills his respect for her dunne duane exerted himself to please to amuse to interest to fascinate her and always with deference that was his trong strong point and it had made ills his part aay so far he was playing a game of love playing with life and death 1 what liwe litie lit ie communication he hat had with jennie was through euchre who carried short messages but he caught glimpses of her overy time he went to the bland house she contrived contrive somehow t to 0 pass door or window to give him a look when chance afforded dunne duane discovered with surprise that these moments nion jents were more thrilling to him than any with mrs airs bland jennie had been instructed by euchre to listen to understand that this was duanes only chance to help keep her mind from constant worry to gather the import of every word which had a double meaning and all through those waiting days lie he knew that jennies face and especially the warm fleeting glance she gave him was responsible for a subtle and gradual change in him this change lie he fancied was only that through remembrance of her he got rid of his pale sickening ghosts one day a careless mexican threw a lighted cigarette up into the brush matting that served as a ceiling for bensons den and there was a fire which left little more than the adobe walls standing the result was that while repairs were being made there was no gambling and drinking time hung very heavily on the hands of some twosome two score sore outlaws dunne duane however found the hours anything but empty he spent more time at mrs blands he walked miles on all the trails leading out of the valley he had a care for the conditions of his two horses upon his return from the latest of ilese tramps euchre suggested that they go down to the river to the boat landing nearly all the outlaws in camp were assembled on the riverbank river bank lolling in the shade of the cottonwoods cotton woods the heat was oppressive duane and euchre joined the lazy group and sat down with them euchre lighted a black pipe and draN drawing vIng his hat over his eyes lay back in comfort after the manner of the majority of the outlaws but duane was alert observing thoughtful he never levei missed anything it was hn his belief that any moment till an idle word might be of benefit to him moreover these rough men were always interesting te blands been chased accost the divor said one nashes naw her hes del |