Show 4 elaw 1 A OF THE BORDER aa zie grf Y AUTHOR OF THE LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS lo 10 RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE ETC I 1 Co SY AND 1 CHAPTER on the morning of the twenty sixth munne rode into bradford in time to catch the alio early train riis his wound lilt did liot seriously incapacitate capacitate li liim him lon longstreth was anva with hint and miss longstreth and ruth helbert would not 10 e loft left behind T they I 1 11 y were ill all leaving Fal forever had I 1 turned over the whole hole of lit his prope property to 1 morton forton u who lio was ii a to divide it as lie he find and ills his comrades believed just duano duane and ili left ral Fal with Ms lits party hy by night pa passed qed through it sanderson in the early lid hours of dawn and readied reached bradford Brad foid a az lie had planned that fatal morning found duane outwardly calm calin but inwardly lie was vas jn in a tumult ite wanted to rush rugh to Val Voide would captain macnelly lie be there with liis hn as dunno duane had planned for them to he be memory of that tawny po gin ic turned with strange passion duane had borne hours and weeks and months month of walting waiting ii ng it had ad endured the long houri of the outlaw but now lie had no patience the hi tle itlo of the train made 1111 A leap it was ins a fast train yet the ride seemed slow dunne duane did not speak to lonz breth rind and the lie pa passengers zeng ers in the c car ar changed his seat scat to one behind liis ills prisoner olier the girls sat gat in a seat eat near by and were pale but compo composed zed duane did it not speak to lon longstreth nain tul till the train stopped at val 1 lerda ire they pot got oft off the car and the girls followed billowed fIll owed a naturally as ag ordinary travelers the station was a boort oad leal larger than that it at 13 bradford Brad foid dud aud there was action tind and bihl lii to incident to the arrival of the T r 4 duanes Di sweeping searched faces ance rested upon a man mail who seemed familiar thi aliis lellow fellows s fook too was that of one alio lio knew duane but was waiting for a sign a cue then duane recognized lani macnelly I 1 elly clean ca enn en CIL without musti tache clio he appeared different younger TIl wien lell nelly saw that duane intended to greet litin him hurn hurdled ed for 1 ira to meef m bot I 1 lif him i a A keen heen light hashed flashed front from his eyes lie was oad glad eager yet suppressing hi the t he glances Jan cEi he fie sent all back back ant forth from duane to lon longst e were questioning doubtful certainly longstreth Long did not look th part of tin an outlay outlaw Du duane atie lord rin piu lad glad to bee cc you was the captains captain greeting thon at closer look into duanes face his warmth fled lie saw there elp eked his enthusiasm ur or at least its la utterance macnelly ac Nolly shake hands with ldina ld Inc said duane low voiced the ranger dumb motion motionless but bu t lie he saw longstreth Longst reths 3 instant inot ant action and ana awkwardly he reached for the outstretched etched hand any of your men down here queried dunne duane sharply no Th ethcie cie lipto lip up atoian to n comp macnelly sou walk with him ale veve Z in the party ill all rok ta y ul t mn 1 ts t S wh h te set 0 ou nii to longstree Longst tra reh ar J if tie ho ele with cr friends 1 rn S on oh me the w aa to ifan linnert e r the girls wea were aute mure macnelly walked like it wall tn trul afore NN d ae s not il vord od lu in four V alock i 1 far res gettly autly duane espied a stone building on a corner of the broad street there was a big sign ranchers bank theres the hotel said macnelly Mac some of my men are there weve scattered around they crossed the street went through office and louby loby and then duane asked mac macnelly nelly to take them to a private room without a word the he captain complied when they were all inside daigne closed the door and drawing a deep breath as if i ot of relief lie faced miss longstreth you and miss ruth huth try to make inake yourselves comfortable now lie said and dont be distressed tre sed then lie tinned to his captain caplain macnelly macneily tills this girl Is tho daughter of the man mail rc ine in ought to you and this one Is lit his niece then duane briefly related long st reths story and though lie did not spare pare the rustler rustier chief lie was generous when I 1 wont went after long Rt reth concluded duane it aas as either cither to kill 1111 him or olter offer eflin his freedom on oil conditions so I 1 chose the latter for ili his daughters LI u yh tors sale sake no he has alicade disposed of till nil ills his property I 1 believe hell lle IM up ill to tho the conditions ries hes to leave texas never to clies eldine has been a mystery und and now it ill 11 fade A few moments moment later duane follon ed cd macnelly to a large room like it a liall hall and liuro here were men iuen reading and boking mo king duane kleiv them rangers I 1 60 J S C f I 1 J 10 0 04 5 L duane lord I 1 am glad to see you kic nelly beckoned to ills his men T they crowded brou bcd close eager like hounds rl ready ady to run they nil ail talked at once and the woid most significant ind frequent lu in their speech decall was outlaws MUC Nelly clap clapped peI lit Is fist in his hand nj 1 l T DC 7 chis 11 maize the adjutant t sick with joy laibe maibe lie he wont have it on oil the governor vl well elal saw t them T leai about dij alie in ranker sen sem ice dunne duane howd you ever do it now captain not the half nor the quarter of this jobs done the gangs coming coining down own the road ride in to town tov n on oil the dot tan two o thirty ilow how many asked macnelly boggin gin llo 1310 kane panhandle Panli andle smith boldt jim fletcher and another 1 I dont know boggin the hard nut to crac crack ivo ive herid their record pincu 1 ivo yo li han n in val verde wheres kyj S ewt knells d ead dead all ah e mae nelly softly then lie ho grew businesslike cool and of haider ape aspect ct duane its your game today to day were all under your orders order you understand theres there no sense in trying to arrest boggin kane and that lot queried duane 11 no I 1 dont understand that replied bac ke aly bluntly it C cant be be jon done ft f the file drop cant be got on on such men th that at outlaw lias has no equal with a gun unless lies iles got to be hilled quick all have to be killed all bad desperate know no fear are lightning lit in action very well duane then its a fight that it 11 be easier perhaps perli aps the boys ire are polling for a fight out with ith your plan now yi i za I 1 r nsf i it put ono one man at each end of 0 this just at the thedger edgus of town put fou r alij fit diat ro room oni oar 0 ver T tile the bank two at elch 0 open T en window N let L then them tilde hide till tile the game begins begin the te rest ot of your men put inside behind the counters where here tilde hide now go oer to the hank banic spring the thing on oil the bank officials send end your men over one by one no hurry no excitement cite cit no unusual iqual thing to attract notice not in ili the bank all right grent great tell me where do aou ou intend to waitt t duane heard question and it struck peculiarly ue ile had d to mechanically As he nas as confronted by the fact anet it nonplused nonplus ed him somewhat and lie became thoughtful with lowered head where ill 11 you on wait duane insisted macnelly Ine Mae Nelly with keen eyes ril ill mt ait in front just inside thu tha door replied replica duane walli tin ail effort but ill nou ou tilde hide asked muc mae apy duana was silent macnelly lacni elly stared and then it a strange comprehending light to flit ocr his face duane I 1 can give you on no ardois today to day lie said distinctly ini im only offering of cring advice need you take any aliv moru more riis rii s youve sour self the governor the adjutant ge gen eral cral the hole holc state mil all rise up tip and honor you 1 I say as a ranker ranger mcd lived m cd you take more risk than your captain still duane remained rerun ined silent nc ile was locked between two forces and one a 1 tide that nas ns bm bui bristing sting at its bounds seemed about to over overwhelm him finally rin tilly that side of him retreating self the weaker found a ali fl i neui aut walen no ne alas t I 1 captain just what ill do or angero ril ill lie be I 1 cant say yet in meetings like this the moment decides but ill be therel there macnelly spread wide ills hands looked helplessly ly at his curious nn and sympathetic rang rarig cis eis and his head now youve done your work laid tile the atall Is this sirl lige mole moc of yours youra going to lie be fair to miss longstreth asked L lu ili significant I 1 low OW voice like a great tree chopped at the roots duane Nib vibrated rated to that 1 lie 10 looked up tip as if lie he had seen it a ghost mercilessly the i anger captain went vent on oil you can NA win ill her duano duane I 1 olt oh sou cant fool tile inc I 1 was wise in a minute fight ith us from coar be flee lio honored nored happy that alil loves you I 1 saw it in her eyes ashes but duano duane cut him short with a fleace gesture 1 uc 10 lunged up to lit his feet tind and the rangers fell back dark silent grini grim as lie hall been still thero there was nias a transformation gioia sinister stranger canough Cn ough rm im done lie said som orn 1 erly ive planned do we A c agree or hall I 1 meet boggin and ills his gang alone macnally Nelly cursed and again threw up ills his hands tins this time in ill baillen chagrin chagi in there was deep inglet in ills dark ancs its as they rested upon duane duane was ans left alone never had ills bib mind been so co quick so clear so wonderful lit in its andel standing of what had been intile ate and elusive impulses of his strange nature ili his determination was nas to meet incel boggin meet litin anni before anyone vise else had a chance boggin alist ind and then the others de ins as as unalterable a bl C lit in that decision as it if on oil the instant of its acceptance lie had become stone why then came realization ile he was not a ranker ranger now ue he cared nothing for the alic state he had no thought of freeing the community of a dangerous 3 outlaw of itil adding ding the country of an alt obstacle to its pro gieRs and prosperity lie ile wanted to kill 1111 boggin it was avas significant now that lie forgot tho the other outlaws lie ile was the gun gunman nian the gun grun thrower the gunfighter gun fighter passionate and terrible ills his fathers blood that daik and fierce strain ills his others mothers spirit that strong and unquenchable spirit of the surviving pioneer these lidid been in him and tho tha killings one after another the alie wild and ili haunted years year lind had anade him absolutely sol tely in spite of his flis will 1 ill bile alie gun FIE niala ile he it now bitt bitterly battly ly hopelessly alij the r tiling lie he had intelli intelligence once enough to hate lie had become at last he shuddered under the delving dil ving ruthless inhuman blood lust of tho gunni gunman actual pride of liis ills record 1 actual vanity lit in liis ills speed with a gun gull actual jealousy of illy any alval duane could no not t bellena it but there lie was without a choice what lie had feared for years had become a monstrous reality lie ile stood ped lure bare his soul naked the soul of I 1 i and at the titter abasement the soul lie despised suddenly leaped and quivered AN with ith the thought of ray hay longstroth ariell then ca came ine agony lie ile loved the girl ile he wanted her all her bleet w ness nes s her flie fie and pleading to torture him at that moment the door opened and ray hay longstreth entered dunne duane she said aid softly captain macnelly N sent seat me to you elit bm you you have come replied pit ed duane ks As soon as lie told me I 1 would have come NN whether hother lie he wished jt it or not you left me all of lag us stua stunned 01 I 1 had no time to thank you olt oh I 1 do with anith all my illy OUT it was noble 0 of f ou u rather father I 1 ia ovel conle lie ile expect so much and hell be true but duane I 1 was told to li and here im selfishly time go then and leave me you unnerve me now when theres a 9 desperate game to anih in iii ir ja need it be desperate she whispered coming close to him yes yes it cant be else her eyes were jaick dark strained I 1 beautiful and they saied a light upon dunne duane lie he had never seen before youre going to take some mad she said let me persuade you oil not to you said bald you cared for me and I 1 oh duane dont you know 1 the low voice deep sweet as an old chord faltered and and failed dunne sustained a sudden shock and till an instant of confusion of thought she moved she swept out her and the render of her eyes illi dimmed umed in ili it a food of tears my god you cant care for melt me lie he cited hoarsely lioa hoa isely then she anil liliu hands outstretch etched rut but 1 I do 10 1 I do sift its ii light dunne duane caught her and held her to ills breast ile he stood holding her tight with tin tile feet feel of iier her warm throbbing breast nud aud the chip of her arnis arms till and aleh and blood realities to fl allt a teri terrible ible fear ue felt her and in for the moment the hie might of it was stronger titan than nil all tin the den lemony iolli that possessed tl him anil iid lie ho held her as it if she had been ills his out liis strength sarc nath on oil earth ills hope of oc he hearell avell against hib lips to be continued |