Show T TL A Tr olad darabi ROMANCE A OF ZAN E grf Y aurim OF THE LIGHT LICHT OF WESTERN STARS RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE ETC BY WO AND SYNOPSIS CHAPTER 1 I in rollston ston texas it becomes with buckley duane a cabe of fight or run from cal bain duane deanc kills lita als man and be becomes cornes an outlaw CHAPTER II 11 he meets luke stevens an outlaw CHAPTER TIT ITT stevens goe eoe 3 into abe tlc alc town lowin of mercer to buy supplies and Is jabot ahot by a rancher duane buries him CHAPTER IV duane goes coes to blands ands outlaw stronghold stron in the rim rock and 6 after after fter shooting cosomor Bo who quarrels with him over stevens death decides to stay there euchre takes duane for a partner and tells him about bland the outlaw chief and his band CHAPTER nr duane practices pun gun throwing and hears bears more about bland and his bis pane gang CHAPTER VI NIT euchre and duane call on kate blands wife and jennie a girl whom belbon and sold to bland CHAPTER VII NITI euchre and duann conspire to take jennie away duano duane prevents a wanton murder CHAPTER mrs bland makes love jove to duane and lie uses her ter to further bli plans plan bland returns from corn a trip lie he asks duane to join the band ile he 1 Is jealous of duane and abuses kato and jennie CHAPTER TX IX euchre buchl Q kills penn pen n is killed bv Allow iv tv duane kills allo way ivay and bland and escapes wounded with jennie in a deserted hut in tho the jennie him CHAPTER X when duane is iq stron enough they travel out of the rim roth li to a ra ranchers icle rs house where divine dinne re covers on their way to tennie jennie is carried off of by outlaws whilo duine duane Is away looking tor for a strayed florae CHAPTER after vain search for jennie whose abductor he rills kills duino leads the lonewolf lone one wolf life for mor thin three veara fin a message me sare tram from captain of the rangers eskine him to come to the captains camp after dark CHAPTER XII the massaki saKi Is several er a I 1 times renei ted duane Is chased by a lynching lunching lyn ching party CHAPTER XIII A price on his head rind accused of 0 woman shrine rida t into to deny the after a narrow r c cape from lynch lyn cIting lne lie proves his innocence and Is allowed to go CHAPTER XIV he goes to Mc Nellya tanger ranger camp Ic Nelly offers him piron idon and social restoration aaion it if li he e will become a ranger and clean out the cheseldine Che sedIne ang in he be big bend coun iffie 4 i ay cheseldine Chesel dinc Is a name a terrible airine sald said colonel webb some limes I 1 wonder if lies no not t only a name in that case where floes does the drains brains of this gang conic come from no there must be a master craft man behind this border pillage a 1 master capable of handling alio those e terrors alog thein ain anti and knell of 0 all the thousands in of outlaws developed uy 1 west ern texas in the last inia twenty years ati these three are the latest in southern texa down be between beleen teen the alie pecos and the there have been mid are still many bad men but I 1 doubt it if any outlaw there thele possible excepting buck dunne ever equaled youve heard of th tin daume yes a little replied duane quiet ay rm im from southern texas buck duane I then is not knonk out heie why man where litra name 1 In iown returned colonel webb ive kept track of his record as I 1 have nil all the others ills his fame lit in this country appears to hang on oil ills his match ness gnu gim play und his enmity toward outlaw chiefs has gang been buy busy lately asked duane no probably all the stock being shipped now was rustled long ngo ago Clie over a wide section too wide tor for news to ti travel avel inside of weeks ie eks there ire arc some teofile who think Clie had nothing to do with the bank robberies and train holdups hold ups during the last few years lu in this country but poor 3 the jobs have been too well avell done too surely covered to be the work ork of greasers or ordinary outlaws your view of the outlook hows all this his going to wind vind lip will the outlaw ever be driven out asked duane never there hlll always be outlaws 1 laws avs along the rio grande all the armies in fit the world comb the wild brakes of that fifteen hundred miles of river but the alie sway of the outlaw such ns as Is enjoyed by these great leaders will sooner or later be past theres cres talk of vigilantes the same fame that were organized in california and are now iu in force in idalio idaho so far its only talk but the time will come and the days of Clie and coggin are numbered CHAPTER XVI next morning duane mounted his horse and headed for Fal ho he rode leisurely as lie wanted to ae learn arn all lie he could about tilt the country there were few ran ranches clies the further farther he tr traveled tile better grazing lie encountered and strange to note tile the fewer herds berds of cattle it va just sunset when lie he made out a cluster of adobe houses that marked sanderson halfway half way ay between bradford and fairdale Fa Fal irdale when lie drew up before the inn the land landlord lold and his family and a number of loun loungers gerb greeted him lu laconically conically bent beat the stage in hey remarked one there she comes now sald said another joel shore is darivin tonight far down the road duane saw a cloud of dust list and horses ind and it a lumbering coach presently it rolled up a large mud and lusty dusty vehicle littered avith baggage on top and tied on behind A 1 number of passengers alighted three of whom excited duane ini interest erest olle was a tall dark sinking looking man and the other two ladies wearing long gray ulstein and veils duane heard the proprietor of the inn address the man as colonel longstroth longstreth ind and as the party entered the inn duanes quick ears caught a few voids illch acquainted him with the fact that ae fo 1 ill was the mayor of e a dealie passed inside himself to learn that supper would soon be ready c a d v at table lie found him self C opposite the three who had attracted his atten attention dol 1 ruth I 1 envy the lucky cowboys longstreth was nas sayi saying ruth was a 1 I curly headed girl with gray or lizzet eyes im crazy to ride bronchus bron chos she said duane gathered that slie she was on a visit to western texas tile other girls deep voice like a bell made duane regard her closer she did not resemble the colonel who r JI 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 one was a striking looking man was evidently cl dently her father she looked tired quiet even melancholy A finely chiseled oval face that had oni ething nervous and delicate about it which made dunne duane think of a thoroughbred it a mouth by no means small but perfectly curved and hair like jet procla procia hneil linell her ter beauty to dunne duane when looked at him drawn by ills his rather persistent gaze there was pride fire and passion in ier her eyes dunne duane felt himself blushing in contusion confusion after supper the guests its assembled in a I 1 hig big groom where an open with blazing me mesquita quite sticks gave out warm and cheery glow duane took a seat scat by a table lit in the orner corner c ind and finding a paper began I 1 a nind sunil presently when lie glanced p he ie saw two dark faced men strangers who had bad not appeared before they were peering in from a doorway when they saw duane had observed them they stepped back bach out of sight it hashed flashed over dunne that the strangers acted suspiciously in texas in the seventies it was always bad policy to let strangers go unheeded then lie he went out into a patio and across it to 1 a I little dingy dim lighted barroom here lie found the innkeeper dispensing drinks to the two strangers llev something one of them asked leebing leei ing both looked duane up and down IN no 0 thanks I 1 dont drink duane replied and returned their scrutiny with interest hows tricks in the big bend both men stared it had only taken a close glance for dai duane ane to recognize a type of guillan most frequently met niong along the river these strangers had that stamp and their surprise proved lie was right here the innkeeper showed signs of uneasiness and seconded the surprise of ills his customers xo no more aias w as said at the instant ind and the wo two rather hurriedly went out say boss do you know the these thee e fellows dunno dunne asked the innkeeper nope they mooned heah comin front from bradford they said an trailed in after the stage 11 when duane returned to the sitting room colonel longstreth was absent also several of 0 the other passengers miss ruin itell sat it in ili the chair lie he had vacated ind and across the table from her sat miss longstreth duane went directly to them excuse me said duane addressing them thein 1 I want to tell you oil there are a couple of rough looking men liere ive just seen them they mean evil tell your father to be cupful cue caie ful lock your doors bar your windows tonight to night oil 01 cried ruth very low ray do ou hear thank you well be careful said miss longstreth gracefully the rich color had faded in III her check 1 I saw those men watching Nat ching you from that door they had such bright black eyes Is there really danger liere here 1 I think so was duanes reply soft swift steps behind him preceded a harsh livrsh voie voice iland hands up xo no man was quicker than duano duane to recognize the intent in those words I 1 his hands shot up miss ruth uttered a little heightened cry and lit sank into her ter chair miss longstreth guined white her eyes dilated both girls were staring at someone behind duane turn around ordered the barbb voice the big dark stranger the bearded one who had whispered to its comrade in the barroom bar room and asked duano duania to drink had him coveted with a cocked gun he strode forward ills his eyes gleaming gIca ining pressed the gut gnu against him and with ills his other hall band lived dived into ills his inside pocket and tore out ills his roll of bills then lie reached low at duanes hip felt ills his gun and yook fo k I 1 it t nis ills comrade stood in tile door with a gun leveled at two other men who stood frightened speechless v X git a move on bill called this fellow antl lie he took a hasty glance backward A stamp of hoots hoofs ennie came from outside ot of course the robbers had horses waiting the one called bill strode neross across the room und and with brutal careless haste began to prod the two men with ills his weapon and to search them the robber in the doorway called rustle Rust lel and disappeared dunne duane wondered where uie innkeeper was and colonel longstreth and the other two passengers the bearded robber had wheeled once more duane had not moved a muscle but stood perfectly calm with his arms arim high the robber strode back with ills his bloodshot eyes fastened upon the girls miss longstreth never flinched but the little girl appeared about to faint dont yap there he said low anti and liard hard he thrust the gun close to ruth dunne duane had a little gun in ills his pocket the alie robber had missed it and he be began to calculate chances any money jewelry diamonds ordered the ru culhan flinn fiercely miss ruth bollap collapsed ed ali jhc thc n he made at miss longstreth she stood with her hands at her breast evidently the robber took this position to moan mean that she had valuables valuable concealed there but duane fancied rh she J had bad instinctively prel pressed ed her hands I 1 against a throbbing hellit come out with it lie he said harshly reaching for her dont dare touch me mc slip she erl cried ed her eyes ablaze she did not move she hid had nerve she eluded two lunges junges the man made lit at her then his tough lough hand band caught at glicr ter waist and with one pull ripped it under asunder exposing her beautiful shoulder neilt white as snow now she cried out the prospect of b being c robbed or even killed had not shaken miss longs trotha troths nerve n ind had this brutal tearing off of half her waist the ruffian was only turned partially away aw ay from duane the gun was still held dangerously danger upward close c I 1 oae to her duane watched wat elied only that then a bellow made him jerk ills bend hc id colonel longstreth tood in the doorway in a magnificent rage ile HP had no weapon strange how lie ho showed no fear he fie bellowed bellou ed something again dunnes dennos shifting glance cau ht the robbers sudden movement re he seemed stricken the hand that clutched eo I 1 miss long tits torn waist w il t loosened loo ened its hold the other hand band with lt it cocked weapon slowly lowly till it pointed to the floor that ivas acos duanes chance swift as a lush flush lie drew his run gun and fired then the robbers robber pun gun boomed harmlessly he fell with blood spurting over his face dunne rushed out of the room acro flip lintio th through roligh the bar to the yard in the gloom stood a saddled horse probably tilt the one belonging to the fellow lie he had shot his comrade had escaped returning to the sitting room dunne found a I 1 condi condition tio 12 ap 11 pr telling idling pandemonium tit innkeeper was shouting to fin out what had hripp happened ened joel tilt the stage driver was trying to quiet the men who had been robbed the woman eife of one of the men had conic come in and she he had hysterics hysteric the girls wore ere still ind and white the robber bill lay where lie had fallen like a raged caged lion longstreth stalked and roared there carile came a quieter moment in which the annl innkeeper echer shrilly protested man you ravin abbot Nob odys hurt an lucky I 1 swear to god I 1 bothin to do with them fellers feller sl 1 1 I ought to kill you anyhow replied Long longstreth and lit hits voice now astounded dunne duane it was so full of power upon examination duane found that liis ills bullet had furrowed the robbers temple and biad glanced re lie wn was not seriously injured and already showed signs of returning consciousness ne q drag him out of here ordered longstreth and lie he turned to his daughter beaole the Ilin innkeeper keeper readied reached the robber dunne duane had secured the money and gun taken front from him and presently recovered the property pio perty of the other inell joel helped tile innkeeper carry the injured man somewhere outside miss long was sitting white but composed upon the he couch where inhere lay iny miss ruth who evidently llad been carried there by the colonel the colonel now that lie he finally remembered its his womenfolk folic seemed to be gentle and kind lie ile talked soothingly to miss ruth made light or of the sald said site she must learn earn tf to hao neive out here wacie things happened can call I 1 be of any service asked dunne duane solicitously solid thanks I 1 guess theres nothing you can call to do talk to these frig frightened litel led girls abile 1 I go 90 see to tn be done with that thick robber lie he replied and telling tile girls that there was no more danger lie he went out miss sat with one hand 1101 holding ling her torn wilst lit in place the other slip site extended to duine duane ile he took it awkwardly and be felt a strange tin ill YOU saved my life she said in game gr no sweet no no duane exclaimed he might have struck ou huit you but no more did you kill bin asked ased miss ruth it alio lay li oil tin no lies hes not badly hurt pin im cry glad he hes allne said miss longstreth shuddering tell me all about it 2 asked miss ruth who was fast recovering rather embarrassed duane briefly tl L the le incident from his point of icia t tm ii cousin said miss alss longstreth thoughtfully it was fortunate for us that tills this gentleman happened to he be liere here papa scouts laughs at catl daiger g he seems to think there was no danger yet lie raved after afier it canic came go with us all the way to fair dale dal L pl please ease asked miss ruth sweetly offering lier ter hand 1 I mn lan ruth and this is my |