Show A the last of the duanes by zane grey I 1 cast of principal characters in this thrilling story by zari zane e gray buck duane last of the duanes cal bain A texas bad man luke stevens an aa outlaw bland blan I loader leader of outlaw group airs bland ills wito wife jennie girl ailt t blanda camp captain Alac macnelly Nelly ranger hanger captain cheseldine A dangerous outlaw WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE duck buck duane quick on the draw kills cal bain in self defense an and becomes an outlaw after adventure on tho the road he goes to blaids Bland 3 camp callip there ho he wounds a man named and becomes a bosom friend of another named cuchra ile eie meets mrs bland and also a gill lil jer jennic Jenn ruic lc held prisoner by bland whom he rescues after a series or ol intrigues in which he is forced to deceive mrs birs bland this leads to duanes duane killing of 0 bland the outi outlaw av leader and rushing off jennie who Is lost later duane roams the roads tor for years as aa an outlaw finally going to meet captain macnelly of 0 the rangers who had asked to see him hill mac alac nelly kelly is klud kind to him and ana otters him a pardon if he will accept an all office to become a ranger and alter after Chesel dines mac nelly kelly had bad become interested in duane after a miss lee had spoken in his behalf duane promises macnelly to do him any service meanwhile macnelly gives duane much good news duane goes to visit miss lee who had bad intervened for him with macnelly and finds her to be none other but jennie they talk and toll tell each other their love and when duane tells jennie he la is commissioned to capture cheseldine she breaks down and begs him to break his word to macnelly NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY duane stared at her amazed he hardly knew what to say bay ile he felt how little he understood women ills his heart began to pound and thrills ran over him the sweetness of this that she would go back to outlawry with him appealed with strange power that course be dishonorable she continued no but its impossible id die before id drag you into that life you ought to remember an out laws days 1 I do id rather have them again than afian lose you besides we could bide in some canyon some valley and be happy jennie came closer to him then so close that she almost touched him something about her pre presence seno the look of her eyes of the heave or her breast made that sweet vague emotion grow duane do you love me she asked jen jennie rile youre going to make it harder tia r der for me he burst out in despair all 4 T 11 me she insisted love you I 1 love you as no man ever loved a woman think ot of my lonely wretched life what I 1 have know of women wamen of the sweetness of 0 one arid and now it bursts on me jennie dont ask me that im afraid of myself I 1 cant understand she came only the closer until now she touched him her slender form reaching to his shoulders should tra and aad she ehe leaned upon him with her fao upturned he felt her hands on his and they bey were soft clinging strong like steel under velvet 11 ha a felt the rise wild and tall the warmth ot her ler breast A tremor ran over him ile he tried to draw back and it he succeed eucce edid M a little her form swayed with him pressing closer she did not speak she held her face up and he was compelled to look it was wonderful barful now white yet glowing with red lips parted the dark eyes alluring but that was not all there was pas passion masslon slon unquenchable spirit wo mans resolve deep and mighty as life ills 1 I love you duane she said bald 1 I could suffer anything for you I 1 ih not selfish in this its tor for you I 1 know what your life has been I 1 cant let you go back to I 1 it liston listen you dont know me you think yot yoi are with the old jennie but im d different if ferent ive suffered and have learned in these years I 1 believe jm right in asking you to give up wis ranger service will you jennie I 1 cant how could you ask it HI how could you go if you love me it if you were a man understand but im a woman you dant t understand that she cried passion abely can you expect il a man who live III like e a hunted wolf to unde under staw the finer feelings of a woman 7 am outside jennie the outcast the outlaw A and aad ad even so ive ita kept hep myself different from the tae others but heaven knows perhaps im coarse hard bard lp inhuman humin hush she put a hand over his lips 1 I mean to hurt you I 1 meant oh duane im here all ready for your arma a starved woman and you dont know it duane become suddenly weak ii when he did take her into his arms he scarcely had strength to lift her to a seat goat beside him she seemed more than dead weight her calmness had fled she was throbbing palpitating tating quivering with hot wet cheeks checks and arms arias that clung to him liva veins she lifted dermouth her mouth to him whisper ag kiss me duane bent down and her arms went around his neck and drew him close with his lips on hers he seemed to float away that kiss closed his eyes and he could noi lift his head he sat motionless wrapped in a sweet dark glory she kissed him one long endless kiss or else also a thousand times time her lips her wet cheeks her hair the softness the fragrance of her the tender moving clasp of her arms the swell awell af of her breast all these enclosed him bound ible m she whispered and murmured broken and incoherent words words that did not need to be understood so full cull were they of sweetness and meaning and love ile he rose and let it jennie jenale sit alt back against the cushions her fingers clung weakly to him her eyes hur bur him while he be tumbled in his pocket for papers to fetch forth the governors pardon jennie sit and watched him and when he laid the paper in iii her hands she let it drop give that to mother he be said huskily tell her maybe ill come back theres a chance dont go dont go she cried 1 11 I must dear good bye kemem laer bw gloved you jennie let me go ile he pulled her hands loose from his stepped back she tell fell upon her knees with out stretched arms duane duane she walled like a murderer he backed away jennie dearest I 1 belleve ill come back he whispered these last words were falsehood he reached the door gave her one last piercing glance to fix forever in memory that white face with ls Is dark staring tragic eyes Di duane aw I 1 he fled with that moan like thunder death hell in his ears duane had bad been three months out of the nueces nieces country atel at el paso he bought the finist finest horse he could find and armed and otherwise outfitted to suit him he be had taken to unknown trails leisurely he rode avde from town to town village to village ranch to ranch fitting his talk and his occupation cu to the impression he wanted to make upon different people whom he be met ile he was in turn a cowboy rancher cattleman stock buyer boomer land hunter and and long before he reached the wild and inhospitable ord he had acted the part of wa au outlaw drifting dritt ing into new territory he passed on slowly because he be wanted to learn the lay of the country the location lot of villages and ranches the work habit gos tip pleasure and fears of the people with whom he came in contact the one subject most impelling impelling to him outlaws he never mentioned d but by talking all around its it bitting the old ranch and cattle story he acquired a knowledge calculated to aid him much ta in ills his deep laid plot in this game time was no moment it if kec essary he would take years to accomplish his task the stupendous dous and perilous nature of it showed in the slow wary preparation when he heard flet pliers name wad and faced knell ha 10 knew he had reached the place he had aad sought ord was a hamlet on the fringe of the grazing country of doubtful honesty from which surely winding trails lid down into the free and never disturbed paradise of outlaws the big bend ire he saw a bright light before he made out the dark outlines of 01 1 cabin then he beard voices fa a merry whistle a coarse tong song and the click of iron cooking utensils he smelled tra fragrant grant atwood smoke ile he saw moving dark figures cross the light evidently Evident li there was a wide door or else the thel fire was out in the open For fortune fortunie turie favored him there was bushes an old shed a wood pile all the cover he be seeded needed at that corner before he peered between th thi ough corner of wall and the bush buah 1 rowing growing close to it duane paused i moment rao ment this excitement was lif ferent from that he had always elt when pursued it had no bitter lesa no pain no dread there was 8 much danger haxe perhaps more et it was not the same then he be booked L ile ha saw a bright fire a red rea faced i han an bending bendin bendl ng gover over it whistling while iia is handled handle d a steaming pot over the he wall with two iwo open sides and two supporting posts duanes second glance not so blinded by tha sudden bright light made out other men man three thre eIn in the shadows two in the flare but with backs to him its a smoother trail by long odds but aint so short as this one right over the mountain one outlaw was saying baying batin you pan pall handle ejaculated another blossom an me rode from faraway springs where Is with some ot of the gang excuse me phil shore I 1 see you come in an boldt never said bothin it took you a lon long time to get gel here but I 1 guess just as well spoke up a smooth sauce voice with a ring in it i Chesel dines voice here they were Chese cheseldine idine phil knell blossom kane pan handle smith boldt how well duane remembered the names all here the I 1 big men ot of Chesel Ches eldi dl ries es game except the baz biggest ost poggio in duane had holed them and his sensation ot of the moment deadened bight and sound of what wha t was before him ile he sank down controlled himself silenced a mounting exultation then from a less strained position 1 t 10 he pe peered red forth garn the outlaws were waiting tor for supper their conversation might have been that of cowboys in camp ranchers at a roundup duane listened with eager ears waiting tor for the business tal tails kAhat that he felt come all the time he watched wat chel with the eyes of a wolf upon its quarry Blos blossom sorn kane was the lean limbed messenger who had so angered fletcher boldt was waa a giant in stature dark bearded alia nt lit pan handle smith was the led faced cook merry profane a short bow legged man resembling many rustlers duane had bad known particularly ticul arly luke stevens A and nd knell who set there tall elim like a boy in build ikle a boy ja years with hi his pale smooth ex es onless face and his cold gray eyes and cheseldine who leaned against the wall handsome with his pointed face and beard like ilka at an aristocrat resembled many a rich louisana Loul sana planter duane had met the sixth man sat so BO much in the chadow that he could not be plainly discerned and though addressed his als name was not mentioned pan handle smith carried dots and pans into the cabin and cheerfully called out it if you gents air hungry ter for grub dont look for fer me to feed you with a spoon spoon the outlaws piled inside made a great bustle and chatted as they sat to I 1 their heir meal like hungry men they ther talked little duane waited there a while theo guardedly got up and crept abou arou around n 11 to the other side of the cabla aft after er he became used to the dark again he v ventured to steal along the wall to the crack and peered in the outlaws were in the first zoom and could noti not be seen for duane the tent twenty fifth of october seemed a whole lifetime in coming when that day dawned he lett left a lonely camp in the brush and rode into bradford he went to the old inn keeper with whom he had made acquaint ance and leaving his horse in the inquiry discovered uie orator at his bis boarding house asleep duane hachim awakened buell come la he heavy vy eyed but c curious halt expectant cuell buell im sorry to disturb you said duane bua but my iny business Is urgent you can aid me im going to lo arrest a man here today a aery ery prominent citizen now its likely some of his friends somebody at any rate will shove a gun in your tace or the day operators and make you send telegrams along the line to be continued Cont umed |