"Ducky! I should smile! Bland's
been up all night after a most draggin*
lide home. He'll be fagged'out this
jnornin', sleepy, sore, an' he won't be
expectin' hell before breakfast. You'll
have to kill him, an' it 'd save time
to go fer your gun on sight. Might be
wise, too, fer it's likely he'll do thet
Kime."
"How about the horses?"
"Ill fetch them an' come along about
two minnits behind you. Once on
them horses, we can ride out of camp
before Alloway or anybody else gits
into action. Jennie ain't much heavier
'n a rabbit. Thet big black will carry
yon both."
"Buck, a last wordlook out fer
tliot Bland woman!"
Dunne merely nodded, and then, say
ing that the horses were ready, he
strode away through the grove.
No outlaws were in sight. He saw
several Mexican herders with cattle.
Blue columns of smoke curled up over
some of the cabins. The fragrant smell
of it reminded Duane of his home
and cutting wood for the stove. He
noted si cloud of creamy mist rising
above the river, dissolving in the sun
light.
Then he entered Bland's lane.
While yet some distance from the
cabin ho heard loud, angry voices of
man and woman. Bland and Kate
still quarreling! He took a quick sur
vey of the surroundings. There was
not even a Mexican in sight. Then he
"Kate, Let Go!"
hurried a little. Halfway down the
lane he turned his head to peer
through the cottonwoods. This time
he saw Euchre coming with the horses.
There was no indication that the old
outlaw might lose his nerve at the end.
Duane hi.d feared this.
