Other editions of book The Lone Star Ranger

it was in him, then—an inherited fighting instinct, a driving intensity to kill. He was the last of theDuanes, that old fighting stock of Texas. But not the memory of his dead father, nor the pleading of hissoft-voiced mother, nor the warning of this uncle who stood before him now, had brought to Buck Duaneso much realization of the dark passionate strain in his blood. It was the recurrence, a hundred-foldincreased in power, of a strange emotion that for the last three years had arisen in him."Yes, Cal Bain's in town, full of bad whisky an' huntin' for you," repeated the elder man, gravely."It's the second time," muttered Duane, as if to himself."Son, you can't avoid a meetin'. Leave town till Cal sobers up. He ain't got it in for you when he's notdrinkin'.""But what's he want me for?" demanded Duane. "To insult me again? I won't stand that twice.""He's got a fever that's rampant in Texas these days, my boy. He wants gun-play. If he meets you he'lltry to kill you."Here it stirred in Duane again, that bursting gush of blood, like a wind of flame shaking all his innerbeing, and subsiding to leave him strangely chilled."Kill me! What for?" he asked."Lord knows there ain't any reason. But what's that to do with most of the shootin' these days? Didn'tfive cowboys over to Everall's kill one another dead all because they got to jerkin' at a quirt amongthemselves? An' Cal has no reason to love you. His girl was sweet on you.""I quit when I found out she was his girl.""I reckon she ain't quit. But never mind her or reasons. Cal's here, just drunk enough to be ugly. He'sachin' to kill somebody. He's one of them four-flush gun-fighters. He'd like to be thought bad. There's alot of wild cowboys who're ambitious for a reputation. They talk about how quick they are on the draw.T hey ape Bland an' King Fisher an' Hardin an' all the big outlaws. They make threats about joinin' thegangs along the Rio Grande. They laugh at the sheriffs an' brag about how they'd fix the rangers. Cal'ssure not much for you to bother with, if .......