The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-19
THE ADVERTISERS
 DAILY SHORT STORY

x ;s ,s,. It happened SO suddenly that 1t left everybody dazed- Just wild scamper of the horses to see who should reach the house firbt, in which the Senator's daugh- ter from the East had joined with spirit and enthusiasm: misstep by one or sor- rels. a. fail. a quick rally of the balance of the party only to find the girl lying crushed and bleeding fairly under the horse whose frantic efforts to rise only added to the mischief. A score of willing hands had seized the horse and extrica., I., ed the unconscious girl and she had been carried into the house Old Doctor boggs from town, ten miles distant, was Just leaving the ranch where he had been ai- tending one of the cowboys, down wlih fever. He was hastily summoned back. After an examination he gravely shook his head, The gray-haired Senator clench- ed his hands. ,, cried ~It will kill her mother. Save her and I'll make you the richest man in the State"
 1t was a sad ending. indeed. to an ex- cursion. The Senator and his ndangntef, who were travelling in the West, ahad stopped off to look over some land m which he had an interest. and the girl had become very much interesteo III the picturesque side of the ranch life, the
  unconventional outdoor exercise. That day they had ridden out to see a round- | up and branding and on the return the | accident had taken place.
 | lThe Doctor looked gravely at the Sen | ator and replied ''She is injured inter nally. but I think there Is one operation | that would save her, but 1t Is one so rare a4H so difficult that only the very high II est of. tsppPcia1ists in abdominal surgery dg1Hd 3ttepiM with any. sort of hope of | her not dying under the knife. only know of such operations from reading or them in medical journals
 How near is there surgeon who could attempt it?" asked the Senator.
 Not nearer than Denver. I fear" re- piled the physician.
 There was a dead silence for moment. The physician looked at the senator. whose face was knotted with grief. Then he said slowly:
 | T read in some paper some time ago that pr. Brown of Denver. who is dis | tinguished surgeon, had bought the Kelly ranch over on Buffalo creek and intended to spend what time he could take from his practice there in outdoor life. It is just possible that be might be there now. 1 It is twenty miles from here.
 The Senator did not wait for further talk. Instantly he was outside the door. where the cow-punchers were gathered talking in whispers and waiting for news nf the injured girl. For women are a rare sight on the ranches and this girl I had been such a vision of loveliness and I her sweet, unaffected ways. her enthusi- asms and her keen interest in all the things she saw and in the bold riders that l they had all sworn fealty to her in their | inmost souls
 "To the Kelly ranch!' shouted the Sen | ator; ito the Kelly ranch, and if Dr. l Brown is there bring him as fast as | horses can travel. It's her only chance. 1 and every second counts. Don't spare | horses. l will pay ten prices for every one killed. Ten thousand dollars to the | ~.,I,@ T0V T1,-av rHyifh fyr hours and a thousand dollars a minute | for every minute saved on that time. Tell l him that he can name his own price. Only | for, Gods sake to hurry"
 l Already q dozen men were astride their | bronchos and in less than a minute had l vanished in d cloud of dust.
 1 Just before the Senator appeared at the
 door new face joined the group. He 1 had been absent on some distant mission 1 ever since the Eastern party had been at the ranch and had just returned. They were telling him of the accident as the 1 Senator appeared. He was slender man in the middle thirties with clear blue gray eyes and a sinewy physique. He l resembied the rest of the ranchmen with | the exception of thick growth of beard
 which he wore long and from back of | cacy Of feature not exactly in harmony 1 with those about him. As the cowboys
 disappeared and the Senator turned to ! go back into the house the newcomer
  l a'kiay see the young lady? I haVe
 had some experience in hospitals-as a
 nurse" be added hastily. At least
 may be able to help Dr. Boggs to care for her until the other physician ar | rives."
 All right" he said. q thank you. You may be able to do some good and God l knows. we need all the help We can get. Come in" ! As they entered the room where the in- 1 jured one lay. the cowboy walked straight l to the bedside. It was noted that his
 bronzed face was deathly pale. Dr. Boggs
 knew him and nodded in a friendly way. He had come in contact with him a num-
 Der of times when called in cases of sick i ness and accidents on the ranch during 1 the three years Tom Jones had been | there and had found that he was singIl-
 larly etticient in caring for men suddenly | stricken, In fact more than one life had been saved by Joness tact and knowl-
 edge of what to do in an emergency. | Glancing at the girl, Jones turned and went to the wash bowl where he laved
 his hands, Then he returned to the bed side.
 May make an examination?" he ask ed of the Doctor.
 Fridays story. IAN, ATMOSPHERE ol