Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-12-11
The Doctors
Ride
Nv w. E. MAGELLAN.


which whirled the loose SNOW in blind
ing drifts and filled the country roads
to OVERLOOKING. At dark the storm be-
gan to abate; but it was still clustering
at nine o'clock, when DR.. John G ra ham
plunged out through the banks in his
tabLc-yard for goodnight look at his
horses.
'sGood-night, Frank, oldlad, said he,
with parting pat to the shining, out
stretched neck of his pet saddle-horse.
"We're in for a good rest tonight. No
calls for us before morning"
DR.. Graham soon settled down IN the
comfortable sitting-room of his home,
in fine humor to enjoy the rare treat
of an evening with his mother and SIS
ter. It was after II o'clock before his
attention was again called to theouter
world by the whistle of a passing train.
''That must be the evening express
nearly three hours Late" said the doc
tor. He went to window and peeped
out between the closely-drawn cur
tains. #
"Whlt is the night like now, John?"
asked his mother.
st has turned out quite fine, MOI Their.
The sky is clear, the moon is shining,
and the drift seems to- have nearly
stopped" E.
He returned to his chair nd resumed
his reading aloud, but was interrupted
by sharp peal from the Office bell.
20 John, you won't go out tonight"
cried his sister. Surely, you" But
he was already out of the room on his
way to the office door.
When it. was pened, the snowyfigurei
of a man, with face and beard so in
crusted with frost as to be unrecog-
Dizable, stood before him.
"Doctor," said the man, in shaking
voice. my boy is dying! Come quick!"
"Whoare you? What ails your boy?"
asked the DOCTOR drawing the man into
the room.
"I'm Sam Williams, of Mountain Riv-
er, two miles out of town. My boy
Bob's cut his wrist-he was maxim
shavin's for kindlin'. He's losin' blood
awful His mothers all alone with
him. Won't you come at once, doc
tor?"
"Just as soon as I can get into my
coat and boots. IT'LL save time if you'll
saddle my horse for me while I'm get
ting ready-the one in the first STALL"
DR.. Graham turned to his mother
and sister, who had followed him int o
the office.
"What canyon be thinking OF, job ?"
cried his sister. ''You told usthe roads
were entirely blocked. How can you
expect to get to the Williams place, on
horseback, now?"
Williams dropped with a moan into
the .nea rest chair. God help us, she's
right" he said. II forgot, too; you
can't begin to ride to my house to-
night. The banks are ten feet deep in
places. If it hadn't been for that train
comm along with its snow-plow, I'd
never have got here"
"Then Ill go back with you by the
track" said the doctor.
"But you can't ride, that way; and
Bob'M be gone before you get there
afoot!" sobbed Sam.
DR.. Graham considered moment.
eyes, can ride the track, SAM" he
said. ut hasn't been drifting since the
train came in"
"But the culverts!" cried his sister.
"There are only two open ones in
the road between here nd Sans" said
the doctor "Neither of them is more
than ten feet wide. Frank can jump
them"
"John," said his mother, laying a
OBTAINING hand on his arm and looking
searchingly into his eyes, 'are you sure
tits right.to, try sucha ride? May there
not be trains on the rcad?" 5@&'
"No; not after the evening express
isin."
''Go, then, and God bless you!" said
his mother, as she stood aside to let
him pass. -.s
"Fetch out my horse as quickly as
you can, SAM" said the doctor.
Two minutes later DIR. Graham,
mounted on Frank and bending we'll
forward in his saddle, dashed down, a
crossing, and striking the track, rode
along it toward the Williams home
stead. Pc
He found a thoroughly good road be-
fore him, and allowed his horse ito
break at once into a sharp gallop.
Snow, old and new, packed, by snow
plows and trains, thawed, frozen hard
again, and frequently renewed and
softened and hardened, had covered the
sleepers completely, $40 that a smooth,
glittering path stretched away be-
tween the rails.
''Now, then, Frank, old chap" said
the doctor, settling himself firmly in
his saddle, ''get ahead as fast as you
like"
Frank glad to be out after his long
days housing, struck aneager pace.
More thana mile was covered before
DR.. Graham drew rein. He was close
upon the first of the two culverts of
which he had spoken. Ashort distance
beyond it the road ran into deep cut.
ting through which it curved out upon
the steep side of Mountain River ra-
vine. He knew that for the rest of
oh h. l,-:e H. IN ,S5 u