Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-24
CHAPTER XXI.
A FLYING hospital.

| Doc" he called out to the man with the
led horse astern, lest you hitch that sorrel
of mine to the tail of this rig. That's right,
my son; now find out II Buck stays at the
skyline or goes butun' straight back to the
RANCH
| "All right, Cap"
! When he was gone Curly rucked up the
canvas ground sheet, climbed out of bed
and nestled against her fathers side on
| he seat.
| "Havin' a bad timer" he asked as he
| drove on.
Sure
You heard what told to Buck?'
Bucks gone back to betray the outfit
80 1 reckon"
Curly got her fathers near arm around
her. shivering while she looked all round at
| the dusky rills up to the red Of the sun
set Then she listened to the thud OF
docs horse as he galloped back to report.
| Cap" says the man. Bucks GAVIN
| straight away to the ranch"
That's good" McCalmont chuckled; you
, ifs posse to Holy Crawss. We've got to
| work tonight, and amt hungering none for
their company. Dyou know the Jim Gro"
Miner"
Il guess that's the old shaft a mile this
side of Grave City,"
Correct Now you lope off to the boys
we left in camp at Las Aguas. Tell STAN
ley he's second in command now. He's TO
round up his boys. herd EN- close, and
drive EN- swift to the Jim Crow Mine. Now
repeat my aWdehs.
Doc repeated the orders.
NOW" said the captain, rider!
Doc started off on the dead run, and for
a while Curly watched his figure Hopping
away into the blue mists of dusk. The
night was falling fast
"Po' Buck she whispered.
TIN sorry, too" says McCalmont; soon
er or later he had to be skunk, and De-
have as such"
die just now, and he did love me so hard
"The trail is clearing ahead for you, my
girl"
I'm sort of tired" she answered.
You'll rest tonight
Father, when you was talking with Jim
outside the shack l was awake; heard az
what was said but couldn't understand.
Jim wanted suthin' fearful bad. What
was it he wanted dad?"
wall now, If that don't beat all! You
Jest got ears like liz fox! And didn't 1
act plumb good and tame with that Jim
boy2' o,,
in., all that war-talk. and never even shoot
ing his laigs Yo're getting bettern better
every day
II was good, that's fact You see.
nacherally couldn't lose my temper with
out disturbing you with my gun-talk be
sides, 1 jest cayn't help loving that JIM
You want him, Curly?"
me the way l feels at that man. 1t seems
as though my heart was pitchin and PUCK
In like a mean hawss to get at Jim. Dyou
think it's this wound that tears my hearI-
Is it cause I'm SO sick"'
ITS worse nor that my girl You've
fallen in love-
Does that mean I got to marry him?'
That's the only cure
but I don't want to be cured. like it,
dad, and when it hurts 1 like it all the
more"
"A sure bad symptom that You'll go
10 the end of the world, and over the
edge-I cayn't help that
You don't love me any moreI :,
ooh, you're allus the same, like the ell
mate-but he's come buttin along like the
weather, so that l feel as if just whirled
up in the air.
nature and make you into a man. Wall, 1t
cayn't be helped ,
''Daddy, l never was fit to ride with the
gang, and doubt I'll never be fit for a wo-
man, either, now. L m shorely tlred, ana
my haid goes round and round.
McCalmont stopped the team and laid
Curly down in her nest. He told me after
that he felt lonesome and scared, with an
his nerves a-jumping for fear there was
something worse than usual wrong. he
felt Curlys bandages, and his hand got
wet: then listened and heard drip, drip,
drip, on the dust, then struck match ana
saw the running blood, for her wound had
opened. He had to light lantern, no mat
ter what the risk, while he stopped that
bleeding.
Meanwhile the marshal had started his
circus east toward Holy Cross, and he was
having troubles most plentiful with all n
warriors. lie held us in the name OF the
republic for special service in pursuit Oh
robbers but his tenderfoot outfit was badly
in want of supper. and the cowboy people
got plumb disguised at having TO ride,
point, swing and drive on a herd or snort
horns. I'd shown my hand in this game
bv shooting Buck, the same being needful
To save the old marshals life, and L sure
helped him all | knew in getting the posse
on toward Holy Crawss. AT the same time
my private feelings called me or TO quite
different layout and l knew, all to my
self that Buck might have been mistaken
a whole lot in his way of reckoning up NC
Calmont'S plans. So L fell back TO give d
push to some straggiers, then fell PACK
again to see If there was any more belated
pilgrims behind. The light had faded, the
stars were beginning to ride nerd on the
Milky Way, and l felt sort OF uunp
warming to find McCalmont. An hour
later scouting swift and cautious up the
Grave City road, l saw lantern boppins
high uU among the hills. That must
bait, | thought TO lure the marshaIs party
into some robbers deadfall, so l rode slow,
and sang my simple range songs to show 1t
was only me, one harmless person.
.Ip-e-la-go. 20 long, little doggie,
You'll make beef steer, by and by"
That's the rear song for driving herd.
This Is nonsense:
Two little nigSers upstairs III ped
one turned oher 10 de oder and said:
How bout dat short min breadf' "
How bout dat shcrt'nin bread! "
voice called out OF the dark, Throw
up yo' hands,
Up went my paws "Hollo, boys" /
shouted, lis this the inquiry office? wants
nv yisitin' cyard sent up to Capt. Mccall
mont.
Somebody laughed. and then heard Jim's
voice. why, 1t 5 Chalkeye"'
"Wen. if he don't want to be shot he'd
better turn right back"
Jest you tell yo hold-ups. JIM says I,
that them leaden go-throueh pills don't
suit my delicate health" L dropped my
hands and the first robber asked Jim if he
would answer for me.
Jim said he would.
Take this man through" said the rob-
Der. and Jim led me. mighty pleased, TO
where the lantern shone.
"Captain," says he, heres old Chalk
eye.
McCalmont jumped down from the buck
board, holding out his lantern. WALL"
saws he, I'm glad to see We, Misteh Davies,
/ certainly am-shake hearty. Whar you
FROM
rs Curly with your"
Here's me-" came faint chirp out of
the bedding.
"Her wound broke out agin," says Nc
Calmont.