Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-04-06

toward the corrals, her neart III
throat with fear OF the body OH 'ne
floo.. She rama silently as possible
as IL to avoid rousing some herce I'm
NAL and was close upon the ilen NC
fore they saw her.
"yyhats that?" she heard one QUICK
keen voice cry out.
Then each man rose from the heap OF
blankets wherein he lay curled Ike Ill
arctic dog.
Ann answered them breathieSsiy
"Come to the house, quick. MI LAY
mond Is shotp'
Their responses were ike puiie''
"Sh0t! Who shot himT'
"Somc one fired out of the DARKNESS
he was standing in the doorway. LII
all alone. He must have help!'
"Where's WatsonTs
"Gone for the doctor"
Shaking loose from his bed, BAKER
started on the run for the house, but
Ann cried out sharply: wait! TO
quietly. You must not excite him"
And. walking beside him, she returned
to the house. and in a sort of daZe the
other herders silently followed. Inc
jangle of Bakers big spurs, familiar
and penetrating. called Raymond to
knowledge of his surroundings.
He turned his head and looked at the
men in a way that made them shrink
and asked: Flows the fire? Did you
stop it?"
Baker replied, ayes, we got her I'M
der"
Raymond half closed his eyes. I'm
glad you're here. This lady needs a
rest. Somebody did for me. Baker,
you and Jones and Shuttle stay here.
Perry. you saddle horse and get Abe
and his wife. Miss Rupert, you go to
bed; the boys will look after me now.
can't let you wear yourself out for
me-"
But Ann could not so easily be put
aside from her plain duty. mo, will
stay till the doctor comes"
At last, when the wounded man was
lying comfortably on thick pile Of
blankets and the white light Of the
morning filled the cabin, Ann yielded
to his entreaties, went to her room
and threw herself down upon her bed
with a sense Of having put all her ease
full, careless girlhood behind her. 1t
was as if she had suddenly been flung
into gray and bitter sea far from
shore
Louis, who had been reused by the
return Of the herders and who sat
watching their slow and painfully eau
tious handling of the sufferer with the
mute, unconditional gaze Of sleepy
kitten. followed his sister into the in
ner room anIstood in silence till his
bewilderment left him and his per-
plexity crystallized into words. Then
he said:
"Jupiter! | didn't know you could
do such things. What do you think?
Is he going to die"
81 don't know, laddie. hope not.
I've done all cali"
Ann must have dropped asleep there
after, for when she woke the horizontal
rays of the flaming sun filled the room
and the loud and hearty voice Of wo-
man could he heard out In the kitchen.
Her words came distinctly to AIMS
ears. Now, Rob, you've got me to
deal with. I'll cuff your ears if you
don't do as l say. You've got to eat to
keep your strength up"
Ann rose hastily, but paused before
the closed door with new and singu-
Tar timidity. The coming of another
woman made her own position embar-
Passing. With a return Of resolution
she opened the doer and met the big
gray eyes of tall, broad shouldered,
slatternly woman, who stood over Ray
mond with bowl Of steaming broth in
her hand. She was neither deft nor
dainty. but Ann perceived that she was
capable~and good tempered, natural
nurse, experienced in the ways Of the
border.
"Good morning." she called, and her
infections and many Of her phrases
were masculine. You must "a had a
right hard night of it. Friend of the
Barnetts, Rob tells me-"
Her familiarity and the essential
commonness Of her tone repealed Ann,
who asked, with cool dignity, "Can
do anything?"
"Not a thing. I'm Mrs. Scribbins,
Rob's highest neighbOr. We come
a-runnin' the moment we heerd of this
thing, for Rob's mighty good man
and neighbor."
Ann repented and held out her hand.
"I'm glad to see you, Mrs. Scribbins.
Pm Miss Rupert, and this is my broth
err" She turned to Louis, who had
crept to her side, pale and silent.
Mrs. Scrbbins shook hands, carefully
guarding her broth. 81 don't see how
you kept Rob down. I've had to just
about throttle him once or twice since
came. He's a headstrong cuss and
hates being bossed or nussed."
HAS the doctor Gomez
Good Lord, no! But I've sent Abe
up the road. That fool Watson is
mOre'n likely to get lost and never get
In. Even il he did he couldn't get
doctor here before noon, and that Wal
lace doctor amt worth the powder to
blow him up anyway. We need bone