The Wagner post. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-current, 1912-04-05

with closed eyes, over the whittier face
resting m her lap. her. lips tremblins
with the one prayer. .Oh. God! Oh.
God!" How long no was at II, or
what he did. she scarcely knew-she
heard the splash Of water; caught the
nash Of the sun on the probe; felt the
half conscious shudder Of the wound.
ed man. whose head Wa In her lap.
the deft, quick movements o. Fair
balm. and then
That's tive got it-missed the
lung by . hair-damn me I'm proud Of
that job-you're q good girl.
She looked at him. scarce able to
see, her eyes blinded with tears.
"WM-wil he live. Oh, tell mel
Live! Why shouldn't he?-nothing
but . hole to close up-natureu do
that, with q bit of nursing-here. now
don't you keel over-givs me the rest
Of that skirt"
He bandaged the wound, then
glanced about suddenly.
"How's the other fellow"
Dead" returned Bristoe, shot
through the heart"
Thought so-have seen Keith shoot
before wonder how the cuss evel
managed to get him."
As he arose to his feet, his red face
glistening with perspiratton, and b
gan strapping his leather case, the
others rode up, and Brtstoe, explamins
the situation, set the men to maAina
preparations for pushing ON to the
water-hoie. Blankets were swung be
tween ponies. and the bodies Of the
dead and wounded deposited therein,
arm hands On the brides. Hope rode
close beside Keith. struggling to keep
back the tears, a she watched him
lying motonless, unconsctaus, scarce
ly breathing. So. under thssearly glow
Of the desert stars, they 0me to the
water-hole. and halted.
The wounded man opened his eyes,
and looked about him unable t. com
prehend. At frst all was dark, silent:
then he saw the stars overhead, and Q
breath of air famed the nearby fire.
the rudy glow Of fame Aashing
across his face. He heard voices
family. and thus. little by little, com
scioushess asserted itself and memory
struggled back into his b~evrildered
brain. Tho desert-the lonely leagues
of sand-his fingers gripped AZ II they
felt the stock Of . gun-yet THAT was
all over-he was not there-hut he
was sOmewhere-and alive, a2ive. IL
hurt him to move, to breathe even,
and after n effort to turn oveI, he
lay perfectly still. staring up into the
black arch Of sky. endeayogfng to
think, to understand-where was bel
How had he come there? Was HW.
ley alive also! A face bent over nam.
the features family visible In the 1ssA
Of freight His dull eyes lit MP In
sudden recollection.
Doc! Is that your" =
Sure, old man." the pudgy fingers
feeling his pulse. the gray eyes twink.
ling. Marrow squeak you hsd-go
Ing to pull through all right. though
no sign Of fever"
Where am II"
AT the Nater-hole: sling you In q
blanket. and get you into Earned to
morrow"
There was q moments silence,
Keith finding 1t hard to speak
"Hawley-?" he whispered at last
~Oh. don't worry: yon got him an
right. Say" his voice SOLDERING. may
be 1t was just % well you took that
job n it had been me I would have
been In bad
The wounded mans eyes questioned.
IT'S . bad mix-up. Keith Waite
never told US all Of IT h reckon hs
didn't want her to know, and shs
never shall. II I can help It I've been
looking over some papers, In his peck
et-he'd likely been are. them this
trip-and his name ain't Erawley. He's
Bartlett Gale. ChristieiAlfather."
Keith could not seem 10 grasp ths
thought, his eyes half closad-
"Her-her father?'- he questioned.
weakly. do you suppose he new
No: not at nrst anyhow; not at
Sheridan. He was too interested In
his scheme to evol suspicion .he had
actually. stumbled onto tho real girl
l think he just fos.nd OUT
A coyote howled somewhere In the
darkness, . mela1acholy chorus joining
In the With l~onig-dravn cadence. A
shadow swept INTO the radins Of ,dsnc-
ing freight.
is he conscious, Doctor"
FAirbain drew back silently. and,ehe
dropped on her knees ut Keith's sdde.
bending low to look into .his face.
"Hope-Hope:"
Yes. dear. and you sare. going 70
live now-live for me-"
He found la hand, and held ~
clasped within. his OWL, shis.eyes wide
open.
I have rever told you" he said.
softly. how much I love you'd"
She bent lower until her cheek
touched his
No.. Jack. but you. mayynoR"s Az
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