Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-06-28

encounter-and pried off board from
the peach box. Two nails stuck out
through each end of the board. He
leaned again from the bed, reached out
with the board and caught the nails in
a crack on the upper edge of the crack
er box. He dragged the box toward
him until it caught against ridge in
the rough board floor, when the nails
bent outward and slipped away from
the crack. Ward lay back, exhausted
with the effort he had made and tor
mented with the pain in his leg.
After awhile he took the piece of
board and managed to slide it under
the box, lifting corner of it over the
ridge. That was hard work, harder
than you would believe unless you tried
1t yourself after lying three days fast
ing with a broker leg and fever. He
had to rest again before he took the
other end of the board that had the
good nails and pulled the box up be-
side the bunk.
In a few minutes he made another
effort and pried part of the cover off
the cracker box with the knife. Then
he pulled out half dozen crackers and
ate them, drank half a dipper of water
and felt better.
He had held himself aloof from the
men of the country. He knew the Sea-
beck riders by sight; he had talked a
1ftf1n NTH fxrn nf, fhrnn
times and had met Seabeck himself
He knew Charlie Fox in purely cas-,
ual way, as has been related, AID Peter
Howling Dog the same.
None of these men were likely to ride
out of their way TO see him. And row
that his mind worked nationally he had
no fear of Buck Olney's vengeful re
turn Buck Olney, he guessed shrewd
ly, was extremely busy just now put
ting as many miles as possible between
himself and that part of Idaho. Unless
Billy Louise would come or send fol
him he would in all probability lie alone
there until he was able to walk. Ware
did not try to comfort himself with any
delusions of hope.
As the days passed he settled himself
pimly to the business of getting through
the ordeal as comfortably as possible
He had food within his reach and &
scant supply of water He worked ou
the question of diet and Of using hi
resources to the best advantage. HI
had nothing else to do and his aler
mind seized upon the situation an(
brought it down to fine system.
For instance, he did not open cal
of fruit until the prunes were gone
Then he emptied q can of tomatoes int
the bowl as a safeguard against pto
maine poisoning from the tin, and Sc
the empty can ON the floor. During tn
warm part Of each day he slid open tn
window by his bunk and lay with tn
fresh air tanning his face and liftin
the hair from his aching temples.
He tried to eat regularly and to max
the fruit juice save his water supply
Sometimes he chewed jerked veniso
from the bag over his head, but not yer
often; the salt in the meat made hiT
drink too much On the whole, hi
diet was healthful and in a measur
satisfying He did not suffer from tn
want of any real necessity, at any rate
He had his few books within reacf
He read good deal to keep from thinl
ing too much, and he tried to meet th
days with philosophic calm. He Nigh
easily be a great deal worse off tina
he was, he frequently reminded hin
self.
But he was lonesome4so lonesom
that there were times when life locke
absolutely worthless; when the blue de,
lis made him their plaything and b
saw Billy Louise looking scornfull
upon him and loving some other ma
better; when he saw his name blael
ened by the suspicion that he was
r-stler-preying upon hfs neighbor
cattle; when he saw Buck Olney laugi
ing in derision of his mercy and fixin
fresh evidence against him to contour
him utterly
He. had all those moods, and they lie.
their own lines upon his face. But /
had one thing to hearten him, and thf
was the steady progress of his broke
leg toward recovery. A long, tedioU
process it was of necessity, but {
nearly as he could Judge the bone wa
knitting together and would be straigl
and strong again if he did not try
, hurry it too much. He tried to .kee
count of the weeks as they passe
When the days slid behind him unit
he feared he could not remember he C,
little notch on the window sill eaC
!, morning with Bucks knife, with evel
, seventh day longer and deeper notC
than the others to mark the weeks. III
; first three days had been so haZy TIL
he thought them only two and marks
! them so, but that put him only one ds
out of his reckoning.
He lay there and saw snow slith
past his window, driven by whoopil
z wind 1t worried him to know that b
calves were unsheltered and unfl
while his long stack of hay stood u
touched-unless the cattle broke dow
( his fence and reached it. He hop
] they would. but he was a thorou!
: workman, and in his heart he kne
that fence would stand.
He saw cold rains and sleet Tn
q there were days when he shivered u
der his blankets and would have Civ
+ much for a cup of hot coffee; da
when the water froze in the pals
side the bed-what little water W
. left-and he Clipped off pieces of