The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-02-08

cilely within reach of his hand. HI
considered getting on-if he could, ant
, riding-well, the nearest place was fit
teen miles. And that was a good, Ion;
|. way from doctor. He gla, ced again
at the cabin and tried to study the sit
uation impersonally, If it were somt
other fellow, now, what would Ware
advise him to do under the circum
stances?
He reached down and felt his les
gingerly. So far as he could tell it was
straight, simple break-snapped short
off against rock, he judged. He shook
his head over the thought of riding fif-
teen miles with those broken bones
grinding their edges together. And
! still, what else could he do?
He reached OUT, took the reins and
/ led Rather a step nearer so that he
could grasp the stirrup. With his voice
lie held the horse quiet while he pulled
himself upright upon his good leg.
Then, with pain hurried, jerky move
ments he pulled off the saddle, glanced
around him and flung it behind a bucn
brush. He slipped off the bride, flung
that after the saddle and gave Rather
a slap on the rump. The horse moved
away and Ward stared after him with
set lips. Anyway, YOU can look after
YOURSELF he said, and balanced upon
his right leg while he swung around
and faced the cabin. 1t was not far
to nan with two sound legs. A hun
dred yards, pc haps.
Ward crawled there ON his hands and
one knee, dragging the broken leg after
him. 1t was not nice experience, but
it served one good purpose-it wiped
from his mind all thought of that black
past wherein Buck had figured so
shamefully. He had enough to think of
with his present plight, without wor-
rying over the past.
In half an hour or so Ward rested his
arms upon his own doorstep and drop
ped his perspiring face upon them. He
lay there long while in dead faint.
After awhile he moved, lifted his
head and looked about him duly at first
and then with certain stoical accept
ance of his plight. He looked into the
immediate future and tried to forecast
its demands upon his strength and to
prepare for them. He crawled farther
up on the step, reached the latch and |
opened the door. He crawled in, pulled |
himself up by the foot of his bunk and |
sat down weakly with his head in his
hands. Like a hurt animal, he had
obeyed his instinct and had crawled .
home.
His eyes went slowly around the cab
in, measuring his resources and his
needs and limitations. He pulled his
1ne chair toward him-the chair which
Buck Olney had occupied so unwilling
y-and placed his left knee upon it.
he managed to reach the cupboard
where he kept his dishes, and took down
| bottle of liniment and box of car
'olized vaseline which he happened to
lave. He was near the two big zinc I
water pals which he had filled that
morning just to show Buck Olney how [
DOL he was over his capture, and he [
ethought him that water was going to
e precious in the next few weeks. ,
He lifted down one pail and swung 6
, forward as far as he could and set {
on the floor ahead of him. Then he l
vung the other pail beside it. Pain t
lily he hitched his chair alongside, /
fled the pals and set them forward
gain. He did that twice and got them v
aside his bunk. He went back and in 4
,eCted the teakettle, found it half full
nd carried that also beside the bunk. b
hen he rested awhile
Bandages! Well, there was a new r
DUR sack hanging on nail. He stood t
,, leaned and got it, and while he il
as standing he reached for the cigar il
*, where he kept his bachelor sewing h
spoOls of very coarse thread, o
me large eyed needles to carry it, an G
'sOrtment of buttons and :; pair of 81
issors. He cut the -four sack into
rips and sewed the strips together; ef
S stitches were neater than you might Il
ink. b,
When the bandage was long enough al
rolled it as he had seen doctors do, al
ID fished some pins out of the cigar
K and laid them where he could get m
$ fingers on them quickly. He stood be
a
nned milk and pried off the lid. I'm til
BILE to need you, too" he muttered Fl
the rows of cans, and pulled the box US
'se. He took Buck Olney's knife and II
Titled some very creditable splints
I'M the thin boards and rummaged in OF
, "warbag" under the bunk for hand tn
rchiefs with which to wrap the nc
ints. tn
When he had done all that he could ly
to prepare for the long siege of pain til
helplessness ahead Of him he NOV hi
along the bunk until he was sitting Ri
IT the head Of it with his broken leg hi
ended before him and took last tn
k to make sure that everything was di,
ldy. He felt his gun at his hip, re- de
we'd belt and all and threw 1t back ]
On the bed. Then he turned his head gri
l stared, frowning, at the black butt tn,
ere it protruded from the holster He
'gestively ready to his hand. He sea