Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1918-07-19

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led RATHER a step nearer 30 that he
could grasp the stirrup. With his voice
Le held the horse quiet while he pulled
himself upright upon his good leg.
Then, with pain hurried, jerky move
ments he pulled OF the saddle. glanced
around him and flung II behind a bucH
brush. He slipped OF the bride, flung
that after tho 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 tho cabin. II was not far
to a mar 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. II was not a nice experience, but
1t served n good purpose--it wiped
from his mind all thought Of that black
past wherein Buck had figured 30
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 persplring face upon thsn. He
lay there a long while In a dead faint.
After awhile he moved, lifted his
head and looked about him DULY ut first
and then with a 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 n hurt animal, he had
obeyed his instinct and had crawled
home.
His eyes went slowly around the cab
In, measuring his and his
needs and limitations. He pulled his
n chair toward him-the chair which
Buck Olney had occupied so unwilling
ly--and placed his left knee upon II.
He managed to reach the cupboard
where he kept his dishes, ard took down
a bottle OF IMMINENT and n box OF car
bolized yaseline which he happened to
have. lie was near the two big zinc
water pals which he had filled that
morning Just TO show Buck Olney how
cool he was ver his capture, and he
%bethought him that water was going to
be precious In the next few weeks.
He lifted down one pail and swung
II forward as far as he could and set
It on the floor ahead of him. Then he
swung the other pail beside II. Pain
fully he hitched his chair alongside,
lifted the pals cnd set them forward
again. He did that twice and got them
beside his bunk. He went back and In
spected the teakettle, found Il half full
and carried that also beside the bunk.
Then he rested awhile.
Bandagesl Well, there was a new
-four sack hanging on a nail. He stood
up, leaned and got Il, and while he
was standing he reached for the cigar
box, where he kept his bachelor sewing
outflt-two spools OF very coarse thread,
some large eyed needles 10 carry It, an
assortment of buttons and pair Of
scissors. He cut the -four sack into
strips and sewed the strips together;
his stitches were neater than you might
think.
When the bandage was long enough
he rolled II as he had seen doctors do,
and fished some pins out OF the cigar
box and laid them where he could get
his fingers ON them quickly. He stood
up again, reached across 10 n box OF
canned milk and prled on the lid. I'm
liable TO need you, too" he muttered
10 the rows Of cans, and pulled the box
close. He took Buck Olney's knife and
whitfield some very credltable splints
from the thin boards and rummaged In
his "warbag" under the bunk for hand.
%kerchlefs with which to wrap the
splints.
when he had done all that he could
dc 20 prepare for the long siege of pain
and helplessness ahead OF him no NOV
ed along the bunk until he was sitting
ear the head OF II with his broken leg
extended before him and took a last
look to make sure that everything was
ready. He felt his gun az his hip. re.
moved belt and all and threw Il back
upon the bed. Then he turned his head
and stared, frOwning, at the black butt
where II protruded from the holster
suggcstively ready 10 his hand. lie
reached out and took the gun, turned II
over and hesltated. No telling what I'm,
sane impulse fever might bring upon
him-and still-nO telling what Buck
Olney might do when he discovered
that he was not In any immediate dan.
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