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


and went doggedly to work.
A man never knows Just how much
he can endure or what he can do until
he In making his last stand in the fight
for self preservation. Ward had no
mind 10 lie there and die of blood pol
soning, for instance. and broken bones
do not set themselves. 80, sweating
and swearing with the agony OF II, he
set his leg and bound the splints In
place and thanked the Lord II was q
straight, clean break and that the flesh
was not torn.
Then he dropped back upon the bed
and didn't care whether he lived or not.
Followed days Of fever. through which
Ward lived crafty and lost count OF the
hours AZ they passed. Days when he
needed good nursing and did not get
10 much as a drink Of water except
through pain and effort. Hours when
he cursed Buck olney and thought he
had him bound to the chair in the cab
in. Hours when he watched for him,
gun In hand, through the window be
side the bunk.
He had made a final trip 10 Hardup
two weeks before and had brought back
supplies for the winter. And because
his pay streak Of gravel bank had yield
ed a fair harvest he had not stinted
himself on the things he liked to eat.
He lay looking over the piled boxes
against the farther wall and wondered
II he could reach the box Of crackers
and drag It up beside the bunk. He
was weak, and to move his leg was
agony. Well. there was a dish OF prunes
on the window sill.
Ward ate a dozen or 30, but he want
ed the crackers. he leaned as far as
he could from the bed. and the box was
still two feet from his outstretched fin
gers. He lay and considered how he
might bring the box within reach.
At the head Of the bunk stood the
cas- Of peaches and beneath that the
case Of canned tomatoes, the two form
ing a stand for his lantern. He eyed
them thoughtfully, chewing a corner of
his underlip. He did not want peaches
or tomatoes Just then-he wanted those
soda crackers.
He took Buck Olney's knife--he was
finding It n most useful souvenir OF the
encounter-and pried OFT a board from
tho 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 Of the upper edge Of the crack
err box. He dragged the box toward
him until II caught against a ridge In
the rough board floor. when the nails
bent outward and slipped away from
tie 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 1t under
the box, lifting a corne Of II over the
ridge. That was hard work, harder
than you would believe unless you tried
It 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 prled part Of the cover of
the cracker box with the knife. Then
he pulled out half a dozen crackers and
ate them, drank half n dipper Of water
ana felt better.
He had held himself nloof from the
men Of the country. He knew the Sea-
beck riders by sight; he had talked a
little with Floyd Carson two or three
times and had met seabeck himself.
He knew Charlie Fox in n purely cas-
ual way, az has been related, and Peter
Howling Dog the same.
None Of these men were likely TO ride
out Of their way to see him. And now
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 ms many miles as possible between
himself and that part OF Idaho. Unless
Billy Louise would come or send for
him he would In all probability lie alone
there until he was able TO walk. Ward
did not try TO comfort himself with any
decisions OF hope.
As the days passed he settled himself
yrimly 10 the business OF getting through
the ordeal as comfortably as possible.
He had food within his reach and a
scant supply Of water. He worked out
the question Of diet and Of using his
resources TO the best advantage. He
had nothing else TO do and his alert
mind seized upon the situation and
brought It down 10 a fine system.
For instance, he did not open a can
Of fruit until the prunes were gone.
Then he emptied a can Of tomatoes into
the bowl as a safeguard against pto-
maine poisoning from the tin, and set