The Arizona copper camp., 1918-02-23


hours as they passed. Days when he
needed good nursing and did not get
so much as a drink of water except
through pain and effort. Hours when
he cursed Buck Olney and thought ne
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 to Hardup
two weeks before and had brought back
supplies for the winter. And because
his pay streak Of gravel bank had yield
ed 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
if 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 prdnes
on the window sill.
Ward ate a dozen or so, 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
case of peaches and beneath that the
case of canned tomatoes, the two form
Ing a stand for his lantern. He eyed
them th0ughtfully, chewing 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 a most useful souvenir of the
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
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 a corner of it over the
ridge. That was hard work, harder
than you would believe unless you tried
it yourself after lying three days fast
ing with broken 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 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
little with Floyd Carson two or three
times and had met Seabeck himself.
He knew Charlie Fox in purely cas-
ual way, as 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 as 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
delusions of hope.
AS the days passed he settled himself
grimly to 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 doysn to a fine system.
For instance, he did not open a can
Of fruit until the prunes were gone.
Then he emptied can of tomatoes into
the bowl as safeguard against ptO-
maine poisoning from the tin, and set
the empty can on the floor. During the
warm part Of each.day he slid open the
window by his bunk and lay with the
fresh air tanning his face and lifting
the hair from his aching temples.
He tried to eat regularly and to make
the fruit juice save his water supply.
Sometimes he chewed jerked venison
from the bag over his head but not very
often; the salt in the meat made him
drink too much. On the whole, his
diet was healthful and in a measure
satisfying. He did not suffer from the
want Of any real necessity, at any rate.
He had his few books within reach.
He read a good deal to keep from think
ing too much, and he tried to meet the
days with philosophic calm. He might
easily be a great deal worse off than
he was, he frequently reminded him.
self.
But he was lonesome-so lonesome
that there were times when life looked
absolutely worthless; when the blue dev-
lis made him their plaything ar.I he
saw Billy Louise looking scornfully
upon him and loving some other man
better; when he saw his name black
ened by the suspicion that he was a
ri.Stler-nreVing UDOn his neighbOrS'