Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1918-02-22

III Iou lHlnk ina SquaTSS tHS BSais
not stop to analyze, Smith left his seat
behind the wheel and walked owe to
the edge of the embankment where
Jibbey had descended. With the glare
of the roadster's acetyIenes turned the
other way, Smith could see Jibbey at
the foot Of the slope lowering himself
face downward on his propped arms to
reach the water. Then, in that instant,
Jibbey, careless in his thirst, lost his
balance and went headlong into the
torrent.
A battling con had passed before
Smith, battered, beaten and half
strangled, succeeded in landing the I'M
conscious thirst-quencher on a shelv-
ing bank three hundred yards below
the stopped automobile. After that
there was another con in which he
completely forgot his own bruisings
while he worked desperately over the
drowned man, raising and lowering the
limp arms while he strOve to recall
more Of the resuscitative directions
given in the Lawrenceville Athletic
clubs first-aid drills.
In good time, after an interval so
long that 1t seemed endless to the de-
spalring ~irst-aider, the breath came
back into the reluctant lungs. Jibbey
coughed, choked, gasped and sat up.
His teeth were chatterlng, and he was
chilled to the bone by the sudden
plunge into the cold snow-water, but
he was Enthusiastically alive.
"What-what happened to me, Mon
ty?" he shuddered. did I tumble in3'
"YOu did, for a fact"
"And you went in after mel"
"Of course"
"NO, by CAD! 1t wasn't of course
not by a long shotl All you had to
do was to let me go, and the score
your scOre-wOuld have been wiped
out for good and all. Why didn't you
do itT"
because / promised somebody that
/ would bring you back to Brewster
tonight, alive and well, and able to
send a telegram"
Jibbey tried to get upon his feet,
couldn't quite compass 1t, and sat
down again.
81 don't believe a word Of It." he
mumbled, lOOse-lipped. "You did II
because you're not so DANCED tough
and hard-hearted as you thought you
were" And then: "Give me a lift
Monty, and get me into the auto. ]
guess-Pm abOut-all In"
Smith half led, half carried his
charge up to the road. A final heavG
lifted him into his place, and 1t is safe
to say that Colonel Dexter Baldwln''
roadster never made better time thar
II did on the race which finally brought
the glow Of the Brewster town llghti
reddenlng against the eastern sky.
At the hotel Smith helped his drip
ping passenger out Of the car, made 1
quick rush with him to an elevator
and so up to his own room on tn,
fourth floor.
, "Strip - he commanded; "get out o
those wet rags and tumble into tn
bath. Make 1t as hot as you can stani
/ It. I'll go down and register you ant
, have your trunk sent up from the sta
ton. You have a trunk, haven't your
Z Jibbey hshed a soaked card baggag
check out Of his pocket and passel
II over.
you're as bad OF as I am, Monty,
' he protested. "Wait and get some DR.
1 things on before you go"
; "Tll be up again before you're on
Of the tub. / suppose you'd like to pu
yourself outside Of a big drink {
whisky, Just about now, but that
one thing / won't buy for you. HO'
would a pot Of hot coffee from tn
cafe strike your"
. "You could make It baby food an
. I'd drink II II you said So" chattere
e the drowned one from the inside {
the wet undershirt he was trying I
7 pull of over his head.
CTQ BIZ coNTnUEDl