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

| the question of diet and of using hi:
had nothing else to do and his alerl
mind seized upon the situation and
brought it down to a fine system.
For instance, he did not open a car
of fruit until the prunes were gone
Then he emptied can Of tomatoes into
the bowl as a 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 good deal to keep from think
ing too much, and he tried TO meet the
days with philosophic calm. He might
easily be 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 dew
lis made him their plaything and 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
+ stler-preying upon his neighbors'
cattle; when he saw Buck Olney laugh
ing in derisiOn of his mercy and fixing
fresh evidence against him to confound
him utterly.
He had all those moods, and they left
their own lines upon his face. But he
had one thing to hearten him, and that
was the steady progress of his broken
leg toward recovery. A long, tedious
process it was of necessity, but as
nearly as he could judge the bone was
knitting together and would be straight
and strong again if he did not try to
hurry it too much. He tried to keep
count of the weeks as they passed. |
When the days slid behind him until |
| little notch on the window sill each |
with Bucks knife, with every !
seventh day longer and deeper notch I
han the others to mark the weeks. The |
irst three days had been so haZy that |
le thought them only two and marked
hem so, but that put him only one day |
nut of his reckoning.
He lay there and saw snow slither !
asst his window, driven by whooping
Wind. 1t worried him to know that his
alves We're unsheltered and unfed
-hile his long stack of hay stood I'M
the cattle broke down
is fence and reached it. He hoped
hey would, but he was a thorough
and in his heart he knew
nat fence would stand.
He saw cold rains and sleet. Then
lere were days when he shivered IN
er his blankets and would have given
uch for cup of hot coffee; days
,
de the bed-what little water was
he Clipped off pieces of ice
nd sucked them to quench his thirst.
avs when the tomatoes and peaches j.,
ere frozen in the cans so that he ,
lewed jerked venison and ate crackers !
ther than chill his stomach with the
Y stuff.
Day by day the little notches and the
niger ones reached farther and farther
ong the window sill until Ward be- d
n to foresee the time when he must
art a new row. Day by day his
eek bones grew more clearly defined,
S eyes bigger and more wistful. Day
day his knuckles stood up sharper d
len he closed his hands, and day by
Y nature worked upon his hurt, knit u
lg the bones together. n
NLADrED VII rs