The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-03-15

there by crawling. But what then?
Ward looked at Rather, standing do
cilely within reach of his hand. He
considered getting on--if he could, and
riding-well, the nearest place was tif-
teen miles. And that was a good, long
way from a doctor. He glar ced again
at the cabin and tried to study the sit
uation impersonally. If it were some
other fellow, now, what would Ward
advise him to do under the circum-
stances?
He reached down and felt his leg |
gjngerly. So far as he could tell 1t was
straight, simple break-snapped short
off against a rock, he judged. He shook |
his head over the thought of riding tif
teen miles with those broken bones
grinding their edges together And
still, what else could he do?
He reached out, took the reins and
led Rather a step nearer so that he
could grasp the strap. With his voice
lie held the horse quiet while he pulled
himself upright upon his good leg.
Then, with pain hurried, jerky move
, ments he pulled off the saddle, glanced
a around him and flung it behind bucA
, brush. He slipped off the bride, flung
q that after the saddle and gave Rather
: a slap on the rump. The horse moved
away and Ward stared after him with
7 set lips. anyway, you can look after
: yourself" he said, and balanced upon
his right leg while he swung around
= and faced the cabin. 1t was not far
!, to man with two sound legs. A hum
( dred yards, pc haps.
: Ward crawled there on his hands and
one knee, dragging the broken leg after
c him. 1t was not nice experience, but
n it served one good purpose-it wiped
4 from his mind all thought OF that black
) past wherein Buck had figured so
n shamefully. He had enough to think OF
;, with his present plight, without wor-
., rying over the past.
q In half an hour or so Ward rested his
q arms upon his own doorstep and drop
- ped his perspiring face upon them. He
lay there long while in a dead faint.
4 After awhile he moved, lifted his
= head and looked about him duly at first
and then with a certain stoical accept
ance OF his plight. He looked into the
immediate future and tried to forecast
i its demands upon his strength and to
Il 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
Il hands. Like a hurt animal, he had
81 obeyed his instinct and had crawled
- home.
His eyes went slowly around the cab
in, measuring his resources and his
needs and limitations. He pulled his
one chair toward him-the chair which
Buck Olney had occupied SO unwilling
ly-and placed his left knee upon it
He managed to reach the cupboard
where he kept his dishes, and took dowr
bottle Of liniment and a box Of car
bolized vaseline which he happened t.
- have. He was near the two big zint
as water pals which he had filled thai
morning just to show Buck Olney how
Il cool he was over his capture, and h
bethought him that water was going tt
81 be precious in the next few weeks.
He lifted down one pail and swunt
j it forward as far as he could and Sc
it ON the floor ahead of him. Then h
40 swung the other pail beside it. Pain
fully he hitched his chair alongside
so lifted the pals and set them forward
~ again. He did that twice and got then
Ike beside his bunk He went back and in
he srected the teakettle, found it half ful
he and carried that also beside the bunk
Then he rested awhile.
Bandagesl Well, there was a new
-four sack hanging on nail. He stoo'
up, leaned and got it, and while b
was standing he reached for the ciga
de box, where he kept his bachelor sewin
eek outfit-two spools of very coarse thread
'as some large eyed needles to carry it, a.
on assortment of buttons and Il pair O
he scissors. He cut the flour sack int
on strips and sewed the strips together
nd his stitches were neater than you pigh
NIX think.
ust When the bandage was long enoug
in he rolled it as he had seen doctors de-
He and fshed some pins out of the ciga
[ a box and laid them where he could &c
led his fingers ON them quickly. He stoo
his up again, reached across to a box c
he canned milk and pried off the lid. TT
in liable to need you, too" he muttere
the to the rows of cans, and pulled the DO
ks, whitfield some very creditahle solini
lin from the thin boards and rummaged
he his "warbag' under the bunk for hant
rise kerchiefs with which to wrap tt
ore splints.
}. When he had done all that he coul
his do to prepare for the long siege of pal
nee and helplessness ahead of him he mo-
nat ed along the bunk until he was sittin
hat near the head of it with his broken lie
nee extended before him and took la
OF look to make sure that everything ws
ready. He felt his gun at his hip, r
he moved belt and all and threw 1t bat
had upon the bed. Then he turned his hea
He and stared, frowning, at the black bu
} is where it protruded from the holst'
was suggestively ready to his hand.