Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-12-19

You left the light on?"
She did not answer beyond stare
from CLASSY eyes. Her face was white,
her lips straight purple line. Her
shoulders were rigid but beneath them
her body was twisting and turning as
though In a desperate effort TO tear
itself away from the sentient seat of
pnin.
"Is II as bad as that?" said MsungO.
Into his voice had already come the
calm Of a man accustomed TO the face
Of danger. I'm going 10 leave you
for moment" he continued. "When
l come I'll take the pain away"
lie stepped toward the barred door
and tried to open Il. So intent was he
on getting to his room that he glanced
at the cord and saw only that Il was
hindering him. He drew out his knife,
cut the bar free and hurried on. The
three minutes he was gone seemed an
eternity TO Andrea. When he came
cine case and In the other a hypo-
dermlc syringe already filled. He set
the case down carefully. grasped and
barred Andrea's forearm, rubbed 1t with
alcohol and quickly gave her an In
lection. "Sklp the next five minutes"
he said. "Fasten your mind to five
minutes from now" She only moaned
10 show that she heard him.
But even before the FIVE minutes
were up she could feel peace coming
TO her body slowly and from far away,
as though IL feared to pounce upon her
suddenly When II settled upon her Il
brought with Il a drowsy and ineffable
relief. Her eyes could move once more
In their sockets They followed the
white man us he made his rapid prep
aration for long siege. She heard
him call Bathtub and issue string
OF orders; then he brought chair
close to the cot and sat down.
andrea" he said quietly, "we're up
against Il. you and |. / can't say just
what Il Is. 1t may be ptomaine. you
may have been sickening for appen-
dicitis. but I'm almost afraid Il isn't
either Of those If it's fever, It is per-
nlclous." Her eyes stared at him,
hung upon his face.
He took one of her hands In his.
"Fm breaking all the rules by fright
enlng you" he went on, land l do 1t
purposcly. | do II because I've learned
that you and | are brothers In one
thing. We're fighters. All the blood
In our veins lows one way-up hill to
battle. We don't know when to quit.
No d. fever can show us where to
get on It's going to be shoulder to
shoulder. and If You 90 back on me
I'll go back on God, for trust you as
I've never trusted any living thing"
Her hands twisted IN his and grlpped
his fingers. you're great, White
Man" she said softly you're like
that--a nghtcr-and It's sweet OF you
60 ring me In. No d. fever can
up and cried.
"Good for you said arsungo
"cry now. Il can't do you
bit Of harm and 1t win probably put
you 70 s'ccp But when you wake, If
you want to cry them please come up
crying mad and ready to set your teeth
In the throat Of pain. For he'll have
you. Klddie, he'll have you In a half
Nelson and / can't always stick him
with the needle"
II was even as he said. An day ana
MI night the battle ragged. and there
were moments when Andrea forgot
that she wns a fighter, begged with
gaspins. heartrending means for opium
and relief. and when he refused, her
tongue turned bitter, sharp as SER
penis tooth. Each word she said was
chosen 70 wound. Herself the most
OF women. she became \
unjust, ungenerous and cruel as dead \
owe.
He was giving her the treatment for D
pernicious malaria. Together with
very other white man who has served
60 Africa he had an +,
store Of rough and ready
medical knowledge. To such men oaly
TX drugs are essential. all others being b
'lassed as furbelOws of the pampered n
lick room. ard with those they work il
IS with elementals. XIII or cure is s
heir motto. the saving idea being that D
the patient can't stand punishment. h
lie would 80 under in any case &:
On those rare occasions when An O
rea's spasms conquered his reluctance 4
o use the needle he would watch her "
NTH the oplate stiiled her aud then \
All into his chair and to sieep. u am L
ere" he would say even as his lids
losed. "Never forget. I'm here for 81
ou. Touch me or speak TO me and n
n awake" 1t was true. In spite Of a
is long vigil he kept deep slumber 81
I distance by an effort OF the will Il
Ike a man who sets clock In his
mind and trusts 60 his subeonScious "
elf TO cali him at the hour marked e
The afternoon of the second day Il
ound Andrea unusually subdued and Il
tili. but he was not deceived. He nj
ooked at her eyes and saw that their Il
'upils stlll appeared convex and CLASSY W