The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-11-09

child that for the present, at lent
Rodaine must believe that Harry Ind
escaped unaided. There were t0O
many other things III which Rohext
felt sure R0daine had played d part,
too many other mysterious happenings
which must be met ana COPIED with,
before the man of the blue-white scar
could know that finally the underiing
Was beginning to show 1flgi1f, that at
last the crushed had begun to rise.
Fairchild bent and unlaced HIS shoes,
taking off also the heavy WOODEN
socks which projected his feet from
the biting cold. steeling himself ~
the ordeal which he must undergo, 10
tied the laees together and slung the
foOtgear over a shoulder. Then TN
| went to the bed. Ii /.
As carefully as possible, he wrapped
Harry ln the blankets, seeking to pro-
teet him in every way against the
cold. With a great effort, he lifted
him, the sick mans frame huddled In
his arms like some gigantic baby, ana
started out of the eerie. darkened
house. .s~2
The stairs-the landing-the halil
Then a query from below: 8
els that you, Roady7"
The breath pulled sharp$into Fair.
ehfld's lungs. He answered in the
best imitation he could give OF tho
voice Of Squint Rodaine:
"Yes. Go on with your digging,
Honey. I'll be there soon"
"And you'll kiss mesn y
Eyes. Just like 4 kissed you the
night our boy was born" y,
1t was sufficient. The chanting be-
gan again, accompanied by the swish
of the spade as 1t sank into the earth
and the Guiding roll of the clods 40
they were thrown to one side. Fair
child gained the door. A moment mora
and he staggered with his burden int
the protecting darkness of the night.
The snow crept about his ankles
seeming to freeze them at every
touch. but Fairchild did not desist. His
original purpose must be carried out
Ii Rodaine WERE not to know-the ap-
pearance that Harry had aroused him
self sufficiently to wrap the blankets
about him and wander Off BY himself.
And this could be accomplished only
by the pain and cold and torture Of 4
barefoot trip.
Some way, by shifting the big frarns
Of his unconscious partner now and
then, Fairchild made the trip to thu
main road and veered toward the
~pumphouse of the Diamond J. mine,
running as 1t often did without at
tendance while the engineer made q
trip with the electric motor into tho
hiT. Cautiously he peered through
the windows. No n was there. Be-
yond lay warmth and comfeTt-and q
telephone. Fairehild went within AMI
placed Harry on the floor. Than hQ
reached for the phone and called thu
hospital.
"Hellor" he announced In q husky.
disguised voice. '"This IL Jeb Gresham
Of Georgeville. I've just found q maj
lying by the side of the Diamond ].
pumphouse, unconscious, with q biz
cut in his head. I've brought him In
side. You'll find him there: Eve got
to 20 on. Looks like he's liable to die
unless you can send the ambulance for
HIM"
"We'l make it a rush trip;" cana
the answer and Fairchfld hung up thu
phone, to rub his half-frozen, aching
feet d moment, then to reeiethe them
I'm the socks and shoes. watching the
entrance of the Diamond J. tunnel an
he did SO. 4 long minute-then he left
the pumphouse. made q few tracks In
the snow around the entrance, and
walked swiftly down the read. Fifteen
minutes later, from a hiding place &c
the side of the Clear creek bridge, he
naw the lights OF the ambulance as 4
swerved 10 the punnphouse. Out cams
the stretchen. The attendants went in
search Of the injured a when thsy
came forth again, they bore tho fern
Of Harry Harkins, and the heart q
Fairchild began TO beat once moro
with something resembling regularity.
His partner-at least such WINS III
hope and his prayer-was On tho way
b aid and to recovery, while Squfnl
Rodaine would know nothing oGho
than that he had wandered oNayl
Grateful, lighter In heart than - ha1
J been for days, Fairchild pleaded alonG
the road In the tracks Of the amb1.
lance, as 1t headed back for town ~
The news already had SPREAD ~ IT,
] time he reached there. nsws travs1l
inst In a small mining camp. FA1R'
child went to the hospital, an - III
ade OF the cot where HarEy ha4 -
taken, to find the doctor tS1Go be1se(
him. already bandaging the vssnd q
Harry's head and looking with col
eern now and then ait the pupils q
Z the unconscious mans eyes.
Are you going to stay hare with
him?' the physician asked.
, "Yes," Fairchild said, IN spite q
aching fatigue and heavy eyes Tn,
D doctor nodded esE +.
II "Good. I don't knew whsGhss III
|, Dsang to pull Through - ~ o.
!