Evening star., 1922-12-03


/ ing table.
INNE more case. and i will complete
" my picture Of what a military
! surgeon was called upon to expert
ence in his frontier practice back iii
the seventies. This. too. is a Fort
Laramie case
About forty miles from the post a
! well-to-do ranchman named johnson
had settled and built an excellent
home for himself. One morning he
dropped into my office and informed
me that up on the Elkhorn there
lived. nine miles above his range, a
very desperate and dangerous char
acter-a man by the name of Dennis,
who ran a whisky still there in the
mountains. Dennis had a young wife
who was desperately ill. and he de-
sired the post surgeon to see the
case. This I agreed to do
The ambulance took me up TO
Johnson's ranch next day-a dan
gerous ride. for there were many hos
tile Indians in that section Of the
country. as we'll as bad men" Mex:
morning johnson had a light buggy
ready for me, with a very spirited
team OF horses. and to my surprise
was soon informed that Mrs. John
son was to take nee over the nins
miles to Dennis mountain hut. T
soon found that my companion was
the very essence Of nerve and grit.
an exceptionally fine shot with a
Winchester and with a heavy pistol
After we had driven at a rapid pace
for about FIVE miles over a road en-
tirely new to me We came to a place
that seemed to be the edge OF the
world. The road cut a level, straight
line against the sky. and nothing
could be seen beyond it. without
turning. Mrs. johnson asked. How
are you of for nerve:" to which I
simply replied. TRY it when you
like Well" she retorted. here
goes"
She speeded the team a bit. and
over the top sne went. the other
side of the sky line was broken and
We had a sharp decline Of a clay
bank to the mountain torrent below.
She managed admirably. The
team actually slid down that bank al
a breakneck pace, and into tho
stream they went and We were soon
on the opposite bank
You'll do" said she DO you want
to try it again.
'Oh, yes" said I, "if you enjoy
that sort of thing"
The second performance didn't come
off. and we soon pulled up at the
Dennis hut-a log cabin with two
small rooms. found him to be a
big, powerful. pock- marked, red
headed Irishman that used very few
words and put them wonderfully
| close together. He wore a pair OF
very handsome AS revolvers. a red
| shirt, loose necktie and otherwise
a general attire OF the men found
in that part of the country.
| An informal introduction followed
and I was at once ushered into the
next room to see the patient. Dennis
had been drinking. Mrs. johnson
desired to speak with me, and she
said: II have put Off until now what
you must know. You will find the
| room, as you doubtless have already
noticed. divided by a thin pine par
tition. I have my gun on, and I'll be
behind that partition 'on the listen
My husband will be here at o'clock
sharp with two men. Look out II you
hear me gently tapping on the par
tition. That's all"
THE patient was a young woman,
i nervy to degree. with snappy
black eyes and black hair. I was
about to make the examination when
! Dennis strode into the room with q
revolver in his hand. and. placing Il
, on a little table. he said: Now, by
God. you save that woman or I'll blow
your id head on
There came a gentle tapping on
the partition. / was not armed
Tho patient had advanced pyaemia
from a retained placenta. Three
times failed to extract it. and my
hand was playing out. They had de-
stroyed the child. Dennis took a cou-
pie Of big drinks. Finally I succeed
ed. and. making the woman as COM
Portable as possible passed into the
other room.
When my back was turned Dennis
had put his revolver back into its
holster at his hip. 1t was twenty
minutes Of 2 WELL" said Dennis.
what do owe your
There was a cautious rap on the
partition In the next room. ''oh." /
said, II must calculate the mileage
and I'll tell you in a minute or So"
said: Tell me now. or your friends
may have to use the fee for your
funeral expenses"
However. I found there was TO
putting him of any longer. so I sa,
down at a table in the room and he
sat opposite to me. said. well.
Dennis. what do you say to $500
cash?"
A curious leer spread over his face
as he reached back to his rear pocket
and pulled out a roll of bills tAat
apparently contained some thousand
to fifteen hundred dollars. Wetting
the ball of his thumb with his
tongue, he peeled of 5000 and
showed it across the. table to me.
Take it, tenderfoot. You'll laugh
some day. 1 guess you don't know
what I value that woman in there
at.'
There was a c1atter Of horses
boots outside. coming on the trot. and
in less than half minute more John
son and two men were in the roon,