Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-02-09

Jim Lash's wound healed without
any aggravating symptoms. 1t would
be only a matter of time until he had
the use of his leg again. All these
DAYS. however, there was little APP
parent change in Ladd's condition. un-
less it was that he seemed to
fade away as he fingered. Then
Yaqui asked for the care of Laid. The
Indian absented himself from camp
for a while, and when he returned he
carried the roots and leaves of desert
plants unknown to Gale. From these
the Indian brewed an ointment. Then
he stripped the bandages from Ladd
and applied the mixture to his wounds.
That done. he let him lie with the
wounds exposed to the air, at night
covering him. Next day he again
exposed the wounds to the warm, dry
air. Slowly they closed, and Ladd
ceased to bleed externally.
Days passed and grew into what
Gale imagined must have been weeks.
Yaqui recovered fully. Jim Lash be-
gan to move about on a crutch; he
shared the Indians watch over Ladd.
Thorne lay a haggard, emaciated
ghost of his former rugged self, but
with life in the eyes that turned al
ways toward Mercedes. Ladd fingered
and fingered. The life seemingly
would not leave his bullet-pierced
body. The t~ireless, i%mplacable, in
scrutable savage was yer at the
rangers side. His great somber eyes
burned. At length he went to Gale,
and with that strange light fitting
across the hard bronzed face, he said
Ladd would live.
= y
The second day after Ladd had
been given such thin nourishment as
he could swallow he recovered the use
of his tongue.
"Shore-this's HI" he whispered.
That was a characteristic speech for
the ranger, Gale thought; and indeed
1t made all who had heard 1t smile
while their eyes were wet.
From that time forward Laid
gained. hut he gained so UNNECESSARILY
slowly that only the eyes of hope
could have seen any improvement.
Jim Lash threw away his crutch, and
Thorne was well, if still somewhat
weak, before Ladd could lift his arm
or turr his head. His whispers grew
stronger. And the day arrived when
Gale, who was perhaps the least op-
timistic, threw doubt to the winds
and knew the ranger would get well.
"Boys, come round" said Laid, in
his low voice. AN you, Mercedes.
An call the Yaqui."
Ladd lay in the shade of the brush
shelter that had been erected. There
seemed little of him but long, lean
lines, and if It had not been for his
keen, thoughtful, kindly eyes, his face
would have resembled a death mask
of a man starved.
ashore I want to know what day
is it an what month";" asked Laid.
Nobody could answer him. The
question seemed a surprise to Gale,
and evidently was 20 to the others.
Look at that cactus" went on
Ladd.
81 reckon according to that giant
cactus it's somewheres along the end
of March, said Jim Lash, sCberly.
ashore it's April. Look where the
sun is. An can't you feel it's gettin'
hot?"
"Supposin' it is April?" queried
Lash, slowly.
"Well. what I'm drivin' at is It's
about time YOU all was hittin' the trail
back to Fdrlorn River, before the
waterholes dry out"
daddy. ] reckon We'll start soon
as you're able to be put on a hoss.'
"Shore thatll be too late"
A silence ensued, in which those
who heard Ladd gazed fixedly at him
easily shifted the position of his lame
leg, and Gale saw him moisten his lips
with his tongue.
"Charlie Ladd, 1 amt reckonln' you
mean we're to ride off an leave you
here?'
"What else Is there to do? The
hot weather's close. Pretty soon mos
of the waterholes will be dry. You
can't travel then. I'm on my
back here, an God only knows wher
I could be packed out. Not for weeks
mebbe. I'll never be any good again
even if I was to get out alive.
You see. shore this sort Of Ease comes
round sometimes In the desert. It:
common enough. I've heard of sew
eral cases where men had to go an
leave a Teller behind. It's reasonable
If you're fightin' the desert you caa't
afford to be sentimental. Now,
as l said. Pm all in. So what's the
sense of you waitin' here, when ii
means the old desert story? By goin'
now mebbe you'll get home. Shore
now. boys, You'll see this the right
way? jim. old pard?"
mo, Laddy, an l can't figger how