The Lamar register., 1923-03-07

when he began to mount the steep
hard. AS he reached the scene OF
that nights camp voice greeted him.
Jim Lash was sitting up.
"Hello. Dick. l woke some late
this mornin. Where's Laddy?
Where's Thorne an Mercedes? Look
here, man | reckon you amt packin'
this crippled outfit down that awful
trailT'
Had to, Jlm-an hours sun-would
kill-both Laddy and Thorne. Come
on, now"
For once Jim Lash's cool good ma
ture and careless Indifference gave
precedence to amaze and scOrn.
Always knew you was "A husky
chap. But, Dick, you're no hoss. Get
me crutch an give me II lift on one
side"
Come on" replied Gale "rve no
time to monkey"
He lifted the ranger. called TO Yaqui
to follow with some of the camp out
fit, and once more essayed th. steep
descent. Jim Lash was the heaviest
man of the three. and Gales strength
was put to enormous strain to carry
him on that broken trail. Neverthe-
less, he went down, down. walking
swiftly and surely over the bad
places; and at last he staggered into
the arroyo with bursting heart and
red-blinded eyes When he had re-
covered he made a final trip up the
slope for the camp effects which va
qui had been unable to carry.
In the labor OF watching and ,nurs-
ing IL seemed TO Gale that two days
and two nights slipped by like a few
hours. Then Gale succumbed to wea-
riness. After his much-needed rest he
relieved Mercedes of the care and
watch over Thorne which, up to that
time. she had absolutely refused to
relinquish. The cavalryman required
constant attention. His condition
slowly grew worse. and there came a
day which Gale thought surely WIS
the end. But that day passed. and
the night. and the next day. and
rhorne lived on, CHASTITY. stricken,
raving Suddenly, and to Gales
amaze and thanksgiving. there came
an abatement OF Thorne's fever. With
II some heat and redness Of the In
famed wound disappeared. Next
morning he was conscious. and Gale
grasped some of the hope that Mer-
cedes had never abandoned. He
forced her to rest while he attended
to Thorne. That day he saw that the
crisis was past. Recovery for Thorne
was now possible. and would perhaps
depend entirely upon the care he re-
ceived.
Jim Lash's wound healed without
any aggravating symptoms. II would
be only a matter OF time until he had
the use Of his leg again. All these
days, however. there was little ap-
parent change In Ladd's condition, un-
less II was that he seemed to
fade away as he fingered. Then
Yaqul asked for the care OF Ladd. The
Indian absented himself from camp
for 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 10 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 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 tireless, implacable, In
scrutable savage was ever at the
rangers side. His great somber eyes
burned. At length he went to Gale
and with that stran' light fitting
across the hard bronzed face. he said
I.add would live.
The second day after Ladd had
been given such thin nourishment as
b. ,.puII swallow r..anVaraH rh rssa