White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-07-14
THE DESERTS PRICE

With the handkerchief taken from her
neck she bathed the muscular back.
Apparently he had been shot through
the lung, we'll up near the shoulder,
and in the right side.
The eyes of the wounded man flick
cred open and fastened on her. She was
now sponging his face and temples
with clean strip torn from the hand.
kerchief. Silently he watched her. AS
he lay there weakly it seemed to him
that some healing property passed
from her to him through them. It
came as a conviction that he was not
going to die, that he would get well.
He did not ask what she meant to
do with him. It was possible she
might think she had answered suf-
ficiently the call upon her humanity
and leave him here to perish. 1t was
possible that after she had gone the
man who had shot him would creep up
through the bushes and make an end
of him. But he did not believe that
either Of these would occur. She
would look after him somehow, even
though she thought he had killed her
father. He must set her straight on
that. He could not let her go on think
ing it.
81 didn't kill yore father" he said
a second time.
even If you didn't. what's the diff
ference? Your friends did. You were
here waiting for him."
NO." he denied. II was alone
none of my folks was with me-"
Il don't believe it. If you didn't
fire the shot you know who did" She
said it in all the bitterness of green
young grief.
And instantly she knew, as her eyes
challenged his, that she had hit upon
the truth. He had not himself shot
her father, but he could give her the
name of the man who had done it,
Her heart hardened She rose, turned
her back upon him, and walked away.
He had lied to her. He was as guilty
as though his own finger had pulled
the trigger.
The minutes dragged. Julia could
not get the wounded man out Of her
mind, even when she was STOPPING
over the body of her father and brush
ing flies from the folded hands Per-
haps he had died since she had left
him. Suddenly she could stand it no
longer. Quickly she walked back to
him. His quiet eyes met hers.
"Are you thfrsty?' she asked.
Eyes"
Again she took his hat for water She
held it to his lips while he drank,
supporting his head with one arm be-
meath it.
There came at last the sound Of
wagon wheels. She called, to direct
the driver Of the blackboard The rig
jolted into sight. Her brother Phil
had brought with him Sam Sharp, the
stableman.
They put the body Of Matthew Stark
into the wagon.
Hard-eyed, Phil looked at his wound
ed enemy. "What about him?' he
asked harshfy.
''We1l take him home with u.s."
Julia said. eve can't leave him here.
He's dying man, you know. Well
take him to the ranch and send word
to his father"
"What for?" the boy wanted to
know. ''We can send word he's here"
Unexpectedly Mccain opened his
eyes and spoke. "That would be bet
ter"
"a d-n sight better, an If you die
before he gets here it'll suit me fine"
Phil flung out bitterly.
"We're going to take him with us,
Phil" his sister answered 1--WE can't
leave him here. I hate him as much
as you do, but it would be inhuman to
go and leave him. I'll not do it,"
Sharp backed his young mistress.
"That's right, Phil. reckon we got
to take him."
They lifted him up and put him be-
side the dead man.
McCann's face was touched by an
acridly sardonfc smile. you're all