The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-05
RANGER Nurses Wounded Horse

Dexterously the Lone Ranger grasped Silver's
mighty jaws and nasterfully held them while he
poured cool, invigorating water down the horses
parched throat. He gathered up his camping
equipment and prepared his camp a few dozen
feet from where the bruised Silver lay. The
weakened horse was forced to submit to the
mans strength. All that day the Lone Ranger
tenderly cared for this beautiful, wild animal of
the prairie. With the remedies he carried in his
saddle bag for his own horse, he carefully tended
the wounds and soothed the aching body of this
puzzled but suspicious horse.
With Silver watching him, the Lone Ranger
built a fire. cit will be chilly later on, old boy"
he soothingly spoke to the horse, "and you, hav-
ing lost so much blood, will notice it, so I'll keep
a fire going. That will help to make you feel
comfortable. You'll be all right in a day or So"
That night the Ranger kept his vigil by the
horse and slept 6tfully fdArby, rolled up in his
blanket. Above the strange three-a horse, hat
ing MAN; a horse, Nellie, trusting, obeying, and
loving MAN, and a man helping the horse that
hated him-blinked thousands of stars. Over to
the east rose the new moon.
The next morning, the man, Filling his hat
with water, placed it within a foot of Silver's
nose, and then retreated a short distance. Silver
watched out of the corner of his eye and, seeing
that the MAN was not near, lifted his head and
cautiously drank.
Silver's whole body still burned and panied.
The man approached and then, again, he took the
salve and softly dabbed the cuts and bruised
spots on the horses body. Silver, for some rea-
son unknown to even himself, allowed the hated
MAN to continue his doctoring.
RECOVERY
Silver realized for the first time in his life
that MAN was not trying to hurt him, that this
man at least, was not trying to harm or capture
him. And that stuff made his sore and hot body
feel so cool and easy. The mans voice was hard
but gentle. AS he watched the other horse, Silver
began to wonder if, after all, that kind of horses
life was SO bad, especially with this man. "The
outlaws will catch up pretty soon, unless I get
under way" murmured the man, as he surveyed
Silver contemplatively. Hoped you'd be on your
feet by now, but seeing you aren't, guess I'd bet
ter stick around and take care of you. With that
medicine on your cuts, your strength will return
in half the time it would take ordinarily, and
besides your cuts will heal much better" said the
man as he rubbed Silver's nose. Silver had half
an idea of biting the mans hand but, thinking it
over, he decided the rubbing felt swell. So he let
the man continue.
The man rose and walked away. Shading his
eyes, ne scanned the landscape Tor a sight of the
outlaws. He was eager to be on his way, but he
was also loath to leave the injured horse.
The next morning Silver, who vainly had tried
to rise many times during the night, found him
self stronger. He lay quiet upon the plain until
the sun was high. Then he put his rested body to
the testing of his full strength. Wobbly, he arose
to his feet. His legs, at first, shook; but, as the
blood began to pulse through them more quickly,
he found he was once more able to look out for
himself.
SILVER GOES AWAY
The Lone Ranger smiled encouragement from
a short distance. Silver, after slowly walking the
space of a few feet, feeling his legs frmer, quick
ened his pace into a trot. He turned toward the
mountains as he saw the MAN made no effort to
detain him.
He wondered why his hated enemy did not
chase him, since he was running away, why the
man had given him water and put stuff on him
that lessened the pain of his wounds. All these
"horse-sense'' questions passed through Silver's
mind, as his stiff joints, not now aching so much
and his strength fast returning, enabled him to
run with renewed vigor. His now g~alloping feet
left far behind him the spot where he had fallen
in battle and had been treated SO kindly by MAN
from whom he had expected abuse such as his
mother and father had always received from that
hated enemy-MAN.
The Lone Ranger sat on his horse and
watched Silver head for the mountains. Weak
but able, he was again the plucky, independent
horse of the prairie. The Lone Ranger, like all
who had heard of Silver. desired to possess this
rare horse for himself. A pang of rernorse filed
the heart of the Lone Ranger as his eyes brood
ing1y followed the beautiful horse.
CONTINUED in his paper Ne1f Tuesday,. Cut out each
ad for your Lone Ranger scrabbook)
G. 1886, The Lone Ranger, Inc. All Risb+, p..-