Show guz TL C ki I 1 1 I 1 0 I 1 by FRANK H SPEARMAN copyright frank H spearman service CHAPTER VI continued not until they reached the last crest of the hills separating the two ranches and jane looked over on the lowlands of the smaller ranch did she catch her breath in sudden fear in the distance she saw a formidable wall of white smoke billowing into the sky in the nearer distance lay deni den sons buildings between the two points a second fire burned curving like a great scimitar along the lands surrounding the ranch bull she called fearfully to her nearest cowboy what does it all mean is there anything that can be saved I 1 why thy I 1 can see where been back firm cant tell much about it till we get closer come on boys push ern em over the hill if this is too fast for you miss he yelled follow us but bothin nothing was too fast for jane the city girl was always on their heels with the ponies in ina a lather the gunlock crew pulled up short before the ranch house corral where a party of fire fighters just from town were starting for the front henry smoked and scorched I 1 was guiding them out bill Par daloe headed the town men in the bunch were the evange evangelist I 1 st preacher big bill hayes alias panama the liveryman Al mcalpin cAlpin spotts the bald headed and pro fane barber selwood the cattleman with half a dozen of his men jim laramie from away up in the crazy woman country with a bunch of his cowboys jane saw a man riding up from the creek but it did not look to her like bill denison not until he drew near and lifted his hat hastily to her as he rode over to talk to Par daloe did she re realize alize it was he As rapidly as possible he greeted the newcomers told them where they were most needed pointed and started them on their way and turned to jane oh bill exclaimed jane as denison rode up im so sorry 1 I hope I 1 stir things up over there by sending that message I 1 have done it only Y 1 I promised ie he s said d in a dr dry y cracked voice dont think about the small things bill you should have sent long ago I 1 brought all the men I 1 could mccrossen refused to come he was kind of mean so I 1 came myself I 1 hope ill do for a substitute his answering smile was joyful it was too good of you to come jane but now ive got to ride A right out again would you step into the cabin and rest DW up before you ride back ride back yes but chos going to cook for all these men im going back to get quong and bring him over noon passed before jane got back to Deni sons and installed herself with quong in the kitchen one man severely burned came cam c in from the front toward dark carpy could not be reached till morning jane bandaged the mans arms and fed him denison rode in late smoked and scorched anew but tireless bill she asked sitting down opposite him tell me honestly are you holding it jane to tell the truth I 1 dont know sometimes I 1 think we ar are c sometimes it looks bad in a forest fire every hour must tell I 1 its ts own story atory about the lie size of it it was late when they walked out tit of doors together the southern sky was angry red be a hard day tomo now bill said jane theres nothing more I 1 can do here tonight im going home ill be back by daylight in the morning you go to bed you must be dead til ill title ride over along with you jane no you will not but jane youre not going goin to deprive me of riding home with you yes I 1 am oh please he pleaded with her like a boy ive been counting on it all day 1 1 I I thought been firefight fire fight ing ng all day fighting fire f ire and thinking about you and saying tonight ill ride home lome with jane 11 they did not ride fast there was so much to talk over both wre acre serious denison knew better than jane how grave the danger was both to himself and to her but he had bad his with the woman he loved and for that hour what else in the world mattered oh bill protested jane faintly sick at heart with the happiness 1 i of listening to his words dont you say such things I 1 wont listen to you bill im nothing but a girl and youre making me a goddess or a fairy stop such nonsense not on one word more bill denison if you keep on ill break out crying heres the house anyway good night I 1 E every very available man was out on the front lines when jane reached the threatened ranch after daybreak quong kept the little stove in the kitchen hot and jane busy about the cabin and looking after the boy burned the day before did not realize realize how fast the morning was vas going until carpy arrived from town to dress the lads ads burns he greeted jane and with her to help went to work on his patient afterward he sat down beside jane on the bench outside the door so said he youre playing good samaritan how are you holding out over at gunlock all right the danger is all from this way if we can hold the I 1 fire over here its not likely to bother us oh doctor exclaimed jane springing to her feet what does that mean riding out of the woods south of the ranch house bouse she saw a party of men slowly advancing riding between two men supporting him on his pony a third in man riding behind the trio carpy saw the in injured ared man hatless and coatless and heard him suppress an occasional groan carpy walked forward to greet the party well boys he asked who is 1 s it 1 t this thi S time jim laramie answered doc its jake spotts theres been a bd bad accident jake and panama got cut off up by the pass stayed too long im glad youre here doc hes hurt pretty bad no screamed spotts so blackened and burned as to be un recognizable and writhing in pain it aint me doc its panama damn it go back boys and get panama I 1 tell you go back denison has gone to get him doc do c explained laramie keep kee P quiet jake you only make your leg eg worse norse its his leg doc carpy motioned bring him into the cabin the unfortunate barber eased rith many any groans off the pony ww wag la laid d en cn the dinner table asking for water and half deliriously calling for panama carpy e examined spotts he found to his relief that the man was not seriously burned its his left leg explained carpy a little later to the group bolce boke b olce down near the ankle keeping up a rapid fire of talk talka carpy opened his bag set out his I 1 needed appliances and hs bottle afi of chlo rofo m gradually subdued the j man got him with janes help un 1 der the anesthetic and working in his shirt sleeves and in the th e intense in t ense heat at a breathtaking breath taking speed finished the operation sa sat t down drew arev a cigar from his waistcoat pocket and lighted it jane he said 1 I suppose this is your first surgical casel case yes doctor make a good nurse girl doctor what do you sup suppose he meant calling so for panama carpy explained today he be continued panama was his partner on the line the men work in pairs generally 1 I hope they find him all right 1 I hope observed C carpy a r P Y thoughtfully hell be all right when they do find him there come some of the boys denison is with them carpy said suddenly pointing to the edge of the woods halting they have something slung across the back of a pony ill walk over CHAPTER VEL dr carpy walked hurriedly to the edge of the woods where the mer men gathered closely around him best thing to do is to take off that old bunkhouse door bill said carpy when lie he saw whom they were carrying we can lay him on that and carry him over here to the shed they had brought panama out of the burned timber where denison and bull page had found him they had taken in a pony bareback to where he lay slung the big fellow across it and thus carried him through the woods P panama amiama ariama was lifted from the pony and wd laid on the door A colored neckerchief was laid over his face and with stumbling steps he be was carried back of the bunkhouse two sawhorses saw horses borses had been set to support the door and on it panama lay at rest his companions made ready to start back for the fire lines I 1 now boys watch out said denison gravely we cant afford any more mistakes like thia toils if jake and panama had listened to me they have got cut off bull he added speaking to page get up a pair of ponies if you can find lem cm and hitch lem em to the light wagon carpy wants panama taken aken right in town the injured barber was coming to 0 he had been carried to the bunkhouse and was propped up on a bench outside the doorway he looked at carpy wistfully wistfully full y tell me doc he begged have they found aund panama yet they have jake and he was hurt I 1 did what little I 1 could do for him here but ive not got needed here for treatment panamas pajamas Pa got to go to town hitching up the wagon 11 spotts started up on fire then ive got to see him before he goes dont let em cm start till I 1 see him doc where mere is he carpy tried in vain to quiet his patient he might as well have tried to stop a forest fire by talking to it keep your leg quiet jake you have any excitement cit ement tonight ive done my best for you now damn it dry up I 1 tell you you cant see him A dreadful light dawned on the barber his gaunt jaw dropped his hollow eyes flamed doc he cried out panamas pajamas Pa dead the word rang in carlys ears for many a day jake he said brusquely ive tried to soften soft e n things for you seem to be no use they pulled him out of the woods after the fire passed a grove back of gunlock knob ith ats where we got caught right there cried the barber we got back to the ponies an had to cut across a piece of burned timber to get out A dead limb from one of the trees fell on me I 1 went down with the pony when I 1 kicked loose the pony bolted an when I 1 tried to get up my leg was broke there we was doc panamas pajamas Pa pony carry double the fire was creedin cre epin up on two sides of us it was terrible doc all a man can say just terrible we hardly hear us talk panama picked me up to set me on his pony no I 1 yells it wont do panama an you know it im done panama save yourself you aint afat got a minute to lose get back on your horse and run for it shut up jake panama yells get up on that pony I 1 tried to fight it out with him but I 1 was crazy with pain n handle myself neither he lifted me on his pony stuck the lines in in my Y hands beat it he yelled what 11 ll you do I 1 says L I 1 ive got good legs ill run he says A melancholy procession too took k the desert road that night for sleepy cat in the wagon lay panama beside him lay his injured friend sp spotts ats jake would have it no other way to be continued |