Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 108: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

98 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. he had done to Ballantine, a like hostility would be in the hearts of all the cattlemen of the section. re eee CHAPTER XX. THE BACKWARD HERO, OR three days Ben Baxter was uncon- scious. Dr. Mills had discovered a slight ‘fracture which had given him some trouble, but at the end of the third day, while Baxter was still unconscious, Dr. Mills had told Cameron that the patient would recover quickly. Baxter, although entirely unaware of his surroundings for these three days, was oc- cupying the City Hotel’s best suite. A trained nurse, brought from the big hospital at Dry Bottom, at Cameron’s suggestion, had been hovering near him; when not tak- ing care of his few other patients Dr. Mills was sitting at Baxter’s bedside, watching him; Cameron spent a great deal of his time in Baxter’s suite, and Miss Fargo her evenings and the early morning. Bum, too, was permitted occasionally to see the pa- tient. Baxter had been delirious, although he hadn’t talked much about what had hap- pened to him. There had been much mum- bling about Bum, and he had mentioned Cameron’s name several times. Once during Miss Fargo’s presence he had joyfully announced that some one had ‘noticed’ him. And when he declared that he couldn’t ‘ shuffle them time slips proper because Miss Fargo’s face is always appearin’ on them,” the young lady blushed furiously and walked to a window, where she stood gazing out until Baxter ceased talking. But Baxter didn’t want his desk changed, “‘ because it’s settin’ just right so’s T can see her plain.” Whereupon, Miss Fargo gave Baxter a swift, embarrassed glance and fled from the room. She appeared again that night, how- ever, still blushing; and the vigilant eyed nurse wondered if she had been blushing throughout the day. On the fourth day Baxter slept much. And on the morning of the fifth day, ‘after Cameron had gone to the office, and while Miss Fargo, ready to follow Cameron, had paused at the door of Baxter’s room be- fore leaving, Baxter suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the room. He gave the nurse a glance, and then his gaze rested upon Miss Fargo, and he blushed. ““Shucks, ma’am,” he said; “ I’ve been a whole lot of bother. I’ve been hearin’ you folks around me, an’ I’ve been a heap eager to tell you that you hadn’t ought to be wastin’ so much time. But I couldn’t seem to do any talkin’, How long have I been here?”’ “This is the fifth day,” Miss Fargo re- plied. Her blush rivaled his. ‘Them time slips will be all mixed up,” said Baxter. “ I’ll never be able to get them straightened out.” ‘The time slips are right up to date,” smiled Miss Fargo. “I took care of them.” ‘You did! Well, I’ve been a heap wor- ried about them. I’m thankin’ you, ma’am. I’ve been thinkin’ that if I let them get all mixed up Cameron would fire me.” “Fire you!” bristled Miss Fargo. ‘Well, I'd like to see him fire you!” And then she looked at Baxter and wondered how it came that a man who had risked his life for his employer’s interests could be so modest and self-effacing as to think that his action had not overbalanced his negligence toward his job. For Cameron and Dell had discovered the. partly burned papers in the rear of the office building and had been able to guess what had happened. Baxter smiled and blushed again. ‘“ Speakin’ of ‘ fire’ sort of reminds me of something,” he said. ‘ Strong an’ that other guy didn’t burn the buildin’, did they?” “Strong?” Miss Fargo — exclaimed. “Was that it? Was it Strong who tried to set fire to the office?” “Strong,” declared Baxter. “ Sure. Seems I couldn’t make no mistake. I seen his face when he lit the match. Bum tore into him. : “That dog is sure a hummer, ma’am. Why, if it hadn’t been for Bum they’d. sure have burned the office. Bum chased them, ma’am; chased them clear up the slope. An’ them shootin’ at him! An’ then CORNICLOOOKS .CO) 5}