Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

“MAN COMING our» tripped off his clothes, then examined the ness ag he rentiead. « v.., ; it The bone had snapped halfway be- how yoy cain ra You're good mtdécea— tween hip and knee. Already the great Bateese doctor, Whitey,” said tractor muscles of Bateese’s thigh were tens- “Hone gp » ing, bowing the bone out. mind was on thar re spoke gruffly. His As Whitey probed and felt, the big man one ’I happen oe , . ?e some moaned feebly. He was coming to. they do, well, you'd be ior an 4. “Easy, old man, easy,” Whitey whis- fort. Me, ] got other things to de best des &89 ‘““W'at happened?” Bateese’s voice was _—Bateese contrived Dene but it was low and tortured. pretty shaky merriment. Then for a mo- ‘Why, now ”"—Whitey tried to throw ment both were silent. confidence into his words—‘ you kind 0’ 8B j : —_ banged yourself about old-timer. Don’t their common ae - parm 7 i ’ ; ght. Whitey,” he you worry none, Bateese. I'll lash this leg whispered at last, “ we got to go out.” o’ yours to a length of wood and she'll set © Whitey Wilkins faced bim miserably. ‘I right as rain.” —TI know it. No use tryin’ to fool you, But Bateese’s eyes, searching his face, Bateese. That there splint o' mine ain’t knew that he was bluffing. And Bateese’s worth a damn. But how 1 we make it? memory was going over half-forgotten I might go through alone and bring help, stories of men with broken bones—men far but it ’d be eight days before I got back, from the doctor’s care. And Bafeese knew and you'd freeze, let alone starve. There’s that the situation was serious. no help near at hand, and—” He stopped, But he was all man, this big Canuck. then, springing across the cabin, swung wide He would not show the white feather— the door. though through his mind, too, the words From the river came the welcome sound ran: of a dog’s bark. A big man with a team ‘No dogs! No dogs!” of six was mushing toward the cabin. Whitey grabbed the hand ax, cut down = He stopped at the sight of Whitey at the a stiff birch sapling, split it. Then he door. “ Might as well eat here,” he called. stripped the bark off a young maple and, ‘ Good day to ye.” Then unhamnessed and grubbing under the snow, found moss. fed his dogs a scanty ration of fish. With these rude materials he contrived a § Whitey Wilkins watched him. He saw splint, molding the bark about Bateese’s a tall, fleshy man, with small, close-set eyes. thigh, forcing the bone back into line, pad- Whitey thought then, and, noting that the ding here and there with moss, finally lash- man was traveling downstream, away from ing the split sapling, part inside, part out- the trading post, not toward it, he won- side of the leg, from hip to toes. dered. Wondered what price this stranger “ Now,” he stood back, speaking with a would ask before he turned round and made cheerfulness that was but on the surface, the trip out for them. “ now you lie still, you old cripple, and we'll But he dismissed the vagrant thought as have that leg right, don’t you forget it.” unworthy. This was the north country and But Bateese could feel the blood pound- Bateese was in trouble. Even the worst ing in his injured leg, knew that if the of men would play the game. And he had lashings of the splint remained tight the nothing against this stranger but those clase- limb would swell. Knew, too, what would — set eyes. happen if they were loosened, when the The man came up toward the cabin. great thigh muscles, shortening through long ‘“‘ First folks I’ve run across. Thought weeks of inactivity, would drag the bone the country was cleaned out,” he sald. back out of line, crippling him. He had ‘“ Name’s Gregson and I'm bound south.” seen what a broken thigh bone could dotoa “‘ You're sure our luck, comin’ just now.” man, had Bateese. _ Whitey shook hands, then dropped his Yet his voice still held a thread of firm- voice. “ Partner’s hurt bad, inside there— COnniEaoo () SS Co