Adventure, November 1915 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

86 “You know a bit about broken bones?” “T haf seen many,” the guide answered. “Up here in ze mountains we haf no doctaire and et es necessary zat all of us know some- t’ings about broken bones.” “That’s what I was thinking. Now, Pierre, suppose we go over to the Rancour cabin. You know the way, and I do not. We'll help out this chap that’s gone and got himself smashed, and after that you can go right ahead as you were before—ignoring him. If it is revenge you're after, you couldn’t have a better one—making him realize that he owes his life to you.” Pierre pondered for a moment, his head still upon his hands, and Sylvester Small waited hopefully. Finally the guide stood up and walked to the table for more brandy. “No!” he answered. Small followed him to the table and took a neat drink of the brandy himself. That was something unusual for Small. Then he picked up his heavy coat and put it on. “You freeze,” said Pierre, glancing at him. “You not know ze way.” “T was over there once,” said Small. “Tn ze daytime, by following ze shore of ze 3 re J >," ah we 4 > Sid it ; + eek ind Rte Cae Re ‘S fe; ¥ 5, i] 7 ‘\ ore Nagy, A 6 4 ’ h te r y Mi ; be *yF ( % ‘ . the a* 5 “ Ay ' ‘ SN Ay Bey “ PUAN f nek th ty ra { ist mary ‘ 7 ree oe ie _ , uy as bia fea Vitae " F; 4. . eat Wag lata. ; gat . i } : } ; i¥ : ra eth : . AGF) “og ae AAS oN iy EG a , : : t4n.2 , OWS ats bod - re a: Wee Pea ey aa lake—yes. But not in ze dark night an’ a a blizzard. You get lost and freeze. I not B let you go.” ge “Be a man, then, and go with me—show z me the way. Take me there and then come eS. back, if you’re not man enough to stay. ae You're a guide, aren’t your Then guide 3 me to Rancour’s cabin—Tll pay you ex- es. tra!” Z “Anyt’ing but zat. To ze town ef you are a fool enough to try et, but not to ze Rancour z cabin.” Small wrapped a heavy muffler around his head and face, and went across the room for his gloves and medicine-case. “An’ I not let you go alone,” added Pierre, walking toward the door. “I am responsible—me. Et would be suicide. Be sensible, Mistaire Small!’ medicine-case and inspected its contents. The storm carried to their ears a cry—the second to come that night from the depths ~ of the blizzard. Small looked up;’Pierre whirled toward the door. Some oné beat upon it and the guide threw it open. Pearson and Holland staggered in through the swirling sleet and snow. Between them they carried Mary Rancour. “She fell—hurt her ankle—can’t walk,” Without answering, Small opened his ~ Adventure Pearson gasped. “We hadn’t gone two hundred yards.” The girl was groaning. They took off her cloak and muffler and mittens and put her in one of the bunks. “My father! My father!’ she was sob- bing. “Great Scott! What can we do?” Pear- son asked. “I never saw suchastorm. A human being can’t live through it. I don’t know how the girl ever got over here in the first place!” Sylvester Small suddenly assumed the center of the stage. “‘We'll care for her first,” he said. “Get some hot water, Pierre. Holland, get that roll of bandage cloth!” Pearson was throwing off his coat. Hol- land hurried across the room to get the cloth and Pierre went for the hot water. They accepted Small’s generalship for the time being without question, perhaps because there was now a new quality in his voice and determination in the lines of his face. He talked and acted like a man who knows what he is doing. Without removing his heavy coat or — muffler, Small took off the girl’s heavy shoe and cut away her thick stocking. He ex- amined the ankle, bathed it, bandaged it, dropped a pill in a glass of water to dissolve it, and made her drink the mixture. “She'll be asleep in a moment,” he whispered to the three men. “That ankleisn’t bad, but she’s exhausted.” “Tt’s tough on her father,” said Pearson. “But we can’t get to him now, without the girl to guide us.” Small went back to the table and closed his medicine-case and drew on his gloves. They gave him scant attention, for they were watching the girl. Her moaning had ceased, and she was falling asleep. They turned only when Small spoke. “Tf you did get there, you couldn’t do anything,” he said. ‘Pearson, you and Holland are strong men, but strong men can not mend broken bones unless they know how. I know how. Pierre, get on your things!” | you can not go,” said the guide, an’ I will not!” Small’s eyes glittered as he looked at the three of them standing foolishly in a row before him. Suddenly ‘his hand went into a pocket, and when it came out he held his revolver in it. (EC) 006) S