“Four ribs broken,” he pronounced. “It will be a week, at any rate, before we are able to move her. Nothing more serious, so far as I can see, Mr. Quest, but she’ll need rest and all the comfort we can give her.”
“Say, that’s too bad!” Long Jim declared. “If you’ve got to stay around for a time, though, you can have the tents. We boys can double up anywhere, or bunk on the ground. That’s right, ain’t it?” he added, turning around to the cowboys.
There was a little grunt of acquiescence. They carried Lenora to the largest of the tents and made her as comfortable as possible. She opened her eyes on the way.
“I am so sorry,” she faltered. “It’s just my side. It—hurts. How did I get out of the stream?”
“I fished you out,” Quest whispered. “Don’t talk now. We are going to make you comfortable.”
She pressed his hand and closed her eyes again. The Professor returned.
“We’ll make the young lady comfortable all right,” he assured them cheerfully, “but there’s one thing you can make up your minds to. We are here for a week at the least.”
They all looked at one another. The Inspector was the only one who preserved an air of cheerfulness, and he was glancing towards Laura.
“Guess we’ll have to make the best of it,” he murmured.