They were gone the better part of an hour while Jeb and the two boys anxiously awaited his report on the front porch. Finally they came out.
"Well?" Jeb asked.
"Waste of my time coming way out here," the little doctor growled. "That girl of yours is as good as any doctor."
"Huh, from the time you've taken I thought you must be taking him apart to see what makes the wheels go round."
"Had to do something to earn my fee, but he'll be as fit's a fiddle in a couple of weeks. But if that bullet had gone in half an inch lower down 'twould have been another story. By the way, who is he? Reminds me of a young fellow I've seen hanging around the hotel in town."
"Guess likely he's the fellow," Jeb said and told him Royce's story.
"Thought I wasn't mistaken," the doctor said when he had finished. "Well, he's fallen into good hands, all right, if he wants to turn over a new leaf and go straight."
"Oh, I'm sure he does," Sue assured him.
"Well, I hope so, but you never can tell about these fellows you pick up. Well, I must be getting back. Got a lot of work to do. Keep him quiet for a few days and you won't need me again."
"Red Hains got twenty-five or thirty of my cattle last night. That's how he got shot. Tried to capture the whole gang, he did. When you get back to town tell Skeets about it, will you? I don't suppose 'twill do any good, but you tell him just the same," Jeb said as the doctor, after filling the radiator, climbed into the car and started the engine.