"Look here," turning upon me suddenly, "you are not to go to Carnes for any purpose but to see him. You must not talk to him much, nor let him talk; the doctor should have told you that. He is weak, and easily excited. It's bad enough to have two of my best men crippled and off at once; you must not retard his recovery. Carnes is as unruly as a ten-year old, now."
I laughed; I could see just how this whimsical comrade of mine would chafe under his temporary imprisonment.
"I won't upset the old fellow," I said, and took my leave.
CHAPTER V.
EN ROUTE FOR TRAFTON.
Over the minor events of my story I will not linger, for although they cannot be omitted altogether, they are still so overshadowed by startling and thrilling after events that they may, with propriety, be narrated in brief.
I saw Carnes, and found that the Chief had not exaggerated, and that the doctor had.
Carnes was getting well very fast, but was chafing like a caged bear, if I may use so ancient an illustration.
We compared notes and sympathized with each other, and then we made some plans. Of course we were off duty for the present, and could be our own masters. Carnes had been operating in a western city, and I proposed to him a change. I told him of the conversation I had overheard that morning, and soon had him as much interested in Trafton as was myself. Then I said: