"Bring oil!" Bet shouted, but the women seemed dazed and did not understand. Bet looked about her desperately. "Run to the hotel, Enid, and get oil, lots of it. Will that doctor never come!"
Kit at that moment came running back with the word that the doctor was away and would not be back until noon.
The child's mother stood helplessly by, wringing her hands in despair.
She watched as Enid returned and poured the oil upon the burns.
"I wonder what they would have done if we had not been here," whispered Shirley as the screams quieted down in the settlement. "They don't act as if they knew anything about such things."
Bet held the little fellow in her arms until his cries ceased, then getting clean sheets and pillows from the hotel they fixed up a bed for him.
Later on, when the doctor arrived and examined the boy, he declared he could not have given any better treatment than the girls had done.
"I'm so glad we were right here on the spot," said Bet. "We were trying to get acquainted with the children when it happened."
After the accident, it was an easy matter. The children followed them about the settlement and the women offered them all that their small stores contained. They insisted that the girls must eat tamales, enchilades, tortillas and all the other Mexican dishes that they cooked, with corn meal and peppers.
And when the train left late that night, the whole settlement turned out to bid them good-bye.
"What a miserable time we would have had," exclaimed Joy as she waved her hand back toward the station, "if it hadn't been for those Mexicans."