"Shade o' Gallopin' Dick!" scowled Welcome. "That feller acts like he owned the place. What in tarnation ails him?"
Matt did not take time to answer. Stepping to the open door, he looked in.
Bascomb, just over the threshold, was confronted by the doctor and Susie.
"What's the meaning of this?" asked the doctor, in a low tone.
"I want to see the girl," panted Bascomb. "This is no time to say no to me."
"Who are you?"
"That's nothing to you. I've got as good a right here as anybody."
Bascomb hurried on to the couch. Rags, her tangled hair lying all about her on the pillow, was lying quietly, with closed eyes. Bascomb stumbled to his knees beside the couch.
"Ollie!" he murmured. "Ollie?"
Matt saw the eyes open and stare upward into the face bowed over the couch. Then, as he, and the doctor, and Susie breathlessly watched and listened, the little girl's arms went up and twined about the man's neck.