“What’s he doin’ here?” asked Skeeter, pointing at Roper Bates.
Haltingly Mrs. Kirk told of what had happened a short time before, while Roper Bates roused up sufficiently to look around dazedly. He looked from Mrs. Kirk to Skeeter Bill and nodded weakly.
“Pals,” he whispered. “Him—and—her.”
“Y’betcha, pardner,” nodded Skeeter, and walked over to the bunk, where he looked down at Kirk.
Bill went back to Freel and examined him. The sheriff was still alive, but unconscious. Kales was still mumbling incoherent things, but was too weak to do more than hold up his head.
“Kirk’s better off here than anywhere else,” stated Skeeter Bill; “but I’ve gotta git the rest of the cripples to a doctor pretty danged quick. Yuh still got the old horse and the wagon, Mrs. Kirk?”
Mrs. Kirk nodded, and Skeeter turned to Mrs. Porter.
“You keep house here while I hitch up.”
“But you can’t go back to town,” declared Mrs. Porter. “They’ll——”
“I betcha they will,” smiled Skeeter; “but it’s a case of three t’ one. ’F I don’t hand these three men over to a doctor they’ll all die.”