“Well,” said Slim dryly, “all I can say is that you and Professor Fossil was lucky to get off on the right side. It was shorter that way. Shucks, you could be a-fallin’ yet.”
But the professor was not dead. He sat up, took a few wheezing breaths, but was unable to talk. An examination showed that their two horses were still intact, but the right front wheel of the wagon was gone and the body badly ditched on that side. They took the team, hitched it to the buckboard, piled everybody aboard, and headed for Tonto City, with Frijole and Slim taking care of the speechless professor.
“Don’t talk with yore hands,” said Slim, “’cause we can’t read no hand-talk in the dark.”
“Das is the lousiest deal Ay ever had,” declared Oscar sadly.
“What was that?” asked Henry.
“Losin’ de yug,” replied Oscar.
They finally arrived at Tonto City and routed Doctor Bogart out of bed. Professor Fossil was able, with some help, to walk into the doctor’s office. He had only spoken a few words on the way home, but he was able to tell the doctor that he was all right. He had a cut scalp, numerous bruises, and the doctor decided that he was suffering from shock. Pelly shrugged off any medical attention, although he had an egg-sized lump on the side of his head. Henry had numerous cuts and bruises, most of them from the sharp limbs of that manzanita, and also declined any assistance from the doctor. Slim had brought Judge down there to hear what happened. The doctor put the professor to bed and came back to the office.
“The professor required a sedative,” said the doctor. “He has suffered considerable shock, and is very nervous.”
“You can’t blame him,” said Pelly. “After all his work in this valley, all his samples and trophies have gone into Lobo Canyon.”