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“This is worse than a pigsty,” she declared in choked disgust “We’re taking hiue, her teht now!”

Gru under his breath, Rusty hoisted more of the burden onto his shoulder and headed for the door As they stepped out, tboys rode in Vince Garvey and Woolie peeled out of their saddles and came to take Lorna’s place

“What happened?” Vince demanded

“He’s been shot,” Rusty answered “She wants him in the cabin”

“I’ll get a place fixed for him” Lorna hurried on ahead

Even if there had been time to fetch a doctor, there was none for fifty miles Lorna cleared off the table so Rusty could operate on it and rounded up all the clean bedding she could find There was a brief argument when Rusty tried to insist she had to leave because Shorty’s wounds necessitated undressing him, but he buckled under at her forceful determination to stay She sent the children outside with Woolie and did what she could to help Rusty, holding the lantern forblood so he could see Except for a few nauseous moments when he cauterized the wounds and she s flesh, Lorna handled the bloody ordeal quite well

After his wounds were bound and dressed, Vince and Woolie carried hi bed behind the canvas curtain Not once had Shorty regained consciousness or showed any movement The pallor of his face seemed emphasized by the whiteness of the muslin sheet

“It’s up to the good Lord now,” Rusty declared as he looked from his patient to Lorna

“I think there’s some coffee on the stove,” she said

“I could use it My hands don’t feel too steady right now”

Rusty was lacing his coffee with a shot of whiskey when Benteen walked in Vince and Woolie had already filled him in on the situation

“How is he?” he demanded as he walked to the bed to see for himself

“He’s breathin’,” Rusty answered “But that’s about all I can say He was shot up pretty bad”

“He never said anything at all? Not a word about who did it?”

Rusty shook his head “He never made a sound”