l entered, followed by Jerry Blacklock, who had
taken the chauffeur's place behind the pilot wheel for the roundabout
drive from Castle 'Cadia. In professional silence, and with no more than
a nod to the watcher at the bedside, the first gentleman of Arcadia laid
off his coat, opened a kit of surgeon's tools, and proceeded to save
Bromley's life, for the time being, at least, by skilfully lifting the
broken bone which was slowly pressing him to death.

"Thah, suh," he said, the melodious voice filling the tin-roofed shack
until every resonant thing within the mud-brick walls seemed to vibrate
in harmonious sympathy, "thah, suh; what mo' there is to do needn't be
done to-night. To-morrow morning, Mistuh Ballard, you'll make a right
comfo'table litter and have him carried up to Castle 'Cadia, and among
us all we'll try to ansuh for him. Not a word, my deah suh; it's only
what that deah boy would do for the most wo'thless one of us. I tell
you, Mistuh Ballard, we've learned to think right much of Loudon; yes,
suh--right much."

Ballard was thankful, and he said so. Then he spoke of the Aspen-aimed
telegram.

"Countehmand it, suh; countehmand it," was the colonel's direction.
"We'll pull him through without calling in the neighbuhs. Living heah,
in such--ah--close proximity to youh man-mangling institutions, I've had
experience enough durin' the past year or so to give me standing as a
regular practitioneh; I have, for a fact, suh." And his mellow laugh was
like the booming of bees among the clover heads.

"I don't doubt it in the least," acknowledged Ballard; and then he
thanked young Blacklock for coming.

"It was up to me, wasn't it, Colonel Craigmiles?" said the collegian.
"Otto--Otto's the house-shover, you know--flunked his job; said he
wouldn't be responsible for anybody's life if he had to drive that road
at speed in the night. We drove it all right, though, didn't we,
Colonel? And we'll drive it back."

The King of Arcadia put a hand on Ballard's shoulder and pointed an
appreciative finger at Blacklock.

"That young cub, suh, hasn't any mo' horse sense than one of youh Dago
mortah-mixers; but the way he drives a motor-car is simply scandalous!
Why, suh, if my hair hadn't been white when we started, it would have
tu'ned on me long befo' we made the loop around Dump Mountain."

Ballard went to the door with the two Good Samaritans, saw the colonel
safely settled in the runabout, and let his gaze follow the w