ll these signs, Bud knew that Cash
had a bad cold.

Bud did not think much about it at first--being of the sturdy type that
makes light of a cold. But when Cash began to cough with that hoarse,
racking sound that tells the tale of laboring lungs, Bud began to feel
guiltily that he ought to do something about it.

He hushed Lovin Child's romping, that night, and would not let him ride
a bronk at bedtime. When he was asleep, Bud laid him down and went over
to the supply cupboard, which he had been obliged to rearrange with
everything except tin cans placed on shelves too high for a two-year-old
to reach even when he stood on his tiptoes and grunted. He hunted for
the small bottle of turpentine, found it and mixed some with melted
bacon grease, and went over to Cash's bunk, hesitating before he crossed
the dead line, but crossing nevertheless.

Cash seemed to be asleep, but his breathing sounded harsh and unnatural,
and his hand, lying uncovered on the blanket, clenched and unclenched
spasmodically. Bud watched him for a minute, holding the cup of grease
and turpentine in his hand.

"Say," he began constrainedly, and waited. Cash muttered something and
moved his hand irritatedly, without opening his eyes. Bud tried again.

"Say, you better swab your chest with this dope. Can't monkey with a
cold, such weather as this."

Cash opened his eyes, gave the log wall a startled look, and swung
his glance to Bud. "Yeah--I'm all right," he croaked, and proved his
statement wrong by coughing violently.

Bud set down the cup on a box, laid hold of Cash by the shoulders and
forced him on his back. With movements roughly gentle he opened Cash's
clothing at the throat, exposed his hairy chest, and poured on grease
until it ran in a tiny rivulets. He reached in and rubbed the grease
vigorously with the palm of his hand, giving particular attention to the
surface over the bronchial tubes. When he was satisfied that Cash's
skin could absorb no more, he turned him unceremoniously on his face
and repeated his ministrations upon Cash's shoulders. Then he rolled
him back, buttoned his shirts for him, and tramped heavily back to the
table.

"I don't mind seeing a man play the mule when he's well," he grumbled,
"but he's got a right to call it a day when he gits down sick. I ain't
going to be bothered burying no corpses, in weather like this. I'll tell
the world I ain't!"

He went searching on all the shelves for something more that he