ting.

"What is it?" they asked anxiously.

"He's sick. We think it's appendicitis."

"Oh, goodness!" they exclaimed. "What can we give him?"

"Nothing. Where can we get a doctor?"

"The mines is the nearest place, if he's there. That's twenty miles."

"But a man we met said it was fifteen."

"You can't follow that trail. It's been washed out. You'll have to take
the other trail, around by the head of Cooper Creek."

"Can we get a saddle-horse here?"

"There are two in the corral; but I don't know as you can catch 'em.
They're used to being roped."

"We'll rope them."

The major groaned. He couldn't help it.

"It's all right, old boy," soothed Fitz. "We'll have the doctor in a
jiffy."

"Don't bother about me," gasped the major, without opening his eyes. "Go
on through."

"You hush," we all retorted. "We'll do both: have you fixed up and get
through, too."

The major fidgeted and complained weakly.

"One of us had better be catching the horses, hadn't we?" suggested Red
Fox Scout Ward. "Van and I'll go for the doctor."

"No, you won't," said I. "I'll go. Fitz ought to stay. I know trails
pretty well."

"Then either Van or I'll go with you. Two would be better than one."

"I'm going," declared Van Sant. "You stay here with Fitz, Hal."

That was settled. We didn't delay to dispute over the matter. There was
work and duty for all.

"You be learning the trail, then," directed Fitz. "I'll be catching the
horses."

"You'll find a rope on one of the saddles in the shed," called the
daughter.

Fitz made for it; that was quicker than unpacking Sally and getting our
own rope. Scout Ward went along to help. We tried to ease the major.

"You should have something to eat," exclaimed the women.

We said "no"; but they bustled about, hurrying up their own supper,
which was under way when we arrived. While they bustled they fired
questions at us; who we were, and where we had come from, and where we
were going, and all.

The major seemed kind of light-headed. He groaned and wriggled and
mumbled. The message was on his mind, and the Red Fox Scouts, and the
fear that neither would get through in time. He kept trying to pass the
message on to us; so finally I took it.

"All right. I've got it, major," I told him. "We'll carry it on. We can
make Green Valley easy, from here. We'll start as soon as we can.
To-morrow's Sunday, anyway. You go to sleep."

That half-satisfied him.

We found that we couldn'