[Illustration: "_He lay the kid lookin' up and put his finger into her mouth_"]
I looked at Simpson. He'd been settin' on the ground; but now he gits up, pullin' at the rope gentle, like a lazy sucker. Say! but his face was ornamented!
I give him a nod. "Wal, Young-Man-That-Flies-Like-A-Bird?" I says, inquirin'.
He began to paw up the road like a mad bull. "I'll make you pay fer this!" he bellered.
"You cain't git blood outen a turnip," I answers, sweet as sugar; and Maud backed a step 'r two, so's the rope wouldn't slack.
"How _dast_ you do such a' in_fame_ous thing!" he goes on.
"You gasoline gents got t' have a lesson," I answers; "you let the stuff go t' you' haids. Why, a _hired man_ ain't got a chanst fer his life when you happen t' be travellin'."
He begun t' wiggle his arms. "You lemme go," he says.
I looked over at her. She was quiet now, but sweatin' oil somethin' awful. "How long'll it take you t' git her on to her laigs?" I ast.
"She's ruined!" he says, like he was goin' to bawl. "And I meant t' go down to Goldstone t'night."
"That duck-wing lady'll have t' wait fer the train," I says. "But never mind. I'll tell Rose Andrews you got the _en_gagement." Then Maud slacked the rope and I rode up t' him, so's to let him loose. "So long," I says.
"I ain't done with you!" he answers, gittin' purple; "I ain't done with you!"
"Wal, you know where I live," I says, and loped off, hummin' the tune the ole cow died on.
When I rid up to the Bar Y ranch-house, here was Billy, gittin' offen that little bi_cy_cle of hisn.
"Cupid," he says, and he was whiter'n chalk-rock, "is the baby worse? And Rose----"
I pulled him up on to the porch. "Now's you' chanst, Billy," I answers. "_Do you' darnedest!_"
Rose opened the door, and her face was as white as hisn. "Aw, Billy!" was all she says.
Then up come that ole fool paw of hern, totin' the kid. "What's this?" he ast, mad as a hornet. "And where's Doc Simpson?"
It was me that spoke. "Doc Simpson's had a turrible accident," I answers. "His gasoline plug got to misbehavin' down the road a piece, and plumb tore her insides out. He got awful shook up, and couldn't come no further, so--knowin' the baby was so sick--I went fer Bill."
"Bill!" says the ole man, disgusted. "_Thun-deration!_"