Part 10 (1/2)

”A quarter mile north of back door We're pinned down Were's Cleve?”

”Cleve's not co back What do you ht down the drae're in Dad's got 'eh for the ot 'em'?” deood shape, Art Got ain the ribs We had a dust up Cathleen's dead”

”The hell you say!”

”That's right Margie and Maw Carter have got her baby But that's one reason e're pinned down - the Boss and the kid, I bird's call sounded far away ”There's Dad,” Ted announced ”We got to get back”

”Can we?”

”Sure Just keep behind et too far ahead”

Art followed Ted in, by a circuitous and, at one point, almost perpendicular route He found the Company huddled under a shelf of rock which had been undercut by a streaan was on his back, with Dad Carter and Dr McCracken squatting beside hian nodded, his face gray with pain His shi+rt had been cut away; bandaging rapped around his ribs, covering a thick pad ”You did well, Art Too bad about Cleve Ted, we're getting out of here and you're going first, because you're taking the kid”

”The baby? How - ”

”Doc'll dope it so that it won't let out a peep Then you strap it to your back, papoose fashi+on”

Ted thought about it ”No, to my front There's some knee-and-shoulder work on the best way out”

”Okay It's your job”

”How do you get out, boss?”

”Don't be silly”

”Look here, boss, if you think we're going to walk off and leave you, you've got another - ”

”Shut up and scrahed and wiped his mouth

”Yes, sir” Ted and Art backed away

”Now, Ed - ” said Carter

”You shut up, too You still sure you don't want to be Captain?”

”You know better than that, Ed They took things from me while I was your deppity, but they wouldn't have me for Captain”

”That puts it up to you, Doc”

McCracken looked troubled ”They don't know me that well, Captain”

”They'll take you People have an instinct for such things”