Part 8 (1/2)
After this halt of fifteen minutes dick pressed forithout more delay until he came upon the settlement, at what time he knew not, but to the best of his belief it was hardly ht in hisany portion of the -place as satisfied him; and since the day his father departed fro a location where he could earn a livelihood with but little labor, dick had round than elsewhere
Now he threw himself down by the side of a storehouse, or shed, where he would be protected froht wind; and there was hardly more than time to compose himself for rest before his eyes were closed in slu ake at an earlier hour nextthan dick Stevens; for the sun had not yet shown himself when the boy arose to his feet, and looked around as if to say that he was in fine condition
”A tramp of forty-five miles ain't to be sneezed at, an' when you throw in fifteen miles of desert an' a sand-storood day's work; yet I'm feelin' fine as a fiddle,” he said in a tone of satisfaction, after which he y for a toilet at the stream near-by
dick had no idea in which direction a physician ht be found; therefore he halted in front of the first store he saait until the proprietor came, half an hour later, to attend to customers
It was such a shop as one would naturally expect to find in a settle the mountains of Nevada
Frohs to fish-hooks, the assortht be supplied from the stock
Cheese hat dick had decided upon for his ether with such an aht would be necessary, he set about eating breakfast at the saained the desired information
”I've coan, speaking indistinctly because of the fulness of his mouth, ”an' want to find a doctor”
”Ain't sick, are yer?” the shopkeeper asked with , an' mother don't knohat to do for him; so I've come up to hire a doctor to tell me, an' buy whatever he says is needed”
”A kid like you coot any Daddy's horses are so nearly played out that they've got to be left to grass two or three weeks, if we count on doin' anything with 'em”
”Did you walk across?” the shopkeeper asked incredulously
”That's what I did;” and dick told of his sufferings during the sand-storive the prospectors the praise they deserved
When he had concluded, the proprietor plunged his hands deep in his pockets, surveyed the boy fro not a word until dick's face reddened under the close scrutiny, when he exclaiered! A kid of your size--say, how old are you, bub?”
”Thirteen”
”Well, a baby of thirteen lightin' out across Smoke Creek Desert, an'
all for the sake of helpin' your dad, eh? Do you reckon you can bite out of Dr Manter's ear all you want to know, an' then go back an' run the business?”
”It seeht to tell me what mother needs to do, an' I can remember every word Then she said there would have to be some medicine to stop the fever; an' that's what I'ives oin' back?”
”I'et away this noon, an' then I'll be in camp by to-morrow mornin'”
”Say, sonny, do you want to stuff me with the yarn that you've travelled forty-five miles in less'n thirty-six hours, an' count on doin' the sain, which is ninety miles in less'n three days?”