got to tell somebody. I've got
to. . . . And nobody listens--"

"Tell me the rest," said Kenny wanly. "I've been wonderin'."

"You see, Mr. O'Neill," he gulped, his eyes dark with grief and horror,
"the mule went back upon his haunches and drove the cart against a
boulder. It came out and crashed over the ledge and through the roof
of the dynamite shack--"

"God!" In that vivid moment of his picturing, Kenny wondered why he
should think of bouillon cups crashing loudly on a roof.

"And the other men were only scratched. A while ago--when Brian sent
for me--he thought of it through all his pain--"

"He would," said Kenny.

"I--I wanted to kill myself."

"Oh, nonsense," said Kenny kindly.

Don flung his arm across his eyes and sobbed aloud.

"Oh," he choked, "if someone would only swear at me!"

"I--I'd like to," said Kenny wryly, "for your sake and for my own, but
I'm all--in."

He stared dully at the fire until the stair creaked and Frank came in
with Doctor Cole.

"There isn't yet," Frank told him, "a single pressure symptom that I
consider alarming and Doctor Cole has done wonders with his leg. But
any emotional excitement is a danger. Three minutes, old man." He
followed Kenny up the stairway, watch in hand.

The raftered room was dim and quiet. Kenny sickened at the faint odor
of antiseptics and softly closed the door.

Brian opened his eyes.

"Kenny, old dear," he said softly, "all these doctors are boobs. Frank
in particular is an awful ass. I told him so. He's loaded with fool
questions. One look at the Irish face of you is worth them all."

Kenny, staring at the pallid face upon the pillow, blinked and smiled.

"Frank told me you drove up here through the sleet," marveled Brian,
clinging to his hand. "A god-forsaken spot! I'm sorry--"

"Three minutes!" warned Frank Barrington at the door. He knew Kenny
much too well to trust him further.

And Kenny made a wry face and departed--with torture in his throat.
His voice had failed him utterly.

A sleety dawn was graying at the windows.

"Bed!" commanded Barrington briefly.

"Doctor Cole has found another shack. He's waiting for you."

"And you?"

"I'll sleep to-morrow."

CHAPTER XXXIII

IN THE SPAN OF A DAY

Kenny slept heavily until three that afternoon. Don wakened him.

"My sister is here," he said.

"Joan!"

Don stared a little at his quick, astonished warmth.

"She wired Doctor Cole," he said, "a