pen section of the country. At last he came to the
very primitive road along which he had not ridden far, when he beheld
approaching the horse and buggy he had requested Susanna to get.

Susanna was the driver, and was amazed at what she saw--her Sunday
School teacher lying like one dead on the preacher's arm.

Time was too precious for many words of explanation, and it was the
work of only a minute or two to place Viola in the buggy, and for
Jasper to get in beside her. Susanna rode Bob.

Jasper Very's plan was to take the wounded maiden to Mart Spink's
house, and then to hurry for medical help, if she were living.

Driving as rapidly as was consistent with the seriousness of the case,
they at last reached the home of Susanna. The daughter rushed into the
house and told her mother the tragic story in brief. The woman was
greatly shocked, and at once went to the buggy and told Jasper Very
that Viola could be put into a bedroom adjoining the one in which her
husband lay. Mart Spink was much better now. Such is the way of chills
and fever.

Jasper, seeing faint signs of life in Viola, left her to the tender
ministries of Mrs. Spink and Susanna, while he rode with all haste for
a doctor who lived several miles away.

The women undressed the patient, and put her into the bed. They bathed
her wound, and bandaged it as best they could. Fortunately it had not
bled excessively.

In due time the physician, who was also a surgeon, came. He probed for
the ball, and succeeded in extracting it. He gave those restoratives
and remedies which the state of medicine in those days and in that
region warranted. He ordered that the patient be kept perfectly quiet,
and that no persons but her mother (who became her nurse) and Mrs.
Spink should enter the room.

For days and weeks the life of the lovely girl hung in an even balance.
Great was the interest which this calamity aroused in the whole country
around. The news of the shooting spread with great rapidity. By night
all the searchers had heard of it, and as the kidnaped maiden was found
and restored to friends, their work in that particular was done, and
most of them returned to their homes.

As the golden autumn days came Viola gained a little strength and was
able to be moved to "Mount Pisgah." Here Jasper and her intimate
friends were permitted to see her for short periods. Her face was as
white as the pillow upon which she lay. Her blue eyes had lost their
bright, but not