y, he gave an
exclamation of horror!

Back of him, across the river bed, back of the round-topped hill, from
exactly the spot where Casa Grande stood, he saw the tops of flames
shooting up against the sky line! Something was being burned. Something
sizable, or its flames would not rise so high. It must be either Casa
Grande, its barn, or both. Li's heart stood still. He stopped Cochise in
sympathy with that important organ. What to do? At Casa Grande was a
friend to whom he was attached. Things of a most unpleasant nature might
be happening to him--could he ride away and leave him?

On the other hand, what could he do--a lone Chinese, unarmed except for a
formidable surgical apparatus? After all, they had two horses and perhaps
they had seen the brigands coming and had escaped. Still, if he went back
they would have three horses. The women could ride and the men could ride
and tie. Li groaned in spirit. He hated walking more than he hated
riding.

Obviously his duty was to go back and offer his help such as it was. If
they were fighting, it would not be worth much, unless he could persuade a
Mexican or two to stand still while he stabbed them with a lancet. With a
sigh, Li turned Cochise in the direction of Casa Grande and applied an
encouraging dig of the heel.

Cochise, however, saw things differently. He had started for Athens.
Athens was home and a good place at that. He saw no reason for going back
just to please an ignoramus who didn't know how to ride and who would
probably change his mind again before they had gone a mile. Consequently,
when Li kicked, Cochise threw his head in the air and made crab-like
motions with his legs. Li pulled and Cochise reared. Li, mindful of past
instructions, loosed the reins and Cochise whirled. Li leaned over and
patted the horse's neck and Cochise bucked.

It was a nice exhibition of obstinacy on the part of both man and beast,
and no one there but the moon to witness it. The buck, however, did the
business. A bump and a rattle reminded Li Yow of his precious medical
chest--absolutely unreplaceable--and with a frightened:

"Whoa, thou son of evil, thou animal of ill omen!" he gave in; and
Cochise, secure in his victory, settled down to a trot again. "Ah, well, a
sensible man spends no time in weeping over the inevitable," meditated Li.
"What is to be, will be. The young man with the injured leg is the gainer
by thy obstinacy, oh, vile beast!"

At daybreak a tired man and