team, right away, so they could start? If they went
at all they ought to catch the evening train. The Little Doctor was
making her decisions and her plans while she talked, as is the way with
those strong natures who can act promptly and surely in the face of an
emergency.

By the time she had thought of having a team come right away, she had
decided that she would not wait for her medicine-case or for money. She
could get all the money she needed in Dry Lake; and she had her little
emergency case with her. Since she was going to take the woman to a
hospital, she said, there was no great need of more than she had with
her. She was a thoughtful Little Doctor. At the last minute she detained
Andy long enough to urge him to see that Miss Allen helped herself
to clothes or anything she needed; and to send a goodbye message to
Chip--in case he did not show up before she left--and a kiss to her
manchild.

Andy was lucky. He met a man driving a good team and spring wagon, with
a barrel of water in the back. He promptly dismounted and helped the man
unload the water-barrel where it was, and sent him bumping swiftly over
the burned sod to where the Little Doctor waited. So Fate was kinder to
the Little Doctor than were those who would wring anew the mother heart
of her that their own petty schemes might succeed. She went away with
the sick woman laughing crazily because all the little black shacks
were burned and now everything was black so everything matched
nicely--nicely, thank you. She was terribly worried over the woman's
condition, and she gave herself wholly to her professional zeal and
never dreamed that her manchild was at that moment riding deeper and
deeper into the Badlands with a tricky devil of a man, looking for a
baby bear cub for a pet.

Neither did Chip dream it, nor any of the Happy Family, nor even Miss
Rosemary Allen, until they rode down into Flying U Coulee at supper-time
and were met squarely by the fact that the Kid was not there. The Old
Man threw the bomb that exploded tragedy in the midst of the little
group. He heard that "Dell" had gone to take a sick woman to the
hospital in Great Falls, and would not be back for a day or so,
probably.

"What'd she do with the Kid?" he demanded. "Take him with her?"

Chip stared blankly at him, and turned his eyes finally to Andy's face.
Andy had not mentioned the Kid to him.

"He wasn't with her," Andy replied to the look. "She sent him a kiss and
word tha