or he would scarcely have
survived his injuries so long without medical attendance. Can you tell
me just how the accident occurred?"

"Excuse me, doctor--and Miss," Swan diffidently interrupted. "I could
ask you to take a look on my shoulder, if you please. If you are done
setting bones in Mr Hunter. I have a great pain on my shoulder from
carrying so long."

"You never mentioned it!" Lorraine reproached him quickly. "Of course
it must be looked after right away. And then, Doctor, I'd like to talk
to you, if you don't mind." She watched them retreat to the bunk-house
together. Swan's big form towering above the doctor's slighter figure.
Swan was talking earnestly, the mumble of his voice reaching Lorraine
without the enunciation of any particular word to give a clue to what
he was saying. But it struck her that his voice did not sound quite
natural; not so Swedish, not so careful.

Frank came tiptoeing out of the room where Brit lay bandaged and
unconscious and stood close to Lorraine, looking down at her solemnly.

"How'n 'ell did he git here--the doctor?" he demanded, making a great
effort to hold his voice down to a whisper, and forgetting now and
then. "How'd _he_ know Brit rolled off'n the grade? Us here, _we_
never knowed it, and I was tryin' to send him back when you came. He
said somebody telephoned there was a man hurt in a runaway. There
ain't a telephone closer'n the Sawtooth, and that there's a good twenty
mile and more from where Brit was hurt. It's damn funny."

"Yes, it is," Lorraine admitted uncomfortably. "I don't know any more
than you do about it."

"Well, how'n 'ell did it happen? Brit, he oughta know enough to
rough-lock down that hill. An' that team ain't a runaway team. _I_
never had no trouble with 'em--they're good at holdin' a load. They'll
set down an' slide but what they'll hold 'er. What become of the
horses?"

"Why--they're over there yet. We forgot all about the horses, I think.
Caroline was standing up, all right. The other horse may be killed. I
don't know--it was lying down. And Yellowjacket was up that little
gully just this side of the wreck, when I left him. They did try to
hold the load, Frank. Something must have happened to the brake. I
saw dad crawling out from under the wagon just before I got to where
the load was standing. Or some one did. I think it was dad. But
Caroline kicked my horse down off the road, and, I only saw him a
minute--bu