St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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TIIIL' l'ESNIJIlNT UI HUIJD-IZIYI 31 though some women reluctantly withdrew inclined to dis- pute Mrs. O'Flaherty's supremacy. Stand out of the way, she said to the men, Wan' give yer help whin it 's axed. An' you doctor, dear, give a hand to lift the bye out, if they haven't kilt him intirelyfl The boy had tainted from loss of blood and the hardships of the drive. He was of slender build but well-formed and hardy. and apparently about sixteen. He opened his eyes drearnily for a moment as he rested in her arms, then his head sank back upon her breast, his lips quivering with pain. Seb caught only a glance of a white face as he hurried into the hut from which he and everybody else save the doc- tor were rigorously excluded. VVhile the wound was being examined and dressed, they withdrew to some distance. to listen to the stage-driver's story. Black Jack single-handed had held them up. Terror of the man had paralyzed the bravest among them. With their hands in the air they were submitting to have their pockets 1-ifled when from a nearby thicket a boy emerged into the road. He was armed with a shot-gun and had been hunting. Had it been a man Black Jack would have been mo1'e cautious. Covering' the boy with his pistol yet keeping each of the others within his gaze. he ordered the boy rough- ly to throw away his gun. The boy obeyed and east its powder horn after it. Some motion of one of our party dis- tracted the robber attention for a moment, when quick as thought the boy drew a revolver from his breast and tired. Jack'S eye caught the motion too late. His bullet in reply was fired by a dying hand. Back fell Jack shot through the heartg the boy badly wounded in the thigh. VVho was the boy? The drived dropped his voice. t'They say he is the g'?U11lJl6I'lS song but the father was not worthy of that child. Seb placed his hand upon the driver shoulder, or he would have fallen. The words that he had heard were like a thunderbolt from a elear sky. But he quickly recovered

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30 TIIE IGNA TIA N at something wrapped in blankets on the roof behind him. lt. was about the length and breadth of a man. Probably some passenger killed in the fray. HGone'! queried Seb, as the stage drew abreast and he nodded to the bundle. 'Stione for good this time, answered the man, so at. first I feared that the news had spread and that you might be a pal. Black Jack took the Kid too easily and here all that 't life of him. But the Kid himself is hurt and I must hasten to Gold-Bug. Nothing has been lost. You can go faster than l, so have a doctor ready. Drive him to my hut, said Seb. I'll have him tended to, and wheeling his horse, he was off with the wind. Black Jack dead Fire amid the Redwoods could only fly as fast as the news in Gold.-Bug. Killed by a Kid! lt was as if a child had toppled over a giant of the forest. Wl'1tDS9 kid '? How? NVhere? There was a Babel of voices. but the doctor had to be found and the hut made ready. A horse and rider passed out from among them and none dared stop them. The gambling house was reached in a few minutes. The doctor listened, stacked his cards and has- tened for his instruments. Mrs. O'Flaherty was giving a full account of the affray to a neighbor. imagination supplying all necessary details. llut she broke off just at the most interesting part when Seb curbed his horse and shouted. You're wanted at the hut, Mrs. 0lFl?ll1C1'Tj',U and immedi- att-ly galloped off. l 'll get me shawl an' be over, shouted Mrs. tV1+'lahe1-ty. Seb caught the words Ellltl waved his hand that he understood. t'I'll need a guard as well as a nurse, he said to himself, and that woman's a legionf, He knew of what he spoke. The stage was just at the door, as Mrs. O'Flaherty ar- rived, and a crowd of the curious had gathered. llut a hand opportunely administered to the young and a word to their elders, aided by the doetor's warning that the boy would tml 'tuiet and rest. caused the bystanders to melt away, l WY,

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32 THE IGNATIAN himself, though he eould not eontrol his voice. Drawing 3 ha.ndl'ul of eoin from his pocket he said quickly: Let tlld lloys whoop up that kid, hut let not a word he ever whis- pered eonneeting him with the eur whose lrody rots in y011- der grave. lle was no child of him. And turning abrupt- lv he left them lleart and hrain were in a turmoil. Yes, he must force himself to think, and think quickly. The mother ofthe hoy must he eommunieated with. Whatever happened, her place was at the hedside olf her ehild. Perhaps, after all, there might he a mistake, and the wounded youth might not he the ehild he had eherished in his dreams. The doctor and Mrs. U'l4'lal1erty, or rather. Mrs. O'Flaherty and the doctor ap- peared at the door. The angel is restin' aisilyf' she said. All young people were angels to the good matron when they were siek and needed her ministrationsg when they were well, Shure the divil was i11 thimf' Could he he re- moved ventured Seh. Shure he Could. said the proph- etess ol' medicine, tartily. Ye has wan grave here al- ready, and 'twould be as aisy ter have two. Seh thought that her eyes said, there, and as if she took his own meas- ure in the hargain. VVl1en the lioness is aroused it is well to he prudent. Sell had surely set a legion around the wounded luoy, He asked whether he might have a glance at the pa- tient. Mrs. tl'l+'laherty eonsented. He tiptoed into the dark- ened room. All douht vanished. The hoy was his. Ile longed to take him in his arms. Mrs. O 'Flaherty was the visilmle lmarrierg there were others invisihle hut none the less formidable and real. 'llhe mother was sent for. Seh was not present when she eame, lle took up his quarters elsewhere, appearing only in the early morning and evening to do the necessary ehores around the house. though he sometimes stole in hy night to gaze upon the sleeper when he knew that Mrs. O'Flaherty was watehing. He saw the lines of health returning to the lloy's faee. Mrs. Harwood had frequently asked fm- him,