The Sagebrusher: A Story of the WestHough, Emerson
General
The Sagebrusher: A Story of the West
Hough, Emerson
Western stories
"Well, now, my dear Major, I would not like to interfere with your
private graft in the practice of medicine in any way. But I'm engineer
in charge of this work, I fancy."
"Fancy something else while the fancying's good. Go on over to that
little log house, Waldhorn. You'll live there until we send you out."
"Send me out! What do you mean, sir?"
"This camp is under martial law. You're under arrest, if you like to
call it that way."
"You're going to arrest me? Why--what do you mean?"
"Call it what you like. But move, now, and don't waste my time."
"I beg pardon," drawled Waldhorn, smiling with a well-concealed sneer,
"but isn't this a trifle sudden? I'm willing to give up my place to
the ladies, of course, my dear Major, but I must ask some sort of
explanation as to this other procedure. Martial law? What is your
authority?"
"Call it Jehovah and the Continental Congress, my dear chap," said
Doctor Barnes, likewise drawling. "I'll take that up after a while.
I'm in charge here. If you go over there quietly to that other house
it may look like an act of courtesy. If you don't--it might be called
an act of God. Come, hurry--I can't talk here any longer."
Waldhorn saw two troopers coming at a fast walk from across the street,
saw that the eyes of Doctor Barnes watched his hand carefully.
Therefore, as though easily and naturally, he leaned with both his own
hands above his head resting against the jamb of the door.
"I suppose I'll have to charge this up to the fact that I'm of German
descent," said he. "I can't help that. I've lived here thirty years.
I'm as good a citizen as you, but I'll have to submit. Be sure I'm
going to take this up in the courts."
"Old stuff. Take it up where you damn please," said Barnes sharply.
"I'm as good an American as you are, too, even if my parents were _not_
born in Germany. Step outside."
He motioned to his men. "McQueston," he said, "watch him until I come
out."
"You're not going into my private rooms?--I forbid that. I'll never
forget that, you upstart!"
Doctor Barnes smiled. "I'll try to fix it so you won't." He stepped
on in across the gallery.
Waldhorn looked from the face of one to that of the other private
soldier who stood before him, and saw the cold mask not only of
discipline, but of more. Under their charge he marched over to the log
building indicated, and slammed the door behind him. The men stood one
on each side, out of range of the window.
Doctor Barnes was angry and frowning when he went back to the car to
drive it down to the door of the new quarters which had just been
vacated.
"Gee, Doc, you look sore," said Annie Squires casually. "Say, where do
you get the stuff you're pulling in here, anyway?"
"Never mind! You go in there and clean up the rooms and make a place
for Mrs. Gage. You'll find everything for cooking and housekeeping.
Don't touch anything else. I'm taking his Chink over to my place."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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