“No, not in the least, Doctor Shonto. You’re up against a stacked deck. We’ve got your gun, of course, and, though I suspect that you’re a pretty tough _hombre_ in a hand-to-hand mix-up, you can’t do much with your ankles tied together. So just be reasonable and make the best of it, and you’ll be free the sooner.” “Humph!” Dr. Shonto sat upright, thinking. Morley smiled as he noted the feet constantly twitching and straining under the drab blankets. “I’ll tell you,” said Shonto presently. “Things _are_ in a pretty serious state up in the mountains. A man’s future, if not his life, depends on my getting back to him in time. I’ll compromise with you: I’ll give you my word of honour that, if you’ll let me go and attend to what I have in mind, I’ll come back and perform whatever operation your man wants, charge him nothing, and forget the entire matter.” “Sounds good,” Morley replied. “And I don’t want you to think for a minute that we doubt your word, Doctor. But we’re in a desperate hurry. My wife is in hock, you might say, at Diamond H Ranch. Leach and I are stripped. The season’s late for prospectors, and we’ve got to get on our feet at once. We’re going to Australia on the money we get out of this, and it’s a long trip. Delays are dangerous. No, you’ll have to go with us to-night and get it over with. It won’t take long, I guess. You’ll be on your way again in no time.” “I’ll add as much as you’re to get from your client for this kidnapping,” offered Shonto, “if you’ll postpone it.” “That’s tempting,” admitted Morley, “but this is one of those times when a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. No, it’ll be weeks, maybe, before you’re ready. Leach and I can’t hold out that long. As it is, we’ll be on the briny days before you’d be ready. No, Doc, to-night’s the night.” “I haven’t an instrument with which to perform any sort of operation,” Shonto protested. “You don’t seem to realize that an operation of any sort whatever is a delicate piece of business. I need a nurse, a table, anæsthetics, the equipment that a first-class hospital provides--you don’t know anything at all about it.” Leach spoke up from the fireside: “This old bird is tough, Doc. All you’ll have to do is scrape off the dirt and cut into ’im. Several steers have operated on him already, and bad horses have broken half a dozen bones for him. He can do without the fixings, I guess.” “Well, some things are absolutely necessary,” said Shonto. “You’ll admit that. And I can’t see--” “Just leave all that to us, Doc,” Morley put in. “We’ll take you to him, then you can give us a message to wire to Los Angeles, or wherever your headquarters are located, and I’ll send it in. Have all you’ll need in a couple of days, at most.” Leach approached with two cups of half-cooked coffee. “Better swallow a cup, Doc,” he suggested. “Brace you up for a long night’s ride.”