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Back Come Again No More Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

It was near eight o’clock when Ben arrived with Juanita. Eli was still unconscious. Ben drove Ezra back to the ranch. The nurses, run ragged with patients from a flu outbreak, were happy to have someone to look after Eli, because he would need care around the clock. Juanita talked things over with the head nurse and worked out a routine so that she could care for Eli and the regular nurses would look in only now and then. After Doc Miller visited midmorning, she kicked her shoes off, curled up on the chair next to Eli’s bed, fell asleep. When she woke, Eli’s eyes were open. He had been watching her sleep. She smiled.

“You’re awake.”

“I sure am. How’d I get here? Last I remember, I was layin in the snow watchin the Caddy burn.”

His voice was so weak she could barely hear him. She checked his pulse. “That fire probably saved your life. Two Spuds found you and brought you in on that thing he calls a pony drag.”

“Two Spuds? I’ll be damned. I knew I’d be happy I had that Choctaw around someday. Best hand I ever seen.” He winced and clutched at his midsection. “Good God. It feels like they ripped out about half my insides and a Clydesdale stomped on my leg. What did they do to me?”

“They had to remove your spleen and set your broken leg, that was the worst of it. You’re lucky to be alive. I told you it would be better if you stayed in Casper.”

“Might have been, at that. Although I do hate Casper worse’n I hate the blackleg. Got lost on my own land. What a damned old fool.”

Something inside pained him. He winced. Juanita asked if he wanted more morphine. Eli shook his head. “I’d rather put up with some hurt than black out again. What day is it?”

She looked at the clock. “It’s Saturday afternoon. I guess you crashed late Thursday night or maybe early Friday morning.”

“I aint sure what happened, exactly. One minute I was tryin to find the road to the house, then I was layin in the snow. Are the kids all right?”

“Everyone is fine. I didn’t tell the children about it until they came home from school Friday. I told them you had been hurt, but not to worry. I knew you would pull through. Ezra was here when they operated on you, but we traded places this morning.”

“Good. I’d rather look at you than that old cuss any day.”

“He’s your twin brother. He looks exactly like you.”

“That’s what I mean.”

7.