At last the twinkling lights of Las Estrellas, seeming at first fallen stars caught in the mesquite branches, swam into view.  Plainly Tony’s accident had stimulated much local interest; among the few straggling houses men came and went, while a knot of women, children, and countless mongrel dogs had congregated just outside of the hut where the injured man lay.  A brush fire in the street crackled right merrily, its sparks dancing skyward.

“You promise me,” said Norton as they drew their horses down to a trot, “not to say anything until we can have had time to talk?”

“I promise,” she said wearily.

She entered the sufferer’s room first, Norton delaying to tie the horses and lift down the instrument cases from the saddle-strings.  She stopped abruptly just beyond the threshold; the smell of chloroform was heavy upon the air, Tony lay whitefaced upon a table, Caleb Patten with coat off and sleeves rolled up was bending over him.

“Oh, senorita!” cried a woman, hurrying forward, her hands twisting nervously in her apron.  And a torrential outpouring in Spanish greeted the mystified Virginia.

“I thought that I was wanted here,” she said, looking about her at the four or five grave faces.  “Tony’s brother came for me.”

One of the men shambled forward to explain.  “Tony want you,” he said quickly.  “Tony ver’ bad hurt.  Dr. Patten come in Las Estrellas by accident, he say got to cut off the arm, can’t wait too long or Tony die.  He just beginnin’ now.”

The woman, who, it appeared was Tony’s wife and the mother of two of the ragged children out by the fire, joined her voice eagerly to the man’s.  He translated.

“Eloisa say she thank God you come; Tony want you, she want you.  Patten charge one hundred dollar an’. . . .”  He shrugged eloquently.  “She say you do for Tony; you do better than Patten.”

Virginia’s eyes flashed upon Patten.  He came a step toward her, his attitude half belligerent.

“The man has to be operated upon immediately,” he said sharply.  “He was hurt in the afternoon out on the end of the ranch; has been all day getting in; fainted half a dozen times, I guess.  The arm has to come off at the elbow.”

“Thank you,” returned Virginia quietly, going to the table.  “I’ll take the case now, Dr. Patten.”

“You?” Patten laughed, his eyes jeering.  “You operate?  Do you think that they want you to cut a skein of silk with a pair of scissors?  Cut off a man’s arm . . . how far would you go before you fainted?”

“That’ll be about all, Patten,” came Norton’s voice sternly from the door.  “This is Dr. Page’s case.  Clear out.”

“Thank you, Mr. Norton,” said Virginia quickly.  She was already making an examination of the blood covered arm and hand, and did not look around.  “And please clear the room, will you?  Let Tony’s wife stay, that is all.  Eloisa.”