“I’m ashamed of you fellows,” shouted Milton.  “Ashamed!  You know the chief’s due in the morning.”  He stopped abruptly.  “I’m ashamed of you.  You know what I mean.  The chief—­God, fellows, I’m a sick man!” He fell back heavily on his blankets.

Enoch and Harden hurried to his side.  “Quit your fighting, Judge!  Quit your fighting!” muttered Milton.  “Here!  I’ll make you stop!” He tried to rise and Jonas rushed to hold the injured leg while Harden and Enoch pressed the broad shoulders back against the flinty bed.  It was several moments before he ceased to struggle and dropped into a dull state of coma.

“It doesn’t seem as if a broken leg ought to do all that to a man as husky as Milt!” said Agnew, who had joined them with a proffer of water.

“I’m afraid he was sickening with something before the accident,” Enoch shook his head.  “Those dizzy spells were all wrong, you know.”

“We’d better get this boy to a doctor as soon as we can,” said Agnew.  “Poor old Milton!  I swear it’s a shame!  His whole heart was set on putting this trip through.”

“He’ll do it yet,” Enoch patted the sick man’s arm.

“Yes, but he’ll be laid up for months and his whole idea was to put it through without a break.  The Department never condones accidents, you know.”

“I guess I can give you all some supper now,” said Jonas.  “Better get it while he’s laying quiet.”

“Where’s Forrester?” asked Enoch as they gathered round the stew pot.

“He mumbled something about going outside to cool down,” replied Agnew.  “Better let him alone for a while.”

“Too bad you couldn’t have kept the peace, under the circumstances, Harden,” said Enoch.

“You heard what he said to me?” demanded Harden fiercely.

“Yes, I did and I heard you deliberately tease him into a fury.  Of course, after what he finally said there was nothing left to do but to smash him,” said Enoch.

“I don’t see why,” Agnew spoke in his calm way.  “I never could understand why a bloody nose wiped out an insult.  A thing that’s said is said.  Shooting a man even doesn’t unsay a dirty speech.  It’s not common sense.  Why ruin your own life in the effort to punish a man for something that’s better forgotten?”

“So you would swallow an insult and smile?” sneered Harden.

“Not at all!  I wouldn’t hear the alleged insult, in most cases.  But if the thing was so raw that the man had to be punished, I’d really hurt him.”

“How?” asked Enoch.

“I’d do him a favor.”

“Slush!” grunted Harden.

Agnew shrugged his shoulders and the scanty meal was finished in silence.  When Jonas had collected the pie tins and cups, Enoch said,

“While you’re outside with those, Jonas, you’d better persuade Forrester to come in to supper.  Tell him no one will bother him.  Boys, I think we ought to sit up with Milton for a while.  I’ll take the first watch, if you’ll take the second, Harden.”