“’Cause, I stood outside her bedroom door and I called out to her. I called loud too, loud enough to wake her up if all she is doin’ is sleepin’. But she didn’t answer me. I’m worried, Pearlie. I’m awful worried.”
“All right. Let’s go see if we can wake her up.”
“Pearlie, you don’t think she’s dead, do you?” Cal asked anxiously as they walked quickly from the barn to the big house.
“No, she was feelin’ real good last night. You know that.”
“Yeah, and that’s what is got me worried. I mean, if she was feelin’ all that good last night, how come it is that she ain’t woke up yet this mornin’?”
“You worry too much,” Pearlie said.
The two men entered the big house, then walked down the hallway to the bedroom that Smoke and Sally shared. Pearlie knocked on the door.
“Miss Sally? Miss Sally, it’s Pearlie. It’s late mornin’, now. You want somethin’? Would you like for us to bring you a cup of coffee?”
The two men waited outside the door for Sally’s answer, but no answer was forthcoming.
“Miss Sally, are you all right?” Pearlie called. “Me ’n Cal is gettin’ a little worried here. I mean, not hearin’ nothin’ from you and all. Would make us feel a lot better if you would answer us.”
There was still no answer.
“Oh, she’s dead, Pearlie. She’s dead, I just know it,” Cal said. “We was left to look after her, and we didn’t do our job.”
Pearlie tried the door, and finding it unlocked, pushed it open.
“You ain’t goin’ into her bedroom, are you?” Cal asked, aghast at the idea.
“Why not?” Pearlie replied. “If she’s dead, it won’t matter none. And if she is alive, then somethin’ is obvious wrong and she needs us.”
“Yeah,” Cal answered. “Yeah, I guess you are right.”
The two walked into the bedroom. Sally was lying on her back, covered to her shoulders, with her head turned to one side on her pillow. Pearlie put his hand down in front of her nose. “She’s alive. I can feel her breathin’.”
“Miss Sally? Miss Sally, wake up,” Cal said. “You’re scarin’ us somethin’ fierce. Please wake up.”
Sally’s eyes opened, but there was a glazed look in them, as if she didn’t quite know where she was, or what was going on.
Pearlie touched her forehead, then jerked his hand back.
“What is it?” Cal asked.
“Her skin is hot.”
“She’s got a fever. I remember Doctor Gunther tellin’ us that if she got a fever, we was to come get him right away, ’cause that would mean somethin’ bad was happenin’.”
Pearlie turned away from the bed and started out of the bedroom.
“Where are you goin’?” Cal asked.
“I’m going after Dr. Colton. And I’m going to send a telegram to Smoke.”
“How do we even know where he is?”
“Before he left he made a list of what towns he was goin’ to, and when he would get there,” Pearlie said. “I’m goin’ to send the telegram to three towns, the one he was just at, the one he is supposed to be at now, and the next town on his list. He is sure to be in one of those three places.”
“What should I do?” Cal asked.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure what should be done. But I reckon that if you kept a dampened cloth on her forehead that might help some. And if it don’t help, it’s for sure goin’ to make her feel better, I would think.”
“Yeah, good idea. I’ll get a pan of water,” Cal said. “And I’ll be right here when you get back with the doctor.”
It took Pearlie less than half an hour to get to town from the ranch. He found Dr. Colton sitting around the cracker barrel in the general store, talking with half a dozen citizens of the town. Dr. Colton smiled when he looked up, but seeing the expression on Pearlie’s face, the smile left.
“What is it, Pearlie? What is wrong?”
“It’s Miss Sally, Dr. Colton. She’s took much worse. You got to come quick.”
Dr. Colton got up so fast his chair tipped over behind him, the commotion causing others in the store to look over to see what was going on.
“I’ll be there as quickly as I can get my medical bag, and my surrey hitched up.”
“You get your bag and whatever else you need,” Pearlie said. “I’ll hook up your surrey. Then I’m goin’ to have to send a telegram to Smoke.”
It was just after lunch when Smoke went into the saloon.
“I see you are back,” the bartender said when Smoke stepped up to the bar. “I reckon the beer you got here last night didn’t kill you.”
“I reckon not,” Smoke said.
