И проиграли бой

           Themenseemedsuddenlyhappy.Theylaughedtogetherastheybrokedeadcottonwoodbranchesforthefire.

           JimstoodbesideMac,watchingtheactivity."Whatdoyouwantmetodo?"heasked.

           "Comeinwithme.Youcanhelpmeinthetent."Atthatmomentacrycamefromthetent.Macsaidquickly,"Bringmeacanofhotwaterasquickasyoucan,Jim.Here,"heheldoutalittlebottle."Putaboutfourofthesetabletsineachofthosebigcans.Bringthebottlebacktomewhenyoubringthewater."Hehurriedawaytowardthetent.

           Jimcountedthetabletsintothecans,andthenhescoopedalargebucketfulofwaterfromoneofthemandfollowedMacintothetent.Theoldwomanwascrouchedinacorner,outoftheway.ShescratchedherhandsandpeeredoutsuspiciouslywhileMacdroppedtwoofthetabletsintothewarmwateranddippedhishandsintoit."Wecananywaygetourhandsclean,"hesaid.

           "What’sthebottle?"

           "Bichlorideofmercury.Ialwaystakeitwithme.Here,youwashyourhands,Jim,andthengetsomefreshwater."

           Avoiceoutsidethetentcalled,"Here’syourlamps,Doc."

           Macwenttotheflapandbroughtthemback,around-wickRochesterlampandapowerfulgasolinelantern."Somepoordevil’sgoingtodohismilkinginthedark,"hesaidtoJim.Hepumpeduppressureinthegasolinelamp,andwhenhelighteditthemantlesglared,ahard,whitelight,andthelantern’shissfilledthetent.Thecrackofbreakingwoodandthesoundofvoicescameinfromoutside.