One More Sunrise Read Online Free PDF Page A

buggy drew near Cheyenne. “Thank you, Lord,” he said with a quavering voice. “Thank You for bringing me to Cheyenne almost ten years ago and for letting me realize my dream of becoming a doctor.”

A s Dr. Dane Logan was pulling into Cheyenne on Main Street, his thoughts went to Tharyn Myers once more. There was an ache in his heart. “Little sis, where did you end up? I never received a letter from you. There may have been some good reason why you didn’t write me like you promised, but I sure wish I knew where you are.”
    Dane thought about the fact that not one day had passed since the last time he saw Tharyn over nine years ago, that she hadn’t come to mind. He wondered again if she ever became a nurse, and if she had married by now.
    He swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat. “Lord, You know the status of her life, and where she is. Please take care of her, wherever that might be.”
    At that moment, Dane was passing Memorial Hospital. Two nurses were coming out the lobby door. They spotted him and waved. He waved back. “Hello, ladies! Is it time to change shifts already?”
    “It sure is, Doctor,” called one of them. “Time to go home and get supper started pretty soon so we can have the food on the tables when our hungry husbands come home from work.”
    “Tell them hello for me, will you?”
    “Sure will, Doctor,” said one of them, and the other one nodded.
    Dr. Dane was within two blocks of the office when he noticed a group of people gathered in the street in front of the Lone Pine Saloon, forming a circle around two angry men. The pair was facing each other in the center of the circle, shouting loudly. One of them was much larger than the other. Dane recognized the smaller man. He had done surgery on Ernie Piper several months ago at Memorial Hospital to remove a tumor from behind his right ear. Ernie was known for spending an hour or so almost every day at the saloon, and Dr. Dane had warned him about the dangers of drinking.
    As the angry men spat out their harsh words at each other, it was obvious that they had been drinking. Dane looked around to see if Sheriff Jack Polson was on the street. There was no sign of him. He quickly pulled the buggy to a halt.
    Suddenly the big man’s fist lashed out and connected solidly with Ernie’s jaw. Ernie staggered backward, then charged his opponent with both fists pumping. The big man hit him again, and Ernie went down.
    The young doctor rushed up to the circle of onlookers and asked one of the men if someone had gone for the sheriff.
    The man shook his head. “He’s out of town at the moment, Doc. Both deputies are with him.”
    Dane focused on the combatants again. Ernie was still down, and the big man was kicking him savagely in the midsection.
    Anger welled up in the doctor. He pushed his way through the crowd. “Hey! That’s enough! Stop kicking him!”
    The big man turned and gave him a heated glare. “You shut up, mister! I’ll kick him if I want to! He’s got it comin’!” With that, he sent another kick into Ernie’s ribs. Ernie let out a pained howl.
    Sudden antagonism surged to the surface in Dane Logan. The heat of anger turned his cheeks red. Instantly, he moved into thecenter of the circle. “Get away from him!”
    The big man set his jaw and swung at the intruder. Dane avoided the punch and retaliated by lashing a right to his mouth. The punch popped the big man’s head back, surprising him. Before he could set himself, Dane whipped a cracking left hook to the chin, and crossed a smashing right to the man’s temple. As he staggered backward, shaking his head, the people in the crowd back-stepped, trying to get out of the way.
    On the ground, Ernie Piper sat up, blinking in unbelief as he saw who was defending him.
    The big man planted his feet, and with wrath blazing from his eyes, charged Dane like a mad bull. His lips were bleeding, and as he swung at Dane’s face, he roared, “I’ll getcha!”
    Again, Dane