Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-06-06
A Doctors Adventure.

My wife started nervously as
sharp peal at the bell interruptet
the brief interval of our do
mestict quiet.
"Only the surgery bell, my dear
somebody wanting me, | suppose.
And went Gown stairs, scarce
ly wondering to myself if, atteI
all, there was such "a vast differ
ence between galley slave and ;
country doctor /!
The surgery door stood wide
open, but nobody was there; anG
through the binding darkness
without l could but just discern
the black outline of a close car
riage. and a man standing at the
horses head.
"Who's there what's want
ing ?" l asked, coming to the
threshold, AMI instinctively but
toning up the over coat had
thrown on.
you're wanted, DOCTOR" said
the man, speaking indistinctly be.
hind the nuffling that surrounded
his face. '
"Yes; but what for? Who
wants me ?"
81 am not at liberty to tel" f"
| had already entered the car
riage, but this suspicious answer
inspired me with dlstrust. | made
a step to descend, but was too
late--the vehicle WIS already in
motion.
at is quite unnecessary TO al
arm yourself. doctor, said quiet,
measured voice at my side. BE.
lieve me you are qui safe; and
| trust you will not feel any un-
casiness when | tell you that you
must be blindfolded."
And at the same time a folded
bandage was deflly slipped over
my eyes.
"Hold!' l CALCULATED. at
strikes me that this is rather su-
pernuous. The night is dark as
Erebus, and you have no lamp"
Possibly returned the dry
voice "but it is best to run no
risks.
And then ensued silence of
some ten or fifteen minutes, while
the carriage rolled swiftly along,
and the low, measured breathing
of my unknown companion kept
time to my own uncomfortable
thoughts.
At length my companion spoke
again in the same soit, modulated
tones.
"DOctor, one more little precau
tion is necessary; your promise
never to divulge to human soul a
word of this nights visit"
/ hesitated. @
81 cannot bind myself to any
such covenant. The relations
between physician and patient are
of course confidential but"
The carriage paused abruptly
here, and the door was swung
open. At the same instant some.
thing touched my temples--it
was the muzzle of pistol. l re-
coiled in horror.
"YOu surely would not murder
me p
"Your promise, doctor"
81 promise" | gasped, recoil.
ing once more from the chilling
touch of the cold steel on my tenn
Piles.
"Very well. Come"
| was led up a narrow walk,
through q doorway, into a room,
where the bandage was removed
suddenly from my eyes.
The spot was very familiar to
me-a ruinouS cottage, long since
to decay, in the heart
of dense woods. How the car
riage had ever reached it, | was at
a loss to know. Upon a pile OF
straw, hurriedly thrown into cor,
ner of the moul ldering floor, lay a
PROSTATE figure moaning at every
breath. His face was concealed
by a handkerchief, and the blood
was slowly dripping from a gun
shot wound just above the ankle,
a wound that had been clumsily
bandag ID by some unskillful hand.
Moreover, there was a dark red
stain upon the straw where his
head lay, and his light brown hair
was matted with coagulated drops.
Two or three men stood around,
with rude masks of black cloth
drawn over their faces, in which
three sits were cut for eyes and
mouth and female figure kpelt
beside the heap of straw, veiled
closely.
The men silently made way fol