Litchfield enquirer., 1874-07-16
THE DOCTORS ADVENTURE.

ble evening together said my wife "And-but what's that ringing?' My wife started nervously as sharr peal at the bell interrupted our brief in teryal of domestic quiet.
 "Only the surgery bell. my dear Some body wanting me, suppose" And l went down stairs, secretly won dering to myself if, after all, there was such wide difference between a galle, slave and country doctor
 The surgery door stood wide open, but nobody was there, and through the blind ing darkness without could just discern the dark outline of a close carriage, and a man standing at the horses head.
 Who s there?-what's wanting?' ask. ed, coming to the threshold and instinc. lively buttoning up the overcoat had hurriedly thrown on.
 'You're wanted, doctor" said the man. speaking indistinctly behind the muffiine that surrounded his face.
 ''Yes; but what for! Who wants me?''
 "I am not at liberty to tell"
 :! had already entered the carriage, but this suspicious answer inspired mo with distrust. l made step to descned, but I too late. The vehicle was already in mo- tion.
 Tt IS quite unnecessary to alarm your self, doctor, said quiet, measured voice at my side. Relieve me, you arc quite safe; and trust you will not feel any un- easiness when l tell you that you must be blindfolded." ags vas dta6 # fslasa aasaa anh
 "HoIdl" I calculated. Ut strikes me that this is rather superfuous. The rinhf ic 1oSH no Erol,c o,,l -,o,, lamp"
 Possibly" returned the dry voice: ''but 1t is best to run no risks
 And then ensued silence of some ten or fifteen minutes, while the carriage roll cd swiftly along, and the low, measured breathing of my unknown companion kept time to my own uncomfortable thoughts.
 At length my companion spoke, again III the same soft, modulated tones,
 Doctor, one more little precaution is necessary-your promise never to divulge to human soul word of this nights vis- it"
 I hesitated.
 ''I cannot bind myself to any such cov- enant. The relations between physician and patient are of course confidential; 
 The carriage paused abruptly here, and the door was swung open. At the same instant something cold touched my tenn pies. It was the muzzle of a pistol. I recOiled in horror.
 "You surely would not murder mel"
 Your promise, doctor!"
 "1 promise!" gasped, recoiling once more from the chilling touch of the cold steel at my temples.
 ''Very we'll. Comet"
 l was led up narrow walk, through a doorway, into room, where tho bandage was removed suddenly from my eyes.
 The spot was very familiar to me-a ruinous cattage, long since abandoned to decay, ill the very heart of dense, swampy woods. How the carriage ever reached it l was at loss to know. Upon pile of straw, hurriedly thrown into the corner of the mouldering floor, lay prostrate figure, moaning at every breath. His face was concealed by handkerchief, and the blood was slowly dripping from gun shot Woullm just above the ancle-a wound which had been clumsily bandaged by some unskilled hand. Moreover, there was dark red stain on 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 the faces, in which three slits were cut for the eyes and mouth; a female figure knelt behind the heap of straw. yelled closely.
 The men silently made way for me as l advanced into the apartment, and held their lanterns so that the lurid light should fall upon my strange patient. As I silently stopped and examined both wounds
 "Well?" asked my carriage companion.
 "I can do nothing. The man must die .'
 "Nonsensel A mere bullet through the leg-what does that amount to? 'hurriedly easped the man.
 'In itself, not much; but that blow up. on the skull must prove fatal" A low, half-suppressed cry broke from the woman opposite. She tore the vail from her face, as if she could not breathe through its heavy folds. revealing features I as white and beautiful in their marble ac. ony as so much sculptured stone. S6e did not seem more than thirty. but I af forwards knew that she was indeed ter years older. F1t in spite of her present anguish, how grandly beautiful she was Large dark eyes-hair like coiled gold catching strange gleams from the shifting lanterns-and broad, smooth brow-ii was face you see but once in a whole lifetime.
 And yet in the midst of her distress, she never spoke. "At least you can do something for him doctor?' said my interluctor, inpatient Y. Don't let us waste time here"
 As preceded in my ministrations, the moaning grew fainter and fainter, the con vulsive movements became scarcely per ceptable: A faint gleam of hope lighted mp the face of the woman who knelt witt clasped hands opposite; she looked ap pealingly at me.
 "He IS better-he is surely better?"
 "He will be better soon," I answered moved to pity in spite of myself. "Ht cannot live half an hour longer"
 The horror of that sepalchral silenc,