The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-04-19
THl!B!sTI!:LETT0.

strong, healthy, hare-brained, dar-
ing, reckless. young fellow.
The resideutpbysician walked in
a tall, grave iAan, with gray hair.
He went to ths bed, and pointed
to the hife-ir:ndis With It's great
bold ruby inrtho end, and it's dia-
monds and emeralds alternating in
quaint designs in the sides. The
physician started. He felt Arnold's
pulse and looked puzzled.
"Wlen was this done?" he asked.
"About 20 minutes ago." Ian
swed.
The physician started out, beckon-
ing me to follow.
"Stop!' said Arnold. We obeycd.
"Do you wish to speak of me?" he
asked.
eyes," replied the physician, hes
itating.
"Speak in my presence, then, said
my friend, 81 fear nothing"
1t was said in his old imperious way,
although his suffering must have
been great.
If you insist
wdo."
"Thcn, s;.id the physician, "ifyol
have any-any matters toto adj
just, they should I've attended to at
once. lean do nothing for you. "
There was IN unstcadiness in his
voice.
GLOW long can 1 live?" asked
Arnold.
Thephysician thoughtfully strokcd
his gray beard. "It depends" he
finally said; ''if the knife he with
drawn, you may live three minutes;
ifit be allowed to remain, you may
possibly live an hour or two-not
longer"
Arnold never flinched. 1t was not
the first time he had faced death,
which had no terrors for him.
"Thank you," he said, smiling
faintly through his pain; "ny friend
will pay you. l have some things to
do. Let the knife remain" lie
turned hiseyes to mine and, pressing
my hand, snid afiectionately: "And
| thank you, too, old fellow, for not
pulling it out"
The physician moved by sense of
lelicacy, left theroom, saying: "Ring
if there is n change. l will be in the
hotel Office"
He had not gone fur when he
turned md came back.
"Pardon me-" said he, "but there
is n young surgeon in the hotel who
is said to he II very skilful man. My
speciality is not surgery, but metli-
cine. May call him ?''
"Yes," said /, engerly; but Arnold
smiled and shook his head. 81 fear
there will not he timc," he said. But
| refused to heed him, and directed
that the surgeon be called immc-
diately. was writing at Arnold's
1ictation when the two men entered
the room.
There was something ofnerve and
assurance in the young surgeon that
struck my attention. His manner,
though quiet, was bold and straight
forward, and his movements sure
and quick. These are general pecu-
liarities Of highly educated young
surgeons. This young mnn had al
ready distinguished himself in the
performance Of some difficult hos
pital laparotomies, and he was mt
that sanguine age when ambition
looks through the spectaclcs of cx-
pertinent. And then, zeal and am
bition are often indentical. DIR.
lsaonl Entrefort was the newcomers
name. He was a Creole, small and
dark, and no had travelled and
studied in Europe.
Speak freely" gaspc'l Arnold
after DR.. Entrefort had made an en-
animation.
"What think you docter?" asked
Entrefort of the older man.
81 think, was the reply, chat the
knife-bladc has penetrated the as
centiing aorta, about two inches
above the heart. AS long as the
blade remains in the wound the cs.
cape of oodiscompariltivclysln small,
though certain; were the blade with
drawn the heart would almost in
stantly empty itself through the
aortal wound"
Meanwhile EntreGort was dcftly
cutting away the white shirtand the
undershirt, and soon had the breast
exposed. He examined the gem
studded hilt with the kecncst inter-
est.
"You are proceeding on the as
sumption, DOCTOR" he said, "tlat
this weapon is Il knife"
Certainly" answered DR.. Rowcll,
smiling; "wllat else can it be-"
at is u knife f;,intly interposed
Arnold.
"Did you see the bladc?" Entrcfort
HoNEu Iihi, IuthiS.
81 ,Iid-for n moment"
Entrcfort shot quick look at DR..
Rowcll and whispered: "Then it is
not suicide" DR.. Rowell added.
81 must disagree with you, gentle
men," quietly remarked Entrefort;
this is not II knife" He examined
the handle very narrowly. Not only
was the bladeentirely concealed from
view within Arnold's body, but the
blow had been so strongly delivered
that the skin was depressed by the
guard. "The fact that it is not IL
knife presents Al very curious series
of facts and contingencies" pursued
Entrefort, with amazing GOODNESS,
"some of which are, 80 far as am
informed. entirely novel in the histo-
ry OF surgery"
A quizzical expression, family
amused and manifestly interested,
was upon DIR. Rowell's face.
"What is the weapon, doctor?!"
he asked.
ga stiletto."
Arnold started. DR.. Rowell ap-
penrcd confused. 81 must confess"
he said. my ignorance of the differ
ence among these penetrating weap-
ons, whether dirks, dnggers, stilettos,
poniards or howe knives"
"With the exception of the stilet-
to- explained Etrefort, "all the
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