St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-10-18
for tllr Children,
THE DOCTORS STORY.

out my single.
." had rich neighbour man | was
bound to propitiate; and the very first
call had, after days Of waiting for pa
tents who didn't come, was to his barn
to see what was the matter with his
sick mare. cured the mare and took in
my shingle for from that day to this
I've never prescribed for human being.
had won reputation as a veterinary
surgeon and had to stick to it, But
that's neither here nor there Onlvifvou
think animals can't show gratitude and
affection, perhaps you'll change your
mind.
"When I'd been in business a year or
two, ! sent Tor my brother Dick He
was wonderful chap with all kinds of
animals; and thought perhaps | could
work out of my part it and leave that
for him. never did, for Dicks a cotton
broker in New York now, and | should
have to begin all over again to make a
first rate physician. But that's what |
meant to be then.
"The very next day after Dick came
got telegram from p. 7. Barnum. I'd
been down there once or twice to his own
stables, and he had a good deal of faith
in me. The despatch was
"'Hebe has burt her foot. Come at
once
"Hebe was a favorite elephant-a
splendid creature, and worth small
fortune.
"Well, Iconiess hesitated. ldistrusted
my own ability and dreaded the result.
But Dick was determined to go, and go
we did. When we got out of the cars,
Barnum himself was there with a splen-
did pair of matched grays. He eyed me
very obviously. I'D forgotten you were
such little fellow, he said in discour-
aged tone. I'm afraid you can't help
her His distrust put me on my mettle.
I" Mr.. Barnum,' said |, getting into
the carriage, If it comes to hand-to-
hand fight between Hebe and me, don't
believe an extra foot or two of height
would help me any
He laughed outright, and began tell
ing me how the elephant was hurt. She
had stepped on nail or bit iron, and
it had penetrated her foot. She was in
intense agony and almost wild with the
pain.
Long before we reached the enclosure
in which she was we could hear her pit
eous trumpeting; and when we entered
we found her on three legs, swinging the
hurt foot slowly backward and forward,
and uttering long cries OF anguish, Such
dumb misery in her looks-poor thing!
Even Dick quailed now. You can
never get near her. he whispered, Shell
kill you sure
Her keeper OWNED what he said.
Don't you be afraid, sir, he called out to
me. Hebes got sense.
81 took my box ofinstruments from Mr..
Barnum.
81 like your pluck, my boy, he said,
heartily; but l own l felt rather queer
and shaky as went up to the huge beast,
"The men employed about the show
came around us curiously, but at a respect
tul and eminently safe distance, as
bent down to examine the foot.
while was doing so, as gently as
could, felt to my horror light touch
on my hair. 1t was as light as wom-
ans; but as | turned and saw the
great trunk behind me it had an awful
suggestiveness.
"'She's only curling your hair, sang
out the keeper. Don't mind her.
"'I shall have to cut, and cut deep,
said l, by way of reply. He said few
words in some lingo which were evidently
intended for the elephants understand
ing only. Then he shouted with the ut
most GOODNESS, Cut away
"The mans faith inspired me. There
he stood, absolutely unprotected, di-
rectly in front of the great creature, and
quietly jabbered away to her as if this
were an every day occurrence.
"Well, made one cash with the knife.
! felt the grasp on my hair tighten per-
ceptiby, yet not urgently, Cold drops
of perspiration stood out all over me.
Shall l cut again. | managed to
call out
Cut away! came again the encour-
aging response.
This stroke did the work. A great
mass of fetid matter followed the passage
OF the knife; the abscess was lanced. We
sprayed out the foot, packed it with oak
um and bound it up. The relief must
have been immediate, for the grasp on
my hair relaxed and the elephant drew
long, almost human sigh, and-well, l
don't know what happened next, for l
tainted dead away. Dick must have fin
ished the business. and picked up me and
my tools; was as limp as rag.
1t must have been year and half
after this happened that was called to
Western Massachusetts to see some