The Washington herald., 1911-08-22
CHAPTER XX-Continued.

Listen here. Mr.. Dunwody," began
Josephine, I've seen worse wounds than
that, seen weaker men survive worse
than that. There's a chance perhaps
why don't you take II like a man?
exact II Of .'ou. I demand it, Your duty
TO me is unpaid. Come. We must live,
all Of US. till all our debts are paid"
He made no answer at first save 10
look her straight in the face for a mo-
ment. Maybe there is such a thing as
duty" said he. Maybe I do owe tito
you. Ive-not yet-paid enough. Very
Well, then
Come cried out Jameson suddenly,
''out you GO on the table. Get a hand
under there, girl
There was no word further spoken.
Gently they aided the injured man to
his feet and helped him hobble through
the hall and into the great dining-room
beyond. where stood the long table of
polished mahogany. Dunwody. swaying,
leaned against 1t, while Jameson hurried
to the window and threw up the curtains
to edmit as much as possible of the light
of late afternoon. Returning, he mo-
toned Dunwo6y to remove his coat.
which he folded up for a pillow. The
remainder of his preparations necessarily
were scant. Hot water, clean instru-
ments-that was almost all. An anes-
thetic was, Of course, out Of the ques-
ton.
''Dunwody, we're going to hurt you a
little" said Jameson, at last You've
got to stand 1t. that's all. Lie down
there on the table and get ready
He himself turned his back and was
busy near bv at a smaller table. arrang-
ing his instruments. What then repre-
sented surgical care would to-day be
called criminal carelessness. Next he
went out to the front door and called
aloud for Eleazar.
Come here. man." commanded jamie
son, after he had the old trapper in the
room. Take hold of this good leg and
hold II still. Madam, I want you at the
foot on the other side. You may get
hold OF the edge Of the table with your
hands Dunwody, and hold still. IL you
can. I won't be very long"
Swiftly the doctor cut away the gar
ments from the wounded limb, which lay
now exposed in all the horrors OF its
Inflammation.
I'm not going to do itr' came back
from under the surgeons arm. There's
half chance-Tm going to try to save
IT,! Hold on, old man-here's the thing
to do-we're going to try"
He went down now into the quivering
tissues and laid bare the edge Of the
broken bone, deep to the inner lines.
Thus the front of the shattered bone
lay exposed. The doctor sighed. as he
pushed at this with a steady finger. his
eyes frowning, absoI bed. The bullet
wound in the anterior edge was not clean
cut. Near 1t was a long. heavy splinter
OF bone, the cause of the infiamma-
tion-something not suspected In the
hurried dressing OF the wound in
the half-darkness at the river edge.
This bone end. but loosely attached, was
broken free. thrust down into the angry
and irritated hesh
For an instant Jameson studied the
injury. The silence Of death was In the
room. The tense muscles Of the patient
might have been those Of lifeless man.
Only the horrid sound of the dripping
blood, falling from the table upon the
carpet. broke the silence.
II had coon dog once" began DR..
Jameson cheerfully-'I don't know
whether you remember him or not, Dun
woody. Sort Of q yellow dog, with long
ears and white eye. Just walt a min
ute" He FASTENED over to the side of
the table and bent again over his case
of instruments.
There's been all kinds of coon dogs
in these bottoms and hills, suppose.
ever since white folks came here. but
Dunwody. I'm telling you the truth. that
dog OF mine"
BY this time he had nshed out from
his case slender probe. which he bent
back and forth ~ he once more ap-
preached the table.
.