tawny locks upon his lion's head, rejuvenated and
refreshed, restored to himself once more by the invincible habit of duty
and the stern discipline of his profession.

"Good! just above the right ankle," said Bouroche, with unusual
garrulity, intended to quiet the nerves of the patient. "You displayed
wisdom in selecting the location of your wound; one is not much the
worse for a hurt in that quarter. Now we'll just take a little look at
it."

But Beaudoin's persistently lethargic condition evidently alarmed
him. He inspected the contrivance that had been applied by the field
attendant to check the flow of blood, which was simply a cord passed
around the leg outside the trousers and twisted tight with the
assistance of a bayonet sheath, with a growling request to be informed
what infernal ignoramus had done that. Then suddenly he saw how matters
were and was silent; while they were bringing him in from the field in
the overcrowded landau the improvised tourniquet had become loosened and
slipped down, thus giving rise to an extensive hemorrhage. He relieved
his feelings by storming at the hospital steward who was assisting him.

"You confounded snail, cut! Are you going to keep me here all day?"

The attendant cut away the trousers and drawers, then the shoe and sock,
disclosing to view the leg and foot in their pale nudity, stained with
blood. Just over the ankle was a frightful laceration, into which the
splinter of the bursting shell had driven a piece of the red cloth of
the trousers. The muscle protruded from the lips of the gaping orifice,
a roll of whitish, mangled tissue.

Gilberte had to support herself against one of the uprights of the shed.
Ah! that flesh, that poor flesh that was so white; now all torn and
maimed and bleeding! Despite the horror and terror of the sight she
could not turn away her eyes.

"Confound it!" Bouroche exclaimed, "they have made a nice mess here!"

He felt the foot and found it cold; the pulse, if any, was so feeble as
to be undistinguishable. His face was very grave, and he pursed his
lips in a way that was habitual with him when he had a more than usually
serious case to deal with.

"Confound it," he repeated, "I don't like the looks of that foot!"

The captain, whom his anxiety had finally aroused from his
semi-somnolent state, asked:

"What were you saying, major?"

Bouroche's tactics, whenever an amputation became necessary, were never
to appeal directly to the pat