" to Ike,
who was standing with white face and set teeth.

"You are doing remarkably well," said the doctor encouragingly to him,
"remarkably well. To a novice this at times presents a shocking aspect.
Now we shall attack this depression. The elevator, please. No, the
elevator, Mr. Macgregor. There it lies. Yes. Now gently, gently. Just
hold that in position," offering Shock the end of the instrument which
he was using as a lever to raise the depressed portion of the skull.
"The other scalpel, please. Now, a slight pressure. Gently, gently. We
must be extremely careful of the edges. No, that will not do. Then we
must have recourse to the trephine."

He lifted the instrument as he spoke, and gazed at it with every mark
of affection.

"This is one of the most beautiful of all the instruments of modern
surgery. A lovely instrument, a lovely instrument, indeed. Let us
secure our firm surface. That seems satisfactory," beginning to bore.

This was too much for Ike. He hastily set down the basin and sponge on
a chair, then straightened up in a vain effort to regain mastery of
himself.

"Ah," said the doctor. "Poor Ike! The spirit is willing, but the
sympathetic nerve is evidently seriously disturbed, thereby affecting
the vasomotor, and will likely produce complete syncope. Lay him down
on his back immediately."

"No," said Ike, "I aint no good. I'm going out."

"Now," said the doctor calmly, when Shock and he had been left alone,
"I hope there will be no more interruption. We must proceed with the
trephining. Ah, beautiful, beautiful!" his quick moving, deft fingers
keeping pace with his monologue.

"There now," after a few minutes' work with the trephine, "the
depression is lifted. We shall soon be finished."

With supple, firm fingers he sewed the scalp, dressed the wound, and
was done.

"Thank God!" said Shock, with a long breath. "Will he live?"

"It is a question now of strength and vitality. If the inflammation is
not too widely extended the child may recover. Young life is very
tenacious."

The doctor washed his hands, wiped his instruments, put them carefully
away in their case, and sat down.

"Doctor," said Shock, "that is a great work. Even to a layman that
operation seems wonderful."

Under the stimulus of his professional work the doctor's face, which
but two days before had been soft and flabby, seemed to have taken on a
firmer, harder appearance, and his whole manner, which had been
shufflin