o wipe his eyes with the backs of his hands, so full of mirth
seemed the thought of discomfiting the tyrant who had hectored over him
so long; and Bracy lay looking at him till he calmed down again.

"You don't believe in all this being involuntary, Gedge?" he said at
last.

"Didn't at first, sir. I thought it was your larks, or else you were
off your head. But I believe it all now, every bit, and I can't get
over it. Just to be able to hit your sooperior officer, and no
court-martial. Then the Doctor. Just to be able to make him feel a
bit, after what he has made us squirm over."

"Then you do believe me now?"

"Of course, sir. And I tell yer it's grand to have a complaint like
that. I mean for such as me. No punishment-drill, no lines, no prison,
no nothing at all, for bowling your sooperior officer over like a
skittle."

Bracy turned his head wearily.

"Ah, Gedge, you can't realise what it all means, to be a hopeless
cripple, always in pain."

"Wuth it, sir, every twinge; and as to being a hopeless cripple, what's
that so long as there's plenty o' crutches to be had? Pst! Some un
coming, sir."

Gedge was right, for directly after the Doctor entered the room, signed
to Gedge to go, and then detained him.

"How has Mr Bracy been?" he said sharply.

"Bit low-sperrited, sir."

"Yes; but has he exhibited any of those peculiar phenomena?"

Gedge passed his hand over his chin and stared.

"Bah! Has he kicked at you, or struck you, or done anything of that
kind?"

"No, sir; not a bit."

"That's right. Well, Bracy, you quite startled me, my lad; I was taken
by surprise, and I looked at it from the commonplace point of view.
I've had time to think of it now from the scientific side. Tell me, can
you control yourself when those fits come on? I mean, this involuntary
nerve and muscular action!"

"Do you think that I should let it go on if I could, Doctor?" said Bracy
sadly.

"No, of course not, my dear fellow. Pardon me for asking you."

"Tell me, then: can you cure it? Can you stop these terrible
contractions?"

"Yes, with Nature's help, my dear boy."

"Ha!" sighed Bracy: "then may it come. But why is it? I never heard of
such a thing before."

"Naturally; and I never encountered such a case. It is all due to the
irritation of the spinal nerves, and until we can get rid of the cause
we cannot arrive at the cure."

"But, Doctor--"

"Patience, my dear boy--patience."

"Can you