merrily.

"Here she is, then," said the Doctor. "My colleague. She has done ten
times as much for the wounded as I have."

"He means Mrs Gee," said Bracy quietly. "Well, she is a splendid
nurse."

"Ha! what a woman!" said the Colonel. "She is quite well now, Doctor--
is she not?"

"Always is," said the Doctor. "Absolutely perfect."

"I don't understand you, Doctor. The poor woman suffered a great deal
in her daring defence of her patients."

"Hah! we're playing at cross purposes," said the Doctor importantly.
"You're talking about Mrs Gee."

"Of course. Weren't you?"

"Pish! Poo! Bah! No. I meant my great help and patroness Dame
Nature."

"Oh!" ran round the table, in disappointed tones.

"Yes, gentlemen," repeated the Doctor; "Dame Nature. She has set all my
wounded right again, and put it to my credit. Why, if the poor fellows
had been in stuffy barracks down in the hot plains they'd have died like
flies. But up here, in this wonderfully pure mountain air, all I have
to do is to see that the wounds are carefully bandaged, and cuts and
bullet-holes grow up and together again in no time. As for the
hill-men, their surgeon seems to be the next man, who operates with a
bit of rag."

"And kills or cures at once," said Roberts, smiling.

"Exactly," said the Doctor good-humouredly; "but really it's wonderful
how Nature does nearly all the work. Well, any news, Colonel?"

"About the enemy?"

"Yes; you've been doing nothing lately, and my last bed was vacated
to-day."

"I am very sorry that you should be in so low a condition, Doctor," said
the Colonel coldly; "but you must understand that I shall do my best to
keep you so."

"Why, of course," cried the Doctor. "You don't suppose I want to have
the poor fellows cut or shot down to keep me busy--do you?"

"You spoke as if you did?"

"Then I spoke clumsily," cried the Doctor. "But tell me--the Dwats are
collecting again--are they not?"

"Yes; they mean to give us no rest."

"So much the better for the men. Keep 'em active. You boys had any
sport to-day?"

"Yes; we got six mountain sheep," said Roberts.

"Safe into camp?" said the Doctor eagerly.

"Oh yes. It was hard work, though; for three of them fell right down
into one of the deepest gorges from the snow-slope on which we shot
them--splendid shots Drummond made after our stalk, he killed with right
and left barrels. My one dropped at the first shot, but sprang up and
was