stove,
please. Can't you find another lamp here--this one doesn't give much
light?"

There was no lamp but they found a package of candles which were soon
flickering on the table, stuck in the necks of bottles. The doctor was
pulling a lot of things out of his bag, coolly. To Madge it seemed
queer that he could be so unaffected by what he saw. Presently he went
to work, after baring the injured shoulder.

After it was all over it seemed to the girl like some dreadful
nightmare. After just one keen glance the doctor had probably decided
that her young hands would afford him the better help. And so she had
been obliged to remain at his side and look upon the sinewy shoulder
and the arm that had been laid bare, and at the angry and inflamed
wound which had been flooded with iodine. And then had come the
picking up of shining instruments just taken out of one of the boiling
vessels. Her teeth left imprints on her lips and she felt that she was
surely going to stagger and fall as the man made long slashing
incisions. From them he took out a piece of cloth and a bullet that
had been flattened against the bone. After this there was a lot more
disinfecting and the placing of red tubes of rubber deep down in the
wound, which was finally covered with a large dressing. But it was
only after this was all finished that Madge dropped on a stool,
feeling sick and shaken.

"Oh, you're not such a very bad soldier, after all," commented the
doctor, quietly, as he gathered up his instruments to clean and boil
them again. "I can't say that I'm optimistic about this case--but
perhaps you don't quite understand such big words. I mean that I
haven't any great hopes for this lad, but at least he has some little
chance now. There was none whatever before. Of course it depends a lot
on the nursing he gets. If I thought for a moment that he could stand
the trip I'd take him away with me, but that's out of the question."

Then he turned to Stefan.

"I'll have to catch the first freight back in the morning, my man.
Will you take me to Carcajou in good time? I can't afford to miss it.
Too many needing me just now east of here!"

"Ay, I take you--if Hugo he no worse. But if tings is goin' wrong,
I'll let Papineau do it. I--I can't leaf no more. Vhen I starts from
here I tank I can't stand it a moment--but vhen I get off on de road,
I gets grazy to come back. I--I don't know vhat I vants!"

The doctor looked at him curiously, appreciating th