han yesterday. Never was so bad as when I woke up this
morning; and, if you'll pardon my saying it, sir, that lotion you gave
me doesn't seem to have done a bit of good."

"Oho! there's a lotion, is there?" commented Cleek mentally, when he
heard this. "I'll have a look at that lotion before I go to bed
to-night." Yet, when he did, he found it a harmless thing that ought to
have been beneficial even if it had not.

"I say, Fordyce," put in young Bridewell, remembering Cleek's desire and
seeing a chance of gratifying it sooner than he had anticipated, "don't
you think it would be a good thing to have a look at the pater's arm
now? He says the pain's getting up to the shoulder, and so bad at times
he can hardly bear it. Do look at it, will you? I hate to see him
suffering like this."

"Oh, certainly, of course I will. Just wait until I've had my tea, old
chap," replied the doctor; and, when he had had it, moved over to the
deep chair where the captain sat rocking to and fro and squeezing his
lips together in silent agony, and proceeded to remove the bandages. He
had barely uncovered the maimed hand, however, ere Cleek sauntered over
in company with the old seaman's son and stood beside him. He was close
enough now to study the character of the eruption, and the sight of it
tightened the creases about his lips, twitched one swift gleam of light
through the darkness of his former bewilderment.

"Good God!" he said, swept out of himself for the moment by the
appalling realization which surged over him; then, remembering himself,
caught the doctor's swiftly given upward look and returned it with one
of innocent blankness. "Awful, isn't it, doctor? Don't think it's
smallpox, or something of that sort, do you?"

"Rubbish!" responded the doctor, with laughing contempt for such a silly
fool as this. "Smallpox, indeed! Man alive, it isn't the least thing
like it. I should think a child would know that. No, Captain, there
isn't any change in its condition, despite the increased pain, unless it
may be that it is just a shade better than when I dressed it this
morning. There, there, don't worry about its going up to the shoulder,
Lieutenant. We'll save the arm, never fear." And then, without examining
that arm at all, proceeded to rebandage the maimed hand and replace it
in the supporting sling; and, afterward, went over and talked with Aunt
Ruth before passing out and going round to his side of the divided
house. But so long as