did
not speak except on business till he had seen these doing their work
and Mr. Linden able to reply to him. And then his first words were to
the farmer; who, not asking a question, had stood by as silent and
watchful as Reuben himself; nearly as grave.
"There's nothing the matter with him, Mr. Simlins," he said. "He'll be
able to shoot you in a day or two--if he has a mind. What have you been
doing to him?"
"_Me!_ I've been actin' the part of the good Syrian to him," growled
Mr. Simlins;--"only I always thought before, the oil and wine went on
the outside instead of the inside."
"I dare say," said the doctor lightly, probably not understanding the
allusion. And then he seated himself on the side of the bed, looking
down at his patient very much in his usual manner.
"You'll have made yourself the hero of Pattaquasset, Linden," he said.
"There won't another fellow stand a chance to be looked at for a month
to come--from here to Quilipeak. You ought to be indicted for breach of
the public peace."
"Don't try it--" said Mr. Linden. "I should doubtless prevail with the
jury too."
"Ha?--" said the doctor with another glance over at Reuben. "Now how
did this come about?"
"Quite suddenly--as I was walking home."
"Where were you?"
"About a mile from here, in the open road."
"Who was fool enough to be shooting ducks in the open road and mistake
you for a specimen?--You are not at all the sort of man I should ever
think of making game of."
"I tried hard to find out who it was," said Mr. Linden,--"but he was a
better runner than I, or else my strength gave out."
"Why how did the thing happen?" said the doctor. "Run!--you don't
suppose the fellow meant to hit you?"
"He meant to run--" said Mr. Linden.
The doctor looked at Mr. Simlins, with a serio-comical expression.
"Worse and worse!" said he. "It is a full-grown, regular built
adventure; and this is a hero from head to foot."
"Which way did the fellow run?" said Mr. Simlins, with a growl that was
ominous.
"Straight ahead--till he got into the woods," said Mr. Linden, smiling
at his host. "But he probably turned there, Mr. Simlins."
"I'll have him!" said Mr. Simlins--"I'll foller his tracks, if they
lead me to the two poles of the axletree! You tell me where you see
him, and I'll set runners on, that won't give out neither."
"They'd be as likely to run against each other as any way, in this mist
to-night," said the doctor. "You'd bette
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