e wound with a slip of stuff
torn off from the bottom of your petticoat. You had better tear off two
slips, for his arm will require bandaging too. I will look to that as
soon as you have done his head. No," he went on, when he saw that Mrs.
Sampson's trembling fingers were quite incapable of fixing the bandage
properly, "I do not think that will do. If you will allow me I will do
it for you."

He took Mrs. Sampson's place, and while Mrs. Renshaw supported the
settler's head he wound the bandage tightly and skilfully round it. "Now
for his arm," he said, and drawing out his knife cut the sleeve up the
shoulder. "It has narrowly missed the artery," he went on; "but though
it is an ugly-looking gash it is not serious. I wish we had some more
water, but as we haven't we must do without it, and I daresay we shall
come across a stream soon." When the operation of bandaging was complete
Mr. Atherton stood up.

"What are we to do next?" Mrs. Renshaw asked him.

"We must cut a couple of saplings and make a litter," he said. "If one
of you ladies can spare a petticoat, please take it off while I cut the
poles." He went away and returned in a few minutes with two poles ten or
eleven feet long.

"Here is the petticoat," Mrs. Renshaw said. The settler's wife was too
absorbed by her grief and anxiety to hear Mr. Atherton's request. "What
is to be done with it?"

"In the first place it must be taken out of that band, or whatever you
call it," Mr. Atherton replied, "and then split right down. Here is my
knife."

When the garment had been operated upon there remained a length of
strong calico nearly three feet wide and three yards long. "That will do
well," he said. "Now we have to fasten this to the poles. How would you
do that? It is more in your way than mine."

"I should roll it twice round the pole and then sew it, if I had a
needle and thread. If I had not that I should make holes in every six
inches and tie it with string; but unfortunately we have no string
either."

"I think we can manage that," Mr. Atherton said; and he walked rapidly
away and returned in a few minutes with some long stalks that looked
like coarse grass.

"This is the very thing, Mrs. Renshaw," he said; "this is what is called
New Zealand flax, and I have no doubt it will be strong enough for our
purpose." In a quarter of an hour the litter was completed. Just as it
was finished Mrs. Sampson uttered an exclamation of joy, and turning
round, they