far," said the Doctor, "and he sees
that I know what's the matter. Now then, am I to try and cure it? What
would you like me to do?"

He pointed to the arm as he spoke, and then to himself, and the Indian
took the Doctor's hand, directed it to the knife, and then, pointing to
his arm, drew a line from the mouth of the wound right up to his elbow,
making signs that the Doctor should make one great gash, and take the
arrow out.

"All right, my friend, but that is not quite the right way," said the
Doctor. "You trust me then to do my best for you?"

He took up one of the short-bladed knives as he spoke, and pointed to
the arm.

The Indian smiled and nodded, his face the next moment becoming stern
and fixed as if he were in terrible pain, and needed all his fortitude
to bear it.

"Going to cut it out, master?" said Joses, roughly.

"Yes."

"Let's give the poor beggar a comforter then," continued Joses. "If he
scalps us afterwards along with his copper crew, why, he does, but let's
show him white men are gentlemen."

"What are you going to do?" said the Doctor, wonderingly.

"Show you directly," growled Joses, who leisurely filled a short,
home-made wooden pipe with tobacco, lit it at the Indian's fire, which
was now crackling merrily, and returned to offer it to the chief, who
took it with a short nod and a grunt, and began to smoke rapidly.

"That'll take a bit o' the edge off it," growled Joses. "Shall I hold
his arm?"

"No; Bart, will do that," said the Doctor, rolling up his sleeves and
placing water, bandages, and forceps ready. "Humph! he cannot bend his
arm. Hold it like that, Bart--firmly, my lad, and don't flinch. I
won't cut you."

"I'll be quite firm, sir," said Bart, quietly; and the Doctor raised his
knife.

As he did so, he glanced at where nine Indians were seated round the
fire, expecting to see that they would be interested in what was taking
place; but, on the contrary, they were to a man fully occupied in
roasting their dried meat and the portions of the antelope that they had
cut up. The operation on the chief did not interest them in the least,
or if it did, they were too stoical to show it.

The Doctor then glanced at his savage patient, and laying one hand upon
the dreadfully swollen limb, he received a nod of encouragement, for
there was no sign of quailing in the chief's eyes; but as the Doctor
approached the point of the knife to a spot terribly discoloured, just
below