nd was hardly ever hit afore."

Here the wounded man opened his eyes, and uttered a suppressed groan;
whether at the recollection of his numerous duels, or because the doctor
wrenched his arm, is more than I can tell.

"Ah, man, don't groan, for it's only a broken arm ye have; but I'll tell
ye privately that it's yer life it would have been, had the American
been disposed to take it, for a divil a fear but he put the bullet jist
where he intended. I saw, the instant he raised the rifle, that it was
only a flesh wound he wished, and that he didn't know whether to pop ye
on the right or left arm. Here, swallow that, and see if it don't put
the life into ye, and make ye open yer eyes and sing psalms."

The doctor emptied a teaspoonful of cordial into the wounded man's
mouth, and its strength must have been very beneficial, for he opened
his eyes, a healthy color came to his face, and he spoke without any
painful effort.

"Ah, a divil a fear is there of ye now, and if I can save the arm, ye'll
be at it again in less than six months," muttered the doctor, as he
applied a balm to the wound, and then covered it with lint.

"There is no fear of that, is there, doctor?" asked Wattles, who was a
youngster not more than twenty-two years of age.

"I'll do all that I can; but rifle bullets are different intirely than
pistol balls. It's many's the good wound I've cured made by the latter,
and well ye knows it, Wattles; but who'd have suspected ye of fighting
with murdering rifles?"

The young officer made no reply, and the doctor, tearing a piece of
linen cloth into strips about two inches wide, continued working and
talking at the same time.

The bandages were all tied on, and Smith had been sent after the driver
of the carriage to tell him to bring his vehicle as near as possible, so
that the wounded man could enter without exerting himself to walk. While
we were waiting, Wattles looked at me, and a grim smile crossed his
face, as he said,--

"Your friend is in luck to-day, sir."

"If you think that he considers it luck because you are wounded, you are
mistaken," I replied.

"He had the advantage in the use of a weapon with which he is
accustomed, and therefore I did not expect a favorable result. Had we
used pistols, he would now be occupying my place."

"Ah, have done with your boasting, lieutenant, and think no more of the
quarrel. Ye challenged the gentleman, and he accepted and chose his
weapons; and it's mighty