would look at me and
tell me what's the matter with me. I cannot eat, I cannot sleep, and
yet I am weary. I feel weak and useless--cannot you help me?"

The doctor looked at him keenly. "You're not playing with me, are you?
No, by Jove! you are not. You do look bad--let me look at you." His
professional interest was aroused. He turned up the lamp and examined
Shock thoroughly.

"What have you been doing? What's the cause of this thing?" he
enquired, at length, as if he feared to ask.

Shock gave him an account of his ten days' experience in the mountains,
sparing nothing. The doctor listened in an agony of self-reproach.

"It was my fault," he groaned, "it was all my fault."

"Not a word of that, doctor, please. It was not in your hands or in
mine. The Lost River is lost, not by any man's fault, but by the will
of God. Now, tell me, what do I need?"

"Nothing, nothing at all but rest and sleep. Rest; for a week," said
the doctor.

"Well, then," said Shock, "I want you to come and look after me for a
week. I need you; you need me; we'll help each other."

"Oh, God! Oh, God!" groaned the doctor, "what is the use? You know
there is no use."

"Doctor, I told you before that you are saying what is both false and
foolish."

"I remember," said the doctor bitterly. "You spoke of common sense and
honesty."

"Yes, and I say so again," replied Shock. "Common sense and honesty is
what you need. Listen--I am not going to preach, I am done with that
for to-night--but you know as well as I do that when a man faces the
right way God is ready to back him up. It is common sense to bank on
that, isn't it? Common sense, and nothing else. But I want to say this,
you've got to be honest with God. You've not been fair. You say you've
prayed--"

"God knows I have," said the doctor.

"Yes," said Shock, with a touch of scorn in his voice, "you've prayed,
and then you went into the same old places and with the same old
companions, and so you find yourself where you are to-night. You cannot
cure any man of disease if he breaks every regulation you make when
your back is turned. Give God a chance, that's all I ask. Be decently
square with Him. There's lots of mystery in religion, but it is not
there. Come along now, you are going home with me."

"No, sir," said the doctor decidedly. "I shall fight it out alone."

"Will you walk, or shall I carry you?" said Shock quietly.

The doctor gazed at him. "Oh, confound you!" he cried,