has happened. I should
think that someone must have met with an accident."

"Without wishing ill to anyone, Godfrey, I sincerely wish it may be so,
then I might be able to win their good-will."

Little attention was paid to the party when they joined the group, all
were too busy in discussing some event or other. Three or four minutes
later a man came to the door of the tent and waved his hand, and gave
some order. His dress was a handsome one. The little crowd fell back,
but one of the men who had brought the captives in went up and spoke to
him. He again waved his hand impatiently, and was turning to enter the
tent when Alexis cried loudly: "I am a doctor, if anyone has been hurt I
may be of service to him."

The man stepped hastily forward. "Do you say you are a doctor?"

"I am."

"Come in then," he said abruptly, and entered the tent.

"I will call you if you can be of any use," Alexis said to Godfrey as he
followed him.

The tent was a large one. Some handsome Koord carpets covered the
ground. Facing the door was another opening leading into a small tent
serving as the women's apartment.

There were several piles of sheep-skins round the tent, and by one of
these three women were standing. Two of these were richly dressed in
gowns of handsome striped materials. They wore head-dresses of silver
work with beads of malachite and mother-of-pearl, and had heavy silver
ornaments hanging on their breasts. Their hair fell down their backs in
two thick braids. The other woman was evidently of inferior rank. All
were leaning over a pile of skins covered with costly furs, on which a
boy of seven or eight years old was lying. His father, for such the man
evidently was, said something in his own language, and the women turned
eagerly to Alexis.

"You are a Russian doctor!" one of the women exclaimed joyfully.

"I am, lady," he said. "I graduated at St. Petersburg."

"Can you do anything for my son?" she asked. "Half an hour ago he went
up incautiously behind a young horse that had been driven in from the
herd only yesterday and it kicked him. See, it is terrible," and she
burst into tears.

Alexis went forward and lifted a wet cloth that had been placed on the
leg. A slight exclamation broke from his lips as he did so. The bone was
evidently completely smashed, and one of the splintered ends projected
through the skin.

"He must die," the mother sobbed, "nothing can save him."

The father did not speak, but l