I have had nothing to eat since
your men woke us this morning."

The Buriat went outside the tent and waved a blanket, and the others
came running in at the signal.

"Tell them not to make a noise," Alexis said; "the longer the child
sleeps quietly the better."

The Buriats uttered exclamations of the most profound astonishment when
the chief told them that the Russian doctor had taken off the leg of the
child without his feeling the slightest pain, and that there was every
hope of his speedily recovering, whereupon they looked at Alexis with a
feeling of respect amounting to awe. A sheep was at once killed,
skinned, cut up, and placed in a great cooking pot over a fire; but long
before this was done two great bowls of hot milk were brought out by the
Buriat to Alexis and Godfrey, to enable them to hold on until the meal
was prepared. At his order the men at once set about erecting a tent for
them close to his own, and as soon as this was up, piles of soft skins
were brought in.

"That has been a lucky stroke indeed, Godfrey," Alexis said as they took
possession of their new abode.

"It has indeed, Alexis. Nothing could have been more providential. We
are in clover as long as we choose to stop here. Do you think the child
will recover?"

"I think there is every hope of his doing so. These natives are as hard
as nails. I don't suppose the child has ever had a day's illness in his
life, and in this pure dry air there is little fear of the wound doing
badly. The next thing to do is to make him a pair of crutches to get
about with till he can bear to have a wooden stump on. The only nuisance
is that we shall be delayed. As a doctor, I cannot very well leave my
patient till he is fairly on the road towards recovery."

"Certainly not," Godfrey agreed. "Well, I daresay we shall put away the
time pleasantly enough here."

Half an hour later two horses were brought up, and these with their
saddles and bridles were presented by the Buriat to his guests, and were
picketed by their tent. The next three weeks passed pleasantly; they
rode, hunted, and shot. The little patient made rapid progress towards
recovery, and at the end of that time was able to get about on two
crutches Godfrey had made for him.

"It is better that you should make them, Godfrey, and also the wooden
leg when he is ready for it," Alexis had said. "It is just as well that
their gratitude should be divided a little, so I will hand that part of
the wo