ible work, but we was obliged
to do it; they'd have cut us all to pieces. Reg'lar butchers--that they
are--and deserved it. Coming on like that at a lot o' poor cripples and
a woman, besides the nong-combytant. Savages they are to try and cut
down a doctor who's ready to 'tend to everybody, either side, and tie or
sew them up."

"You're right, Gedge, my lad; they are savages," said Drummond, patting
the speaker on the shoulder.

"Hff! gently, please, sir," said Gedge, flinching.

"I beg your pardon. Are you hurt there?" cried Drummond hastily.

"Oh, all right, sir," said the lad, grinning; "but you said, `Hurt
there.' Why, it's all over, sir. There aren't a place as I've found
yet where you could put a finger on without making me squirm. Doctor
made me yell like a great calf. But there's nothing broke or cracked,
and no fresh holes nowhere."

"That's a comfort," said Drummond.

"Yus; but it aren't very comf'table yet, sir. He says I shall soon be
better, though."

"Yes, Gedge, you must regularly lie up till the pain has gone."

"I mean to, sir, all the time that I can get from tending Mr Bracy
here. I must tend him."

"You can stay with him; but someone else ought to be sent in."

"No, sir, please; I can manage. It wouldn't be fair, sir, for some un
else to come in now the gov'nor's getting better. Doctor says I've
saved his life so fur, and I wants to go on and save his life so
further. See?"

"Yes, of course," said Roberts, smiling. "It would not be fair for you
to be robbed of the credit of what you have done."

"Thank ye, sir. That does a chap good, sir. But I beg your pardon,
Captain: you see, I'm noo to sojering and fighting. I thought we'd had
it tidy 'ot in the coming up along o' the stone-throwing. Then it was a
bit warm when Mr Bracy was shot down and I got my bullet. But that was
all like playing skretch-cradle to our set-to last night in the dark.
Shall we have it much worse by-and-by?"

"Worse? No," cried the Captain sharply. "Nothing could be worse than
last night's work."

"Oh, come, I'm glad o' that, sir; for arterward, when I begun to cool
down, it seemed to me that if it could be much worse I should begin to
think as sojering might get to be a little bit too strong."

It was just then that Doctor Morton came in, and for the moment he
frowned; but the angry look passed off after a glance at Bracy.

"I was afraid you would disturb him," he said; "but there is no n