not, sir. He wouldn't be a man if he didn't. I don't
suppose a marble image minds much about a chip or its head being knocked
off. But I know I should."

"Should you, captain?" said Brace drily.

"Of course I--No, I shouldn't," cried the captain. "I suppose a fellow
wouldn't think much without his head. But let's talk sense. I'm not a
doctor, Sir Humphrey, but I've had a lot of queer jobs to tackle in my
time, and only lost one patient. He was too much for me. Fell from the
main-top cross-trees and broke his neck. I couldn't set that. But I
did set a broken arm and a broken leg. Made 'em stronger than they were
before. Then I had a chap nipped between a water-cask and the side of
the hold. Broke two of his ribs. I mended him too."

"How did you manage to set the ribs?" said Brace, noting that the
captain's decisive way influenced his brother.

"Made 'em set themselves, squire. I gave him as much as he could eat,
and then made him draw in as much air as he could and hold it while I
put a great broad bandage round him. I had a piece of canvas pierced
with eye-holes, and laced it up tight about his chest with a bit o'
yarn. He came right again in no time. So will you, sir. All you want
for this arm is rest, plenty of cold bathing, and clean bandages.
Nature will soon heal that up. How does the sponging feel?"

"Delightful!" said the patient.

"And what about your head?"

"Very bad."

"Cup of tea will soon set that right, sir; but I meant your thinking
apparatus--let's have some more water, squire. There, I'll hold his arm
over the basin, and you trickle it on from the spout of the can gently.
That'll make the muscles contract healthily and help the swelling to go
down."

"Most comforting!" said Sir Humphrey, with a sigh of relief. "But what
did you mean about my thinking apparatus?"

"Not going to fancy your wound's poisoned, are you?"

"N-no," said the patient, hesitating. "I suppose I need not fidget
about that?"

"Not a bit, sir," said the captain gruffly, as he went on busying
himself about the wound. "I daresay there was something on the
arrow-head, but squire here cleansed the wound beautifully, and you can
see for yourself that this side is all right, and take our word for it
that the other looks just the same. Now, squire, we'll have some of
that lint on, and a light bandage to keep it clean and cool. He'll have
the arm in a sling and hold it still, so that there's no fear