"Glad? Well, you show your joy in a mighty queer way.""She's done out, Doctor," cried Moira, springing from her horse and running to her sister-in-law."I ought to have come before to relieve her," she continued penitently, with her arms round Mandy, "but I knew so little, and besides I thought the doctor was here.""He was here," said Mandy, recovering herself."He has just gone, and oh, I am glad.He wanted to cut his foot off.""Cut his foot off? Whose foot off? His own?" said Dr.Martin.
"But I am glad! How did you get here in all the world?""Your telegram came when I was away," said the doctor."I did not get it for a day, then I came at once.""My telegram?"
"Yes, your telegram.I have it here--no, I've left it somewhere--but I certainly got a telegram from you.""From me? I never sent a telegram."
"I beg your pardon, Mrs.Cameron.I understood you to desire Dr.
Martin's presence, and--I ventured to send a wire in your name.Ihope you will forgive the liberty," said Smith, red to his hair-roots and looking over his horse's neck with a most apologetic air.
"Forgive the liberty?" cried Mandy."Why, bless you, Mr.Smith, you are my guardian angel," running to him and shaking him warmly by the hand.
"And he brought, us here, too," cried Moira."He has been awfully good to me these days.I do not know what I should have done without him."Meantime Smith was standing first on one foot and then on the other in a most unhappy state of mind.
"Guess I will be going back," he said in an agony of awkwardness and confusion."It is getting kind of late.""What? Going right away?" exclaimed Mandy.
"I've got some chores to look after, and I guess none of you are coming back now anyway.""Well, hold on a bit," said the doctor."We'll see what's doing inside.Let's get the lie of things.""Guess you don't need me any more," continued Smith."Good-by."And he climbed on to his horse."I have got to get back.So long."No one appeared to have any good reason why Smith should remain, and so he rode away.
"Good-by, Mr.Smith," called out Mandy impulsively."You have really saved my life, I assure you.I was in utter despair.""Good-by, Mr.Smith," cried Moira, waving her hand with a bright smile."You have saved me too from dying many a time these three days."With an awkward wave Smith answered these farewells and rode down the trail.
"He is really a fine fellow," said Mandy."Always doing something for people.""That is just it," cried Moira."He has spent his whole time these three days doing things for me.""Ah, no wonder," said the doctor."A most useful chap.But what's the trouble here? Let's get at the business."Mandy gave him a detailed history of the case, the doctor meanwhile making an examination of the patient's general condition.
"And the doctor would have his foot off, but I would not stand for that," cried Mandy indignantly as she closed her history.
"H'm! Looks bad enough to come off, I should say.I wish I had been here a couple of days ago.It may have to come off all right.""Oh, Dr.Martin!"
"But not just to-night."
"Oh, I knew it."
"Not to-night," I said."I don't know what the outcome may be, but it looks as bad as it well can.""Oh, that's all right," cried Mandy cheerfully.Her burden of responsibility was lifted.Her care was gone."I knew it would be all right.""Well, whether it will or not I cannot say.But one thing I do know, you've got to trot off to sleep.Show me the ropes and then off you go.Who runs this camp anyway?""Oh, the Chief does, Chief Trotting Wolf.I will call him," cried Mandy."He has been very good to me.I will get him." And she ran from the tent to find the Chief.
"Isn't she wonderful?" said Moira.
"Wonderful? I should say so.But she is played right out I can see," replied the doctor."I must get comfortable quarters for you both.""But do you not want some one?" said Moira."Do you not want me?""Do I want you?" echoed the doctor, looking at her as she stood in the glow of the westering sun shining through the canvas tent."Do I want you?" he repeated with deliberate emphasis."Well, you can just bet that is just what I do want."A slight flush appeared on the girl's face.
"I mean," she said hurriedly, "cannot I be of some help?""Most certainly, most certainly," said the doctor, noting the flush."Your help will be invaluable after a bit.But first you must get Mrs.Cameron to sleep.She has been on this job, Iunderstand, for three days.She is quite played out.And you, too, need sleep.""Oh, I am quite fit.I do not need sleep.I am quite ready to take my sister-in-law's place, that is, as far as I can.And you will surely need some one--to help you I mean." The doctor's eyes were upon her face.Under his gaze her voice faltered.The glow of the sunset through the tent walls illumined her face with a wonderful radiance.
"Miss Moira," said the doctor with abrupt vehemence, "I wish I had the nerve to tell you just how much--""Hush!" cried the girl, her glowing face suddenly pale, "they are coming.""Here is the Chief, Dr.Martin," cried Mandy, ushering in that stately individual.The doctor saluted the Chief in due form and said:
"Could we have another tent, Chief, for these ladies? Just beside this tent here, so that they can have a little sleep."The Chief grunted a doubtful acquiescence, but in due time a tent very much dilapidated was pitched upon the clean dry ground close beside that in which the sick boy lay.While this was being done the doctor was making a further examination of his patient.With admiring eyes, Moira followed the swift movements of his deft fingers.There was no hesitation.There was no fumbling.There was the sure indication of accurate knowledge, the obvious self-confidence of experience in everything he did.Even to her untutored eyes the doctor seemed to be walking with a very firm tread.
At length, after an hour's work, he turned to Mandy who was assisting him and said:
