Old Gold Part 29

"But I'm not dead, Brace."

"Not a bit, old fellow. Does your arm hurt much?"

"When I move it. Then it stings. I say, that must be a good, healthy sign!"

"I should think so."

"But my head aches terribly--it is burning and throbbing."

"Aha! good morning, Sir Humphrey," cried the captain cheerily. "Come, that's better. Why, you frightened us all last night."

"I am very sorry."

"And I am very glad," said the captain. "Did I hear you say just now that your head was aching very badly?"

"Yes, terribly."

"Well, don't be uneasy about that. I gave you a strong dose of opium yesterday, and you've only just slept it off. Never mind about the head. Let your doctors see your arm."

This was carefully unbandaged, the captain displaying no mean skill.

"Swollen a bit," he said; "the bandages have been drawn too tight. A nasty hurt; but you're a healthy man, and the wound looks the same.

There's no poison here."

"Do you feel sure?" asked Sir Humphrey, while Brace looked anxiously on.

"Certain, sir. Look for yourself. A bit hot and inflamed, and very tender to the touch, but quite natural. A poisoned wound would look very different from that. Here, squire, we'll give it a good bath and a new bandage and it will be quite easy. We're not going to turn back from our voyage because our leader has been hurt."

"Your words do me good, captain," said Sir Humphrey, smiling. "A man cannot help feeling just a bit nervous when he has received such a wound, can he?"

"Of course 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 of any more bleeding, and it will heal up again in a very short time."

Sir Humphrey unconsciously sighed again, but it was a sigh of relief and a few minutes after Dan brought him a cup of tea, of which he partook, and once more dropped asleep when everything had been done.

"Bit weak," said the captain softly. "Best thing he can do. Sleep's a fine thing, and it seems the best thing in the world when you've got the watch and your eyelids keep on sticking together and making you feel as if you must break up a couple of sticks to turn into props. Now come and have some breakfast, my lad. I want mine. Eh? what do you say?

We're sailing up?"

"Yes; we're going fast."

"Ever since sunrise, my lad, and we're miles away from where we anch.o.r.ed, and likely to get miles more ahead by night, so that we may hope for better anchorage and better sport than we had yesterday.

Hungry?"

"Well, yes," said Brace. "I feel more at ease about my brother."

"That's right," said the captain, sniffing. "I say! ham smells good.

Coffee too. That skinny chap of Briscoe's makes a splendid steward.

You'll feel in better heart still when you've had your breakfast. Sun's out again."

"Yes," said Brace; "I saw it was a bright morning."

"I didn't mean that: I meant your sun, squire--the one inside a man which gets clouded over sometimes, and means dumps till it comes out again and lights him up. Sun's in: a man can't eat. Sun's out: he can.

See?"

"Yes," said Brace, laughing; "I think I shall have an appet.i.te to-day."

The next minute he was proving his words; but his efforts did not bring him abreast of the captain and the others, though the captain said afterwards in confidence:

"The pa.s.sengers did not play such a very bad knife and fork."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

RAPID PROGRESS.

A favourable breeze sent the brig higher and higher up the river all that day, the captain taking advantage of the many broad reaches to spread ample canvas.

There was only one drawback to their full enjoyment, and that was the absence of the wounded man.

Brace had the satisfaction of seeing his brother asleep again and again, sinking into pleasant restful slumbers, from which he awoke sensibly refreshed and freed from fever. In fact, all cause for anxiety seemed to have disappeared, and all on board became more cheerful.

The banks of the river were for the most part densely wooded, but twice over open park-like patches were pa.s.sed where the trees were grand in the extreme, having ample room to grow in the rich soil unfettered by the parasites and vines which wove their brethren of the dense jungle into an impa.s.sable wall of verdure.