Part 73 (2/2)

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

MY DOCTOR AND NURSE.

When I opened my eyes again it was with a horrible sensation of sickness at my heart, and my eyes swam, but I could dimly make out Mr Raydon's face, as he leaned over me, and I heard him say, as if he was speaking a very long way from me in a very small voice--

”That's right; go on. Keep bathing his face.”

Then I heard Esau speak in a faint choking voice.

”Oh, sir! oh, sir! He won't die, will he? Tell me he won't die.”

”I tell you to keep on bathing his face. There, take that basket and throw the wretched gold back into the stream. The basket will hold a little water at the bottom. No, no! squeeze what you have in your handkerchief first over his face.”

There was a cool refres.h.i.+ng sensation on my face directly after, and all the time I could hear that Esau was in great trouble, for he kept on softer with a curious moaning voice--

”Oh--oh--oh--oh!”

It seemed very strange, and sounded to me as if it was all occurring some distance off, and I wanted to shout to him, and ask what was the matter. But Mr Raydon was still leaning over me, pulling me about it seemed, and a sharp pain suddenly shot through me, and made me wince.

”Don't--don't,” I said, faintly; but he kept on burning me, so it seemed to me, with a red-hot iron in the chest; and after doing this for some time, while Esau kept on after a bit making his low moaning sound and splas.h.i.+ng water over my face, Mr Raydon turned me over, and began burning me on the back.

I wanted to struggle, and tell him to leave off, but no words would come; and he kept on hurting me dreadfully, and pus.h.i.+ng me about, for what seemed to be a terribly long time, before he turned me again upon my back.

”Oh, do tell me, sir, please do tell me, whether he'll die,” I heard Esau say again, and I fancied that I caught sight of him through a thick cloud.

”I cannot tell you, my lad,” I heard Mr Raydon say. ”Please G.o.d! no.”

”But I shot him, sir; I shot him. It was me, and I declare to goodness I'd sooner have shot myself.”

”Yes, my lad, I believe you,” said Mr Raydon, very faintly, from further away now.

”Is it--is it right through the heart?”

”No, no, no, not, so bad as that. The bullet has pa.s.sed right through just below the shoulder.”

”There--then he'll bleed to death,” groaned Esau.

”No; I've stopped that. Quick! more water; he's going off again.”

”He's dying! he's dying!” cried Esau, very close to me now, as it seemed to me; but his voice died out quickly, beginning as a shrill cry and ending in a faint whisper, and it all grew dark and silent for a time.

Then once more I seemed to wake up with a shrill-toned bell ringing loudly in my ears; and I lay with a terrible sensation of deathly faintness till I heard Esau say, close to me--”I'll carry him, sir.”

”No, no, my lad.”

”But you don't know how strong I am, sir.”

”We must not shake him more than we can help, and he must be in an easy position. Have you your knife? I left mine.”

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