The head had fallen backward over the side of the lounge and a pool of blood, still warm and red, lay on the floor in a widening circle beneath it. His quick eye took in its significance at a glance. He sprang forward, ripped the shirt wide open and applied4 his ear to the breast.
“He's still alive!” he cried excitedly.
He examined the ugly wound in the left side and found that the knife had penetrated5 the lung. The heart had not been touched. The blow on the neck had not been fatal. The shock of the final stroke had merely choked the wounded man into collapse from the hemorrhage of the left lung. The position into which the body had fallen across the couch had gradually cleared the accumulated blood. There was a chance to save his life.
In ten minutes he had applied stimulants6 and restored respiration7, but the deep wheeze8 from the stricken lung told only too plainly the dangerous character of the wound. It would be a bitter fight. His enormous vitality9 might win. The chances were against him.
Jim's lips moved and he tried to speak.
The Doctor placed his hand on his mouth and shook his head. The drooping10 eyelids11 closed in grateful obedience12.
The beat of horses' hoofs13 echoed down the mountain road. His nurse and messenger were coming. He decided14 at once to move Mary to his own house. She must regain15 consciousness in new surroundings or her chance of survival would be slender. To awake in this miserable16 cabin, the scene of the tragedy she had witnessed, might be instantly fatal. Besides she must not yet know that the brute17 who had choked her was alive and might still hold the power of life and death over her frail18 body. She believed him dead. It was best so. He might be dead and buried before she recovered consciousness. The fever that burned her brain would completely cloud reason for days.
He hastily improvised19 a stretcher with a blanket and two strong quilting-poles which stood in the corner of the room. Nance20 helped him without question. She obeyed his slightest suggestion with childlike submission21.
He placed Mary on the stretcher, wrapped her body in another warm blanket and turned to his nurse and messenger:
“Carry her to my house. Walk slowly and rest whenever you wish. Don't wake her. Tell Aunt Abbie to put her to bed in the south room overlooking the valley. Don't leave her a minute, Betty. She's in the first collapse of brain fever. You know what to do. I'll be there in an hour. You come back here, John. I want you.”
The mountaineer nodded and seized one end of the stretcher. The nurse took up the other and the Doctor held wide the cabin door as they passed out.
For three weeks he fought the grim battle with Death for the two young lives the Christmas tragedy had thrust into his hands. He gave his entire time day and night to the desperate struggle.
When pneumonia22 had developed and Jim's life hung by a hair, he slept on the couch in the living-room of the cabin and had Nance make for herself a bed on the floor of the kitchen.
The old woman remained an obedient child. She cooked the Doctor's meals and did the work about the house and yard as if nothing had disturbed her habits of lonely plodding23. She believed implicitly24 all that was told her. Her son had pneumonia from cold he had taken in the long drive from Asheville. The house must be kept quiet. John Sanders was helping25 her nurse him. She was sure the Doctor would save him.
Even the knife with which she had stabbed him made no impression on her numbed26 senses. The Doctor had scoured27 every trace of blood from the blade and put it back in its place on the shelf, lest she should miss it and ask questions. She used it daily without the slightest memory of the frightful28 story it might tell.
Each morning before going to the cabin the Doctor watched with patience for the first signs of returning consciousness in Mary's fever-wracked body. The day she lifted her grateful eyes to his and her lips moved in a tremulous question he raised his hand gently.
“Sh! Child—don't talk! It's all right. You're getting better. I've been with you every day. You're in my house now. You'll soon be yourself again.”
She smiled wanly29, put her delicate hand on his and pressed it gratefully.
“I understand. You thank me—you say that I am good to you. But I'm not. This is my life. I heal the sick because I must. I love this battle royal with Death. He beats me sometimes—but I never quit. I'm always tramping on his trail, and I've won this fight!”
The calm brown eyes held her in a spell and she smiled again.
“Sleep now,” he said soothingly30. “Sleep day and night. Just wake to take a little food—that's all and Nature will do the rest.”
He stroked her hand gently until her eyelids closed.
Two days later Jim clung to the Doctor's hand and insisted on talking.
“Better wait a little longer, boy,” the physician answered kindly31. “You're not out of the woods yet——”
“I can't wait—Doc——” Jim pleaded. “I've just got to ask you something.”
“All right. You can talk five minutes.”
“My wife, Doc, how is she? You took her to your house, John told me. She'll get well?”
“Yes. She's rapidly recovering now.”
“What does she say about me?”
“She thinks you're dead.”
“You haven't told her?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“She had all she could stand——”
Jim stared in silence.
“You think she'd be sorry to know I am alive?” he asked slowly.
“It would be a great shock.”
The steel blue eyes slowly filled with tears.
“God! I am rotten, ain't I?”
“There's no doubt about that, my son,” was the firm answer.
“Why did you fight so hard to save me—I wonder?”
“An old feud32 between Death and me.”
Jim suddenly seized the Doctor's hand.
“Say, you can't fool me—you're a good one, Doc. You've been a friend to me and you've got to help now—you've just got to. You're the only one on earth who can. You've a great big heart and you can't go back on a fellow that's down and out. Give me a chance! You will—won't you?”
The hot fingers gripped the Doctor's hand with pleading tenderness.
The brown eyes searched Jim's soul.
“If you can show me it's worth while——”
The fingers tightened33 their grip in silence.
“Just give me a chance, Doc,” he said at last, “and I'll show you! I ain't never had a chance to really know what was right and what was wrong. If I'd a lived here with my old mother she'd have told me. You know what it is to be a stray dog on the streets of New York? Even then, I'd have kept straight if I hadn't been robbed by a lawyer and his pal34. I didn't know what I was doin' till that night here in this cabin—honest to God, I didn't——”
He paused for breath and a tear stole down his cheek. He fought for control of his emotions and went on in low tones.
“I didn't know—till I saw my old mother creepin' on me in the shadows with that big knife gleamin' in her hand! I tried to stop her and I couldn't. I tried to yell and strangled with blood. I saw the flames of hell in her eyes and I had kindled35 them there—God! I never knew until that minute! I'm broken and bruised36 lyin' on the rocks now in the lowest pit—— Give me your hand, Doc! You're my only friend—I'm goin' straight from now on—so help me God!”
He paused again for breath and sought the actor's eyes.
“You'll stand by me, won't you?”
A friendly grip closed on the trembling fingers.
“Yes—I'll help you—if I can.”
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1
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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3
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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4
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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5
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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6
stimulants
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| n.兴奋剂( stimulant的名词复数 )；含兴奋剂的饮料；刺激物；激励物 | |
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respiration
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| n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用 | |
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8
wheeze
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| n.喘息声，气喘声；v.喘息着说 | |
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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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14
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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15
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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19
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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20
nance
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| n.娘娘腔的男人，男同性恋者 | |
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21
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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pneumonia
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| n.肺炎 | |
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plodding
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| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
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implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
scoured
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| 走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮 | |
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28
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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29
wanly
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| adv.虚弱地；苍白地，无血色地 | |
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30
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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31
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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feud
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| n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇 | |
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33
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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34
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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35
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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36
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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