CHAPTER VII.
THE BURIAT'S CHILD.
After three days' rest the Russian's feet were so much better that hesaid he should be able to make a start the next morning. Godfrey,however, would not listen to the proposal.
"We are getting on all right," he said. "I am not much of a shot, but atany rate I am able to bag enough birds to keep us going, and though Ihave only succeeded in shooting one fish as yet, it was a good big oneand was a real help to us. It is no use going on till your feet getreally hard, for you would only be laming yourself again. It will bequite time enough to talk about making a start in three days' time."
The next morning Godfrey was roughly awakened by a violent kick.Starting up he saw a group of six Buriats standing round them. Three ofthem had guns, which were pointed at the prisoners, the others werearmed with spears. Resistance was evidently useless; their guns had beenremoved to a distance and the knives taken from their belts before theywere roused. Godfrey held out his hands to show that he surrendered, andaddressed the usual Russian salutation to them. The men were short,square-built figures, with large skulls, low foreheads, flat noses, andlong eyes like those of the Chinese. Their cheek-bones were high andwide apart, the complexion a yellow-brown, and the hair jet black andworn in a platted tail down the back. They made signs to their prisonersto accompany them. Alexis pulled on his boots. Two of the men with gunsstood guard over them while the others examined the stores, and wereevidently highly pleased with the two brightly polished knives.
"Rather an abrupt termination to our journey, Godfrey."
"Painfully so. I was almost afraid everything was going on too well withus, Alexis. It began to look so easy that one could not understand whythere should not be hundreds of prisoners every year make their wayacross."
"I should not have minded so much," Alexis said, "if we had not got sucha satisfactory kit together. We had everything we really wanted for ajourney across Asia."
"Except food and water, Alexis."
"Well, yes, those are important items certainly, and if we haddifficulty about it here in a decent sort of country, what might beexpected on farther? Well, we have had our outing; I only hope theywon't give us up at Irkutsk. I suppose it depends where theirgrazing-grounds are. There are another two months of summer; I wish wecould have had our fling till then."
Half a mile along the valley they came upon a tent, evidently belongingto the men who had taken them. They talked a good deal among themselvesas they approached it, but went straight on without making a stop.
"I expect they are taking us down to some chief or other, if they callthem chiefs," Alexis said. "I expect they came out to hunt for horses orcattle that have strayed."
Seven or eight miles farther the valley opened on to a plain, and ashort distance in front of them, on the stream, stood ten tents, one ofwhich was considerably larger than the others. Great flocks of sheepgrazed on the plain, and at a distance they could see numbers of cattle,while some horses with their saddles on were hobbled near the tents.
"I think we are lucky, Godfrey. The owner of all this must be a richman, and can hardly covet the roubles he would get for giving us up.Besides, he is sure to talk Russian."
As they came up to the huts they saw that their occupants were allgathered, talking excitedly in front of a large tent. One of the men ranon and then returned; the news he gave was evidently bad. He talkedexcitedly, pointing to his own leg about half-way between the knee andthe ankle. The men broke into exclamations of regret.
"I wonder what is the matter, Alexis; something has happened. I shouldthink that someone must have met with an accident."
"Without wishing ill to anyone, Godfrey, I sincerely wish it may be so,then I might be able to win their good-will."
Little attention was paid to the party when they joined the group, allwere too busy in discussing some event or other. Three or four minuteslater a man came to the door of the tent and waved his hand, and gavesome order. His dress was a handsome one. The little crowd fell back,but one of the men who had brought the captives in went up and spoke tohim. He again waved his hand impatiently, and was turning to enter thetent when Alexis cried loudly: "I am a doctor, if anyone has been hurt Imay be of service to him."
The man stepped hastily forward. "Do you say you are a doctor?"
"I am."
"Come in then," he said abruptly, and entered the tent.
"I will call you if you can be of any use," Alexis said to Godfrey as hefollowed him.
The tent was a large one. Some handsome Koord carpets covered theground. Facing the door was another opening leading into a small tentserving as the women's apartment.
There were several piles of sheep-skins round the tent, and by one ofthese three women were standing. Two of these were richly dressed ingowns of handsome striped materials. They wore head-dresses of silverwork with beads of malachite and mother-of-pearl, and had heavy silverornaments hanging on their breasts. Their hair fell down their backs intwo thick braids. The other woman was evidently of inferior rank. Allwere leaning over a pile of skins covered with costly furs, on which aboy of seven or eight years old was lying. His father, for such the manevidently was, said something in his own language, and the women turnedeagerly to Alexis.
"You are a Russian doctor!" one of the women exclaimed joyfully.
"I am, lady," he said. "I graduated at St. Petersburg."
"Can you do anything for my son?" she asked. "Half an hour ago he wentup incautiously behind a young horse that had been driven in from theherd only yesterday and it kicked him. See, it is terrible," and sheburst into tears.
Alexis went forward and lifted a wet cloth that had been placed on theleg. A slight exclamation broke from his lips as he did so. The bone wasevidently completely smashed, and one of the splintered ends projectedthrough the skin.
"He must die," the mother sobbed, "nothing can save him."
The father did not speak, but looked inquiringly at Alexis. The lattermade a sign to him to move to the other side of the tent.
"Well," the Buriat asked, "must he die?"
"There is no reason for his dying," Alexis said, "but there is nopossibility of saving his leg, it must be amputated."
"What would be the use of living without a leg?" the Buriat exclaimed.
"A great deal of use," Alexis said quietly. "There are hundreds, ayethousands, of men in Russia who have lost a leg, some from an accidentlike this, or from a waggon going over them, some from a wound inbattle. In some cases the leg is taken off much above the knee, but eventhen they are able to get about and enjoy their lives; but when it isbelow the knee, like this, they are able to do everything just the sameas if they had both feet. They can walk and ride, and, in fact, doeverything like others; besides, for such men there are people at St.Petersburg who make feet of cork, and when these are on, with a boot andtrousers, or with a high boot, no one could tell that the wearer had nottwo feet. I have met men who had lost a leg, and they walked so wellthat I did not know till I was told that they had not two legs."
"I will speak to his mother," the Buriat said, and returning to thewomen he spoke to them in their own language. At first they appearedshocked and even terrified at the idea, but as he went on, evidentlyrepeating what Alexis had told him, the expression of their faceschanged. The Buriat called Alexis across.
"You cannot hesitate, lady," he said, "when your child's life is atstake. No Russian mother would do so for a moment. It may seem to youdreadful that he should have but one foot, but in a little time, evenwith so rough a limb as I could make for him, he would be running aboutand playing again, and, as I have been telling his father, he can obtainfrom St. Petersburg a foot so perfect that when wearing a high boot noone would suspect the misfortune that has happened to him."
"Can he not be cured without that?"
"No, lady. If it had been a simple fracture his leg might be bandaged upso that it would heal in time, but, as you can see for yourself, thebone is all splintered and broken, and unless somethi
ng is donemortification will set in, and in a few days he will cease to live."
"But are you sure that he will live if you do it?"
"I am sure, lady, that the operation will not kill him. I believe thathe will live, but that is in the hands of God. You see him now, theshock has prostrated him. He has but little life in him, and if he dieshe will die from that and not from the taking off of his foot. But I donot think he will die, he is young and hardy, and on my faith as aRussian gentleman I believe that he will live."
"It shall be tried," the Buriat said abruptly. "God has doubtless sentyou here at this moment. Why otherwise should a doctor be brought to mydoor when this has happened? Do as you will."
Alexis felt the boy's pulse. "I must wait," he said, "until he hasrecovered somewhat from the shock. Give him some warm milk with aspoonful, not more, of vodka in it. Your men have taken the knives thatI and my friend carried; they were specially made for this, and we shallneed them. Do not fear as to the operation, it is the most simple insurgery. Let him have the milk at once. Let him remain quiet upon hisback, and do not let him attempt to move his leg. Do not tell him aboutthis, it would frighten and agitate him. If I had medicines that we usein our hospitals I could send him to sleep so that he would know nothingabout it, and when he woke up would be ignorant that his foot had beenremoved; but as there is none of it within a hundred miles of us we mustmanage it as we best can. Please tell your men to release my friend, Ishall need his assistance."
After bidding the woman heat some milk at once the Buriat went out andordered Godfrey's guards to release him at once, and to restore to themtheir knives and all their other possessions. Alexis informed Godfrey ofwhat had taken place, and what he proposed to do.
"The operation would be a very easy one if we had chloroform and properimplements. Unfortunately there is no chance of their having such athing as a fine saw, and how in the world I am to make a clean cutthrough the bone I do not know. The knife that you carry is just theright thing for the job; but how about a saw? If we could havechloroformed him, we could, after making the cuts through the flesh,have put the leg on a log of wood and have cut clean through the bonewith a chopper. It would not be a good plan, for it would probablysplinter the bone, but it might have been tried, but without chloroformit is not to be thought of."
Godfrey thought for a moment. "The knives are of a very good steel,Alexis?"
"Oh yes, of the very best steel!"
"Is it hard steel like that of a razor?"
"Yes, very much the same."
"Then I should think it could be managed. I know the least thing willnotch a razor. Now I should think if we took the large knife, and withmy pocket-knife or with the edge of a hard stone notch the edgecarefully all the way down, it would make a very good saw."
"I should think it might do anyhow, Godfrey, and the idea is a very goodone. Well, let us set about it at once. I can get a piece of fresh boneto try on; no doubt they kill a sheep here every day."
They set to work and in ten minutes had notched the blade of the knifeall the way down. Alexis had, as he expected, no trouble in obtaining afreshly-picked bone, and they found that the knife sawed through it verycleanly. Then Alexis went in to see the boy again. Before, he had beenlying with his eyes half-closed, without a vestige of colour in hischeeks; the warm milk had done its work almost instantaneously, and hewas perfectly conscious and there was a slight colour in his cheeks. Hispulse had recovered strength wonderfully. Alexis nodded approvingly tothe Buriat. He drew him outside the tent.
"If I were you," he said, "I would send away all the people from theother huts. If the poor child screams they may get excited and rush in,and it is better that everything should be perfectly quiet. I shouldsend away also the ladies, unless of course his mother particularlywishes to be with him; but it will be trying for her, and I own that Iwould rather not have anyone in the tent but you and my friend."
The Buriat went inside; he returned in two or three minutes. "My wifewill stay; my sister and the attendant will go." Then he called to themen who were standing at the doors of their huts:
"The doctor says there must be silence for some time; he is going to dosomething and he wishes that all shall retire to a distance until I wavemy hand for them to return. Will there be anything you want?" he askedAlexis.
"A large jug of warm water," he said, "a bowl, and some soft rag--thatis all. By the time that is ready I shall be. You will have to hold hisleg, Godfrey," he went on as the Buriat returned to his tent. "You musthold it just under the knee as firmly as possible, so as to prevent theslightest movement. But I am going to try to mesmerize him. I have seenit done with perfect success, and at any rate it is worth trying. In theweak state he is in I ought to be able to succeed without difficulty.Now I want a couple of small flat stones with rounded edges, a strip ofsoft skin, and a bit of stick three or four inches long and as thick asyour finger, to make a tourniquet with."
By the time that these were ready a perfect stillness reigned in thecamp. The whole of the natives had gone away to a distance of over aquarter of a mile, and were sitting in a group watching the tents, and,Godfrey had no doubt, debating hotly as to the folly of allowing astranger to have anything to do with the son of their employer. He nowfollowed Alexis into the tent, where all was in readiness. The child'shead was slightly raised by a skin folded and placed under it. Hismother knelt beside him.
"What do you wish me to do?" the Buriat asked.
"I wish you to stand beside him and aid his mother to hold him should hestruggle, and I may need you to dip the rag into the warm water, squeezeit out, and give it me."
"Of course he will struggle," the Buriat said; "we men can bear pain,but a child cannot."
"I am going to try to put him to sleep," Alexis replied; "a sleep sosound that he will not wake with the pain. I do not say that I shall beable to, but I will try."
The Buriat looked at Alexis as if he doubted his sanity. That a Russiandoctor should be able to take off the child's leg was within hiscomprehension. He had once seen a man in the street of Irkutsk with onlyone arm, but that anyone could make a child sleep so soundly that hewould not wake under such an operation seemed to him beyond the boundsof possibility.
"Tell the child that I am going to do him good," Alexis said to themother, "and that he is to look at my eyes steadily." He placed himselfat the side of the couch and gazed down steadily at the child; then hebegan to make passes slowly down his face. For three or four minutes theblack eyes looked into his unwinkingly, then the lids closed a little.Alexis continued his efforts, the lids drooped more and more until theyclosed completely. He continued the motions of his hand for anotherminute or two, then stooping he lifted an eyelid; the eye was turnedupwards, so that the iris was no longer visible.
"Thank God, he has gone off!" he said. "Now for the tourniquet. That isright; twist gradually now, Godfrey, and place the stone on the mainartery. Now," he said to the Buriat, "hold this stick firm with one handand place the other on his chest to prevent his moving. Do you lay yourarm across him," this to the mother; "that is right. Kneel with yourface against his. Now, Godfrey, grasp the leg just below the knee andhold it firmly."
Godfrey did so, and then shut his eyes as he saw the doctor about to usethe knife, expecting to hear a piercing scream from the child. There wasno sound, however, and in a very few seconds he heard Alexis utter a lowexclamation of satisfaction. He looked now; the flesh was already cutthrough and no cry had escaped the child. Another moment the foot andthe lower portion of the leg came away at the point where the bone wascrushed; then Alexis pushed the flesh upwards so as to expose anotherinch of the shin-bone, and then took the saw and cut through it. Somestrands of silk lay close to his hand; with a long needle he took up theends of the arteries and tied them with the silk; then he took hold ofthe stick of the tourniquet and loosened it a little. The result wassatisfactory; the arteries were securely tied. Then he tightened itagain and gave it to the Buriat to hold, wiped the wound with the damprag, d
rew down the flesh over the end of the bone, brought up the flapof flesh from behind, and with a few stitches sewed it in its place.
"It is all done," he said, rising to his feet. Then he passed his handseveral times across the child's forehead. "Tell him softly, when heopens his eyes," he said to the mother, "that he will soon be well now,and that he must go to sleep." He continued the passes for some time,occasionally lifting the eyelid. "He is coming round now," he said atlast. A few more passes and the child drowsily opened its eyes. Hismother spoke to him softly, and with a faint smile he closed them again.Alexis stood quietly for another minute or two. "He is asleep now," hesaid to the Buriat; "you need hold him no longer."
The tears were running down the man's cheeks; he seized one of the handsof Alexis and pressed it to his lips, while the mother, sobbing withjoy, did the same to the other. To them it seemed almost a miracle.
"Have some milk kept warm," Alexis said, "and give it to him when heawakes. Do not tell him anything about his foot having been taken off.Keep a blanket lying over him so that he will not see it It is well thathe should not be agitated, but tell him that he must lie perfectly quietand not move his leg, as it would hurt him if he did so. Now, chief, itwould be as well if you called the others back and told your servant toget some breakfast, for my friend and I have had nothing to eat sinceyour men woke us this morning."
The Buriat went outside the tent and waved a blanket, and the otherscame running in at the signal.
"Tell them not to make a noise," Alexis said; "the longer the childsleeps quietly the better."
The Buriats uttered exclamations of the most profound astonishment whenthe chief told them that the Russian doctor had taken off the leg of thechild without his feeling the slightest pain, and that there was everyhope of his speedily recovering, whereupon they looked at Alexis with afeeling of respect amounting to awe. A sheep was at once killed,skinned, cut up, and placed in a great cooking pot over a fire; but longbefore this was done two great bowls of hot milk were brought out by theBuriat to Alexis and Godfrey, to enable them to hold on until the mealwas prepared. At his order the men at once set about erecting a tent forthem close to his own, and as soon as this was up, piles of soft skinswere brought in.
"That has been a lucky stroke indeed, Godfrey," Alexis said as they tookpossession of their new abode.
"It has indeed, Alexis. Nothing could have been more providential. Weare in clover as long as we choose to stop here. Do you think the childwill recover?"
"I think there is every hope of his doing so. These natives are as hardas nails. I don't suppose the child has ever had a day's illness in hislife, and in this pure dry air there is little fear of the wound doingbadly. The next thing to do is to make him a pair of crutches to getabout with till he can bear to have a wooden stump on. The only nuisanceis that we shall be delayed. As a doctor, I cannot very well leave mypatient till he is fairly on the road towards recovery."
"Certainly not," Godfrey agreed. "Well, I daresay we shall put away thetime pleasantly enough here."
Half an hour later two horses were brought up, and these with theirsaddles and bridles were presented by the Buriat to his guests, and werepicketed by their tent. The next three weeks passed pleasantly; theyrode, hunted, and shot. The little patient made rapid progress towardsrecovery, and at the end of that time was able to get about on twocrutches Godfrey had made for him.
"It is better that you should make them, Godfrey, and also the woodenleg when he is ready for it," Alexis had said. "It is just as well thattheir gratitude should be divided a little, so I will hand that part ofthe work over to you."
The Buriats were delighted indeed when they saw the child hopping aboutthe camp with his crutches, and their gratitude knew no bounds to theirguests. Alexis had made no secret to the Buriat of their intention oftrying to make their way to Pekin. He endeavoured in every way todissuade them from it.
"You will never find your way across the desert," he said, "and will diefor want of water. The people are wild and savage. They are ruled bytheir lamas, and if they do not put you to death, which they would belikely to do for what you have, they will certainly send you back toKiakhta and hand you over to the Russians there; and even if you gotthrough the desert the Chinese would seize you and send you back. Itwould be madness to try. It would be better than that to go south andmake for Thibet, although even that would be a desperate expedition. Thetribes are wild and savage, the desert is terrible for those who do notknow it. You would never find the wells, and would perish miserably ofthirst even if you escaped being killed by the tribesmen. Still yourchances would be greater than they would be of reaching Pekin. But youhad far better make up your minds to live here. I will give you flocksand herds. You should be as of my family, and you, Alexis, should marrymy sister, who is rich as well as pretty, for she owns a third of allthe flocks and herds you see."
Alexis warmly thanked the Buriat for the offer, but said they must taketime to consider it. "One might do worse," he said, laughing, to Godfreywhen they were alone. "The women are certainly a great dealbetter-looking than the men, and the girl would be consideredfair-looking even in Russia. At any rate it would be vastly better beinga Buriat here than being inside that prison at Irkutsk."
"I agree with you there, Alexis; but it would be horrible being cut offhere from the world for life."
"But one is cut off in prison, Godfrey; and though I agreed to shareyour attempt I have never been very hopeful about its success, and I amstill less hopeful now from what I hear of the difficulties ahead of us.As I said when you first talked of it, there must be some frightfuldifficulties here, or this would be the way by which convicts wouldalways try to escape, and yet we have never heard of one doing so."
"Yes, I begin to think myself I have made a mistake, Alexis, in choosingthis route instead of a northern one. Besides, we shall have winter uponus in a very few weeks now, which would of course add tremendously toour difficulties. But you are not seriously thinking of stopping here,are you?"
"I don't know, Godfrey. You see you have got a home and friends waitingfor you if you do get away, I have nothing but exile. I do believe weshall never succeed in getting out through China, and I think wecouldn't do better than stop here for a year or two. By the end of thattime we may succeed in establishing relations by means of this Buriatwith some of the tea merchants at Kiakhta, and getting one of them tosmuggle us through with a caravan; but, at any rate, if you still holdto going I shall go too. I have no intention of deserting you, I canassure you."
In another fortnight Godfrey had made a stump for the child. The hollowwas lined with sheepskin to take off the jar, and it strapped firmly onto the limb. The wound was not quite sufficiently healed yet for thechild to use it regularly, but when on first trying it he walked acrossthe tent the joy of his father and mother knew no bounds.
They had only been waiting for this to make a move, for the pasture hadfor some time been getting short, and on the following day the tentswere pulled down, and for three days they journeyed east, and thenfinding a suitable spot again pitched their tents. They were now, asthe Buriat told them, only some thirty miles from Kiakhta. Godfrey andAlexis had talked matters over during the journey. They agreed that theseason was now too late for them to think of attempting the journeyuntil the following spring, and had almost concluded that the attempt toget through China should be altogether abandoned. Going north there werethe rigour of the climate and the enormous distances as obstacles, butthe passage would be chiefly by water. There was no danger from thetribes they would have to pass through, no difficulties such as theymight meet with from the opposition of the Chinese, and they had prettywell resolved to pass the winter with the Buriats and to make a start inthe spring.
Their host was greatly pleased when they informed him of their intentionat any rate to spend the winter with them, for he hoped that before thespring Alexis would have made up his mind to accept his offer, and tosettle down as a member of the tribe.
The day after t
he Buriats pitched their fresh camp one of the menreported that he had seen a large bear at the edge of a forest two milesfrom the huts. Alexis and Godfrey at once took their guns, borrowed acouple of long spears and two hunting knives, and started for the wood,the native going with them to show them the exact spot where he had seenthe bear. There was a good deal of undergrowth about, and they thoughtit probable that the animal was not far off. The Buriat had brought adog with him, and the animal at once began sniffing the ground. Hismaster encouraged it, and presently it started, sniffing the ground asit went. It had gone but a few hundred yards when it stopped before athick clump of bushes and began growling furiously. They had a shortconsultation, and then the two friends took up their post one at eachcorner of the bushes, while the Buriat went round to the rear of theclump with his dog and began beating the bushes with his stick, whilethe dog barked and yelped. A minute later a bear broke out of the busheswithin four yards of Alexis.
The Russian levelled his gun. Godfrey heard a report far louder thanusual, and something flew close to his head. A moment later he sawAlexis struck to the ground by the bear. Godfrey rushed up, and firedwhen within two paces of the animal, which with a fierce growl turnedupon him. He sprang aside and plunged his spear deep into its side. Thebear struck at the handle and broke it in two, and then rose on itshind-legs. Godfrey drew his knife and awaited its rush, but it stoodstationary for half a minute, swayed to and fro, and then fell on itsside. Godfrey leaned over it and plunged his knife in deep behind itsshoulders, pressing it until the blade disappeared. Then feeling certainit was dead he ran to Alexis, who lay motionless on the ground. By theside of him lay the stock of the gun and a portion of the barrel; it hadexploded, completely shattering the Russian's left hand. But this wasnot his only or even his most serious injury. The bear had struck him onthe side of the head, almost tearing off a portion of the scalp and ear.
The Buriat had by this time come round, and Godfrey bade him run to thecamp at the top of his speed to fetch assistance. Feeling in hisfriend's pocket he drew out the bandage which Alexis always carried, andwrapped up as well as he could his shattered hand, of which the thumband two first fingers were altogether missing; the wound on the headwas, he felt, altogether beyond him. In less than half an hour the chiefBuriat and four of his men dashed up on horseback. They had brought withthem two poles and a hide to form a litter. The chief was deeplyconcerned when he saw how serious were the Russian's injuries. No timewas lost in lashing the hides to the poles. Alexis was lifted and laidupon the litter, and two of the Buriats took the poles while the othersled back the horses. As soon as he arrived in camp Godfrey bathed thewounds with warm water, and poured some spirits between the lips of thewounded man, but he gave no signs of consciousness.
"I am afraid," he said to the Buriat, who was looking on anxiously,"that his skull is injured or there is concussion of the brain. The onlything that I can see will be for him to be carried at once to Kiakhta.There is sure to be a hospital there and doctors."
"That would be best," the Buriat said; "but I will take a house there,and my wife and sister shall nurse him."
"That will be better than going into the hospital," Godfrey agreed, "fortwo reasons. In the first, because Alexis would certainly get morecareful nursing among his friends than in a hospital, and he might thenavoid, if he survives his injuries, being again imprisoned."
No time was lost. Four Buriats took the poles, Godfrey walked beside thelitter, and the Buriat, his wife and sister, mounted and rode off tohave everything ready for them when they arrived at Troitzkosavsk, thesuburb of Kiakhta. It was late before they reached it. The Buriat metthem half a mile outside the town, and at once conducted them to a housethat he had hired from a friend established there. As soon as Alexis waslaid upon a couch Godfrey and the Buriat went out and ascertained whereone of the surgeons of the military hospital lived. On reaching thehouse they were shown by the Cossack who acted as the doctor's servantto his room.
"A friend of mine has been badly injured by a bear," the Buriat said; "Iwish you to come and see him at once. He is in a house I have taken nearthis. I will be responsible for all charges."
The doctor looked keenly at Godfrey and then said, "I will come. You arenot a Buriat?" he said to Godfrey as they started.
"I am not, doctor; though I have been living with them for some time."
"And the man who is ill, is he a Buriat?"
"No, sir; he is a Russian, and a member of your own profession."
"He is clever," the Buriat said. "He saved the life of my child bytaking off his leg, and he is running about again now. He is as abrother to me, and I would gladly give a thousand cattle rather thanthat he should die."
No other words were spoken until they arrived at the house. The surgeonstooped over Alexis, lifted one of his eyelids, and felt his pulse.
"Concussion of the brain," he said; "a serious case. Bring me rags andhot water." He bathed the wound for some time and then carefullyexamined it. "There is a fracture of the skull," he said to Godfrey,"and I fancy there is a piece of bone pressing on the brain. Put wetcloths round his head for the present; I will go and fetch my colleague,and I will send down some ice from the hospital. His hand is bandagedup, what is the matter with that?"
"His gun burst, doctor, and has mangled his hand dreadfully. That washow it was the bear got at him and struck him."
The surgeon removed the bandages and examined it. "Keep it bathed withwarm water until I return," he said.
Half an hour later he came back with the other surgeon, a man older thanhimself, both carrying cases of instruments. The wound on the head wasagain examined. They then proceeded to operate, and in a few minutesremoved a portion of splintered bone. Then the flap of skin wascarefully replaced in its position, and a few stitches put in to holdit. The hand was then attended to.
"No, I don't think it need come off," the senior surgeon said; "we maysave the third and little fingers. At any rate we will try; if it doesnot do we can take the whole off afterwards."
The operation was performed, then ordering the ice that had just beenbrought to be applied to the head, the surgeons left.
"We will look in again early in the morning," one of them said toGodfrey, "and then we will have a chat with you."
The women took it by turns to watch, and Godfrey, worn out by theexcitement of the day, slept until morning. Alexis was restless, movinguneasily and muttering to himself. His eyes were open, but he took nonotice of what was going on around him. The surgeon they had first seencame alone.
"He is better," he said to the Buriat, "but he is very far from beingout of danger yet. It will be a long illness, but I hope that we may beable to bring him round. I will send him some medicine presently. Keepcloths with cold water and ice to his head." He beckoned to Godfrey tofollow him out of the room.
"I don't want to ask any questions," he said, "about my patient. I havebeen called in by this Buriat to see a friend of his, and it does notconcern me who or what he may be; but it is different with you. As aRussian officer I cannot be seeing you daily without reporting that Ihave met a person who scarcely appears to be what he seems. It ispainful to me to be obliged to say so. I do not give advice any way. Ionly say that if you do not wish to be asked questions, it would be bestfor you to leave here after nightfall; until then, I shall not considerit necessary to make any report. I shall be back again once or twiceto-day; you had better think the matter over."
Godfrey had been thinking the matter over as he walked beside thelitter, and had already arrived at a decision. It was evident that manyweeks, if not months, must elapse before Alexis would be fit to sustainthe hardships that would attend an attempt to escape, and he thought itprobable that more than ever he would be inclined to throw in his lotwith the wandering Buriats; he had therefore only himself to thinkabout. He had foreseen that he would not be able to stop at Kiakhtawithout being exposed to being questioned, and that there remainedtherefore only the option of living with the Buriats during the winteror
of giving himself up. The former plan would be the most advantageousin the event of his trying to reach Pekin; but the difficulties in thatdirection appeared to him so great that he shrank from the thought offacing them, especially as he should now be alone, and he preferred theidea of trying to escape by the north.
In this case a further sojourn among the Buriats would be useless; in aRussian prison he would be able to pick up many valuable hints from themen with whom he would work, and might find someone ready to make theattempt with him. The difficulties of escape from prison did not seemvery great, and would, he thought, be even less at one of the penalsettlements than if confined in an ordinary jail. When, however, thedoctor spoke to him, Godfrey only thanked him, and said he would speakwith him again when he next called. The Buriat saw that he was lookingserious when he returned to the room.
"What did he say to you?" he asked. "Did he threaten to report you?"
"He spoke very kindly," Godfrey replied. "But he said that it would behis duty to do so if I remained here."
The Buriat shook his head. "I was thinking of that yesterday, and wasafraid for you. Out on the plains there would have been none to questionyou; but here in the town a stranger is noticed at once, for everyresident is known. You must make off at once. You can take my horse, wewill watch over your friend. Once in my tents you will be safe."
Godfrey thanked him warmly, but told him that he had not quite decidedas to what he should do, but would let him know later on. Then, as hecould do nothing for Alexis, he threw himself down on a pile of skins,and thought the matter over in every light.