A DOSE FOR THE DOCTOR.
A look of displeasure crossed Mrs. Jones' face, but she handed Tommy
the money.
"Get out of the house," she said, "and tell Dr. Slasher that I don't
understand this conduct at all. He's no gentleman."
"I'll tell him, ma'am," answered Tommy, who was getting bewildered
again, and away he posted home.
"Did you make that all right?" he asked.
"You can bet I did," answered Tommy, with a triumphant smile. "I'm the
hunky-dory boy who can fix things."
"Well, what did she say?"
"She handed me a shilling for the flowers, which cost two-and-six, but
I wasn't going to be beat that way."
"What?"
"She couldn't play that on me, sir, and I made her dub up the other
eighteen pence, and she told me to get out of the house, and let you
know that you were no gentleman. You see, she was mad because I tumbled
to her little game."
The doctor's eyes flashed fire, and his cork leg seemed to quiver with
indignation.
"You rascal!" he exclaimed. "Do you want to ruin me? Have you no
knowledge of the usages of good society? Does a gentleman ever expect a
lady to pay for the presents he makes her?"
"I did my best, sir."
"Did your worst, you mean. Sit in that chair while I get the leeches."
Tommy sank into the chair, and Dr. Slasher tied a piece of rope round
him, which rendered it impossible for him to move.
In a glass vase were kept the leeches, a couple of which the doctor
took out, putting one on each of the boy's cheeks.
Their clammy feel caused a thrill of horror to run through his frame,
which increased when he felt a puncture of the skin.
The leeches were at their work, and drinking his blood.
"Oh, sir, take them off!" he screamed. "They'll kill me! They'll drain
me dry, and I shall go about like a walking skeleton."
"They like boys' blood," the doctor remarked. "It seems to agree with
them."
"Oh, sir, please, sir, take the beastly things away," pleaded Tommy.
The doctor was determined, and Tommy's pleadings did not move him in
the least, so the leeches continued to suck until they were thoroughly
gorged, when they dropped off and were carefully replaced in their
vases.
"Now," said the doctor, "I shall expect you to be a smarter boy after
this, for I have been at considerable pains to extract the bad blood
from you."
Tommy was untied, and rubbing his cheeks, ran downstairs to find
Bobsey, and get him to condole with him.
He found Bobsey sitting by the stove, all by himself. There was no
other servant, as Miss Minks did all the work.
"What's up?" inquired Bobsey.
Tommy related what had happened.
"Oh, my heyes!" said Bobsey, "ain't that a shame! I never 'eard of such
a rig as that."
"I'll be revenged."
"What'll yer do?"
"There's a big auger in the cellar, and I'll bore holes in the surgery
floor, so that old Slasher will stick his leg in one. I'll have a big
stone in the room underneath, and I'll fasten the stone to his leg so
he can't move. That'll be bully."
"First-rate," replied Bobsey.
"Then," continued Tommy, warming with his subject, "I'll get a lancet
and stab him all over. I'll physic him with a dose of salts and----"
"'Old on," interrupted Bobsey. "S'pose he takes and sacks you?"
"I won't let him loose till he promises to forgive me."
"You'll do, young one," Bobsey said. "I don't want to offend you."
Tommy was as good as his word, for he worked hard that night with the
auger, and made at least a dozen holes in various parts of the surgery
floor.
The next day Dr. Slasher had occasion to find fault with Tommy, who was
not making the pills the proper shape.
"You've got the mold," said the doctor, "why don't you turn them out
properly?"
"If you don't like my way, do it yourself," replied Tommy.
"What!" cried the doctor; "getting impudent, are you? I'll have to give
you a dose of salts and senna, young man."
"If you catch me."
"That won't give me much trouble," replied Dr. Slasher, who proceeded
to fill a glass with a nauseous-looking fluid.
When the dose was ready he called to Tommy to come and drink it.
"Not much," said Tommy.
"I order you to take it, and if you don't, I'll make you."
"You've got to spell able," was Tommy's reply, as he moved toward the
door.
The doctor tried to intercept him, but as the boy had reckoned, he
stuck his wooden leg into one of the holes, and was held fast.
Putting his finger to his nose, in token of derision, Tommy ran below
and securely fastened the large stone to the end of the wooden leg.
"Now I've got him hard and fast," said Tommy to himself.
In vain the doctor tried to extricate himself; he was, as it were,
rooted to the spot.
Returning to the room, Tommy seized the glass containing the salts and
senna.
"Drink this," he ordered.
"I won't. Am I to be dictated to by a boy?" replied the doctor. "What
on earth is the matter with my leg?"
"I've made it fast below. It's anchored."
"You scoundrel! I'll have you arrested. I'll give you six months. Go
and undo my leg."
"Not yet. You've got to take your medicine. Your blood wants cooling
off. I'll give you some leeches presently."
Tommy held the medicine to the doctor's lips, and forced him to drink
the contents, which very soon had a griping effect.
"Oh!" he cried, putting his hands to his vest, "this is awful!"
"Will you ever put leeches on me again?" said Tommy.
"Never in the wide world. Let me go, there's a good boy. I'll make you
a handsome present. I will indeed."
"Do you forgive me, and promise never to say a word about this?"
"Yes, yes."
"Then I'll undo the stone, but jest mind how you attack a poor boy
another time. I'm my own best friend, if I am alone in a strange
country."
"I'll be a father to you, Tommy."
"Yes, you will, over the left; but I'll let up on you this time, boss,"
said Tommy, who went downstairs and untied the stone.
Aided by Bobsey, he pulled the doctor out of the unpleasant
predicament in which he was placed, and set him down on a chair.
After a while the doctor said:
"Here's sixpence for you both. Run up to Mr. Garretson's with this
medicine, and let me know how he is."
On arriving at Mr. Garretson's house, they were informed that the
gentleman in question was dead.
"Could we see him, miss?" inquired Bobsey.
"The corpse is in that room on the left," replied the girl, pointing
to a door. "You can go in, but I can't stay, as I've got my work to do
downstairs."
The two boys entered the room where the dead body of Mr. Garretson
was lying. He was a little man, about seventy, and had died of some
internal complaint, which had defied the skill of his physician.
"The guv'ner would like to have that specimen," said Tommy.
"Yes," replied Bobsey. "I heard him say he'd give something for the
body, to make a hexamination of it, but he didn't think as how the
family would stand it."
"Let's wrap it up in a blanket, and take it down the road."
"What for?"
"So that the old man may have a show at it."
"Hi'm hagreeable," answered Bobsey, "only there'll be a jolly row about
it, I hexpect."
The idea was no sooner conceived than executed.
Rolling a blanket round the body, the boys carried it out of the house
without being perceived, and proceeded to the doctor's with their
remarkable burden.
They had not been gone long when the only son of Mr. Garretson, who had
been telegraphed for, arrived in a cab.
Sally opened the door, and recognizing him, at once said:
"He's gone at last, sir."
"So mother says in the dispatch. Where is mother now?"
"She's feeling bad, upstairs, sir."
"Then I won't disturb her at present. I'll take a look at it."
By "it" the son meant the corpse.
"It's in here, sir," said Sally, opening the door of the room, which
the boys had so lately robbed of its contents.
"I don't see anything," remarked the son.
"Well, I never did! It was there just now!" cried Sally, in alarm.
Young Garretson looked sternly at her.
"There is something wrong about this!" he exclaimed; "explain it."
Sally began to cry, and put the corner of her apron to her eyes.
"Wretched girl!" he continued, shaking her arm, "what have you done
with my father's body?"
"I ain't done nothing; but"--her face brightened--"it might have been
those two young varmints."
"What two young varmints?"
"Them as come from the doctor."
"Dr. Slasher's boys?"
"Yes, sir."
"Have they been here?"
"A few minutes ago. I let them in to see the deceased, and I'll swear
the corpse was all right then."
"Ha!" exclaimed the young man, "I see it all. This is an infamous
plot on the part of the doctor to obtain the body of my esteemed and
venerable parent for the purpose of dissection, but I'll frustrate it.
Rouse the neighbors!"
Young Garretson himself ran into the street, and was fortunate enough
to meet with a policeman, to whom he related his suspicions.
A crowd soon collected, and the news that the doctor had been stealing
a body spread with great rapidity.
Tommy and Bobsey managed to reach the house without molestation,
entered by the surgery door, and saw Dr. Slasher looking over the pages
of a medical book.
"Well," said the doctor, "how is Mr. Garretson?"
"He's come to answer for himself," replied Tommy.
"Indeed! I wasn't aware that he would ever again be able to leave his
bed," said the doctor, in astonishment.
"'Ere he is!" cried Bobsey, undoing the blanket.
"Why, what in the wide world is this?" asked the doctor, viewing the
ghastly corpse.
"We thought you wanted it, sir, and brought it along without anyone
seeing it," said Tommy.
"Dear me! This is a very complicated case, and I should like to
anatomize it extremely, but the people are so prejudiced--I may say
ignorant--that I am almost afraid you have done wrong."
"We can take it back when you're through with it, sir."
"I have a good mind to risk it."
Dr. Slasher eyed the corpse with an affectionate air.
Suddenly there was a noise in the street.
"What is all that?" he said, going to the window and looking out.
The uproar increased, and loud cries were raised, the doctor's name
being easily distinguishable amid groans and hisses.
"They have found it out. The neighborhood is roused. The street is
alive with people. I'm ruined!" exclaimed the doctor.
Bobsey and Tommy looked blankly at one another. No one spoke.
If the doctor was caught with the evidence of his guilt on the table
before him, the people would believe him to be a body snatcher, and
perhaps handle him roughly.
Tommy had made one of his charming blunders again. But an idea struck
him.
"I'd know what I'd do, sir," he said.
"What?" eagerly demanded the doctor.
"I'd put the body in Miss Minks' bed."
"Happy thought; she's downstairs, and will suspect nothing. We'll do
it," said the doctor.
"Good hagain! Brayvo for hour side! Who says we can't do it?" cried
Bobsey.
"Hurry!" said the doctor. "They'll never think of looking in her bed
for it, and at nighttime, when all is still, we'll get the body back to
its own house."
Miss Minks slept on the floor where the surgery was, and all the boys
had to do was to carry the body across the hall, from one room to the
other.
They deposited it in the bed of the maiden lady, and covered it up
carefully.
"All right?" asked the doctor, as they returned.
"Fixed it all up A 1," replied Tommy.
A heavy ringing was now heard at the surgery bell, and Miss Minks,
proceeding from the lower regions, answered it.
Mr. Garretson, accompanied by the policeman and followed by an
indignant crowd, appeared on the steps.
"What is your pleasure, gentlemen?" she asked.
"Where's Dr. Slasher?" asked the young man.
"In his surgery, where he will be pleased to see you, if you will step
in," she replied.
"I will do so," returned Mr. Garretson.
The policeman kept back the surging crowd, and the young man in search
of a father entered the doctor's surgery, where he was apparently
calmly reading, the boys being engaged in compounding various
medicines, and working away as if their lives depended upon their
exertions.