BAD BRUISES, BUT GOOD MUSES.--THE HONORABLE SCABS OF DICK.--A
KNOWLEDGE OF BONES.
The Senator searched long and anxiously among the fallen bandits
for those whom he affectionately called his "boys." Dick was first
found. He was senseless.
The Senator carried him to the fire. He saw two ladies and a
gentleman standing there. Hurriedly he called on them and pointed
to Dick. The gentleman raised his arms. They were bound tightly. The
ladies also were secured in a similar manner. The Senator quickly cut
the cords from the gentleman, who in his turn snatched the knife and
freed the ladies, and then went to care for Dick.
The Senator then ran back to seek for Buttons.
The gentleman flung a quantity of dry brush on the fire, which at
once blazed up and threw a bright light over the scene. Meanwhile
the passengers were looking anxiously around as though they dreaded
a new attack. Some of them had been wounded inside the coach and
were groaning and cursing.
The Senator searched for a long time in vain. At last at the bottom
of a heap of fallen brigands, whom the Senator had knocked over, he
found Buttons. His face and clothes were covered with blood, his
forehead was blackened as though by an explosion, his arm was
broken and hung loosely as the Senator lifted him up. For a moment
he thought that it was all over with him.
He carried him toward the fire. The appearance of the young man
was terrible. He beckoned to one of the ladies. The lady approached.
One look at the young man and the next instant, with a heart-rending
moan, she flung herself on her knees by his side.
"The Spaniard!" said the Senator, recognizing her for the first time.
"Ah! he'll be taken care of then."
There was a brook near by, and he hurried there for water. There
was nothing to carry it in, so he took his beaver hat and filled
it. Returning, he dashed it vigorously in Buttons's face. A faint
sigh, a gasp, and the young man feebly opened his eyes. Intense
pain forced a groan from him. In the hasty glance that he threw
around he saw the face of Ida Francia as she bent over him bathing
his brow, her face pale as death, her hand trembling, and her eyes
filled with tears. The sight seemed to alleviate his pain. A faint
smile crossed his lips. He half raised himself toward her.
"I've found you at last," he said, and that was all.
At this abrupt address a burning flush passed over the face and
neck of the young girl. She bent down her head. Her tears flowed
faster than ever.
"Don't speak," she said; "you are in too much pain."
She was right, for the next moment Buttons fell back exhausted.
The Senator drew a flask from his pocket and motioned to the young
girl to give some to Buttons; and then, thinking that the attention
of the Señorita would be far better than his, he hurried away to
Dick.
So well had he been treated by the Don (whom the reader has of
course already recognized) that he was now sitting up, leaning
against the driver of the diligence, who was making amends for his
cowardice during the fight by kind attention to Dick after it was
over.
"My dear boy, I saw you had no bones broken," said the Senator,
"and knew you were all right; so I devoted my first attention to
Buttons. How do you feel?"
"Better," said Dick, pressing the honest hand which the Senator
held out. "Better; but how is Buttons?"
"Recovering. But he is terribly bruised, and his arm is broken."
"His arm broken! Poor Buttons, what'll he do?"
"Well, my boy, I'll try what _I_ can do. I've set an arm before now.
In our region a necessary part of a good education was settin'
bones."
Dick was wounded in several places. Leaving the Don to attend to him
the Senator took his knife and hurriedly made some splints. Then
getting his valise, he tore up two or three of his shirts. Armed
with these he returned to Buttons. The Señorita saw the preparations,
and, weeping bitterly, she retired.
"Your arm is broken, my poor lad," said the Senator. "Will you let
me fix it for you? I can do it."
"Can you? Oh, then, I am all right! I was afraid I would have to
wait till I got to Bologna."
"It would be a pretty bad arm by the time you got there, I guess,"
said the Senator. "But come--no time must be lost."
His simple preparations were soon made. Buttons saw that he knew what
he was about. A few moments of excessive pain, which forced
ill-suppressed moans from the sufferer, and the work was done.
After taking a sip from the flask both Buttons and Dick felt very
much stronger. On questioning the driver they found that Bologna
was not more than twenty miles away. The passengers were busily
engaged in removing the barricade. It was decided that an immediate
departure was absolutely necessary. At the suggestion of Dick, the
driver, postillions, and passengers armed themselves with guns of
the fallen brigands.
The severest wound which Dick had was on his head, which had been
almost laid open by a terrific blow from the gun of the robber chief.
He had also wounds on different parts of his body. Buttons had more.
These the Senator bound up with such skill that he declared himself
ready to resume his journey. Upon this the Don insisted on taking
him into his own carriage. Buttons did not refuse.
At length they all started, the diligence ahead, the Don following.
On the way the Don told Buttons how he had fared on the road. He had
left Florence in a hired carriage the day before the diligence had
left. He had heard nothing of the dangers of the road, and suspected
nothing. Shortly after entering the mountain district they had been
stopped and robbed of all their money. Still he kept on, thinking
that there was no further danger. To his horror they were stopped
again at the bridge, where the brigands, vexed at not getting any
money, took all their baggage and let them go. They went on
fearfully, every moment dreading some new misadventure. At length
their worst fears were realized. At the place where the fight had
occurred they were stopped and dragged from their carriage. The
brigands were savage at not getting any plunder, and swore they
would hold them prisoners till they procured a ransom, which they
fixed at three thousand piastres. This was about four in the
afternoon. They overturned the coach, kindled a fire, and waited
for the diligence. They knew the rest.
Buttons, seated next to Ida Francia, forgot his sufferings.
Meanwhile Dick and the Senator resumed their old seats on the
banquette. After a while the Senator relapsed into a fit of musing,
and Dick fell asleep.
Morning dawned and found them on the plain once more, only a few
miles from Bologna. Far ahead they saw the lofty Leaning Tower that
forms so conspicuous an object in the fine old city. Dick awaked,
and on looking at the Senator was shocked to see him very pale,
with an expression of pain. He hurriedly asked the cause.
"Why the fact is, after the excitement of fightin' and slaughterin'
and seein' to you chaps was over I found that I was covered with
wounds. One of my fingers is broken. I have three bullet wounds in
my left arm, one in my right, a stab of a dirk in my right thigh,
and a terrible bruise on my left knee. I think that some fellow
must have passed a dagger through my left foot, for there is a cut
in the leather, my shoe is full of blood and it hurts dreadful. It's
my opinion that the Dodge Club will be laid up in Bologny for a
fortnight.--Hallo!"
The Senator had heard a cry behind, and looked out. Something
startled him. Dick looked also.
The Don's carriage was in confusion. The two Señoritas were
standing up in the carriage wringing their hands. The Don was
supporting Buttons in his arms. He had fainted a second time.