"It was a very hard one--very hard!" the wounded man continued, and then
he stopped short, looking straight before him at the forest, seen
through the opening of the cave.
By degrees his eyelids dropped, were raised again, and then fell, and he
seemed to glide into a heavy sleep.
The doctor motioned us to keep away, and we all went to the mouth of the
cave, to sit down and talk over the night's adventure, the conversation
changing at times to a discussion of our friend's mental affection.
"The shock of the wound has affected his head beneficially, it seems,"
the doctor said at last. "Whether it will last I cannot say."
At least it seemed to me that the doctor was saying those or similar
words from out of a mist, and then all was silent.
The fact was that I had been out all night, exerting myself
tremendously, and I had now fallen heavily asleep.