They were a very ignorant rustic lot these poor farm labourers, but they
knew that certain things were now necessary, and Joey, taking the lead
as they waited for the help of the surgeon, gave the orders, which were
executed at once.
One man seized a clean bucket, and trotted off down the hill to where in
the bottom there was a dark dipping place in the lonely narrow stream,
and while he was fetching the clear cold water the leader carefully
unfastened the tunic.
"Sharpest knife, one o' you," said Joey, and after a little comparison
of blades, most of which were ground more or less on their owner's
clumsy boots, he selected one, and carefully slit open the shirt and,
cutting away enough to form a pad, he pressed it down upon the wound and
checked the bleeding.
"Ought to be tied up," he muttered; "but 'tain't like a cut finger: you
can't turn him about. We'll wait till doctor comes."
"Won't yer wash it?" said Smiler, with a grin.
"Nay, doctor 'll do that if it's right; we'll try and give him a drink
when the water comes, and bathe his face. What did he go and do that
for?"
"Think he did?" said Smiler.
"Why, o' course," said another. "Hadn't he got the pistol lying in his
fist?"
"Ay," said Joey. "I s'pose some on 'em ain't very comf'able with them
drill-sergeants--shoots theirselves in barracks sometimes. Yer see,
when a man 'lists, he can't pitch it up again and say `I've had enough
of this.'"
"No, they're 'bliged to stick to it," said Smiler, "'less someun buys
'em out. I dunno, though, but what I'd ha' liked to be a sojer; it's
better than spendin' all yer life in a hop-garden, spuddin' and poling
and hoeing."
"You!" said Joey, "you a sojer, Smiler?"
"Well, why not? Course, I know my back's a bit twisted, but it would
ha' been right enough if I'd been drilled."
"They'd ha' had to drill something else beside your legs and wings,
Smiler," said Joey, giving his companions a queer look.
"Eh? What?"
"That mug o' your'n, else you'd ha' been in the Black Hole half your
time for laughin' at your officers."
"Yah! Just as if I can help bein' a good-tempered lookin' chap. Dessay
as I should make as good a sojer as most on 'em as you see over yonder
at those towns. Better be allus on the smile than lookin' savage at
everyone."
"Ay, to be sure, Smiler. Wonder, though, what did make this poor chap
do it? He's a young un, too, for a sojer. I say, any on you hear his
pistol go off last night?"
No one answered; but the man who held the revolver began to examine it.
"Here, just you mind what you're about with that thing," said Smiler.
"I've heard as they'll go off six times o' running. Say, would it hurt
un, if I lit my pipe?"
"Nay," said Joey, "and I'd thank one o' you kindly if he'd take mine out
o' my pocket and fill and light it for me. Can't be very long now
before doctor comes, and I must hold him here downright to stop the
bleeding. Ah! I can feel his heart beating just gentle like."
"You can?"
"Ay; and it's a wonder, too. Poor lad! he's been bleeding like a pig."
The lighting of pipes was preceded by the careful putting away of the
pistol, and just as the men were all puffing contentedly away, Smiler
said--
"Master won't find they ten acres of hops washed if he comes 'ome
to-night."
"No," said Joey; "but you can't wash hops when you're finding sojers
nearly dead in the alleys.--An' here's the water. Ain't hurried yerself
much, lad."
"Who's to run up hill with a pail o' water?" grumbled the man as Smiler
began bathing the edge of the wound, after pouring a little water
between the lips, but apparently without any effect.
Then the smoking went on in silence for a while, till Smiler asked
whether the heart was still beating.
"Ay, I keep feeling it," said Joe. "S'pose one o' you goes up in one o'
the cowls and looks out: you'll see if the pleeceman's coming. I'm
getting a bit tired o' holding my hand to his heart."
"Let me do it now," said Smiler.
"Nay, I begun it, and I'm going on till the pleeceman comes."
One of the men had climbed up the steps at once, and they heard his
heavy feet as he crossed the great loft where the hops were pressed
heavily into the pockets. Five minutes after he was down again to
announce that the constable was on his way, and a few minutes after the
one man stationed at the tiny hamlet a short distance away came in,
red-faced and eager, for, saving over a little egg-stealing and mild
poaching, it was rare for his services to be called for.
Hence he bustled in, looking very important, and drew out a note-book
and pencil, examined the sufferer, asked a few questions, made a show of
putting down the answers, with a sad hieroglyphical result, and then
turned to Joey.
"Now, then," he said, "I'll take charge of him; and one of you must go
for the doctor."
"Doctor!" cried Joe indignantly. "Why, we sent for him goin' on for
hour ago."
"Ho! well: stand aside!"
"What for?"
"Don't you stand arguin', or you may get yourself into trouble," said
the constable importantly. "Stand aside!"
"Shan't!"
"What!" cried the constable, gripping the labourer by the arm.
"Can't you see what I'm doing? Want the poor young chap to bleed to
death?"
"How was I to know?" cried the constable. "Why didn't you say you were
doing it? Why don't you tie him up?"
"'Cause I wasn't born a doctor," grumbled Joey. "Hops is my line--I can
tie them up. Thought you pleecemen did that sort of thing."
The constable coughed.
"How long will the doctor be?" he said.
"All depen's whether he's at home or not. P'raps he's gone on a twenty
mile round."
"Then we'd better get a door and carry him somewhere," suggested the
policeman.
"Nay, it's in and out bad enough moving him at all, Joey," cried Smiler.
"I won't help move him, for it'll finish him off if we do."
The constable frowned, hesitated, and finally said:
"Well, as you have sent for the doctor, we'll wait."
And they waited for quite two hours before the man who had been again
and again sent up to play Sister Anne in the great cowl came down at
last to say that he had seen the doctor's chaise coming along the lane,
and five minutes after a keen-looking youngish man entered the great
barn-like place, examined his patient at once, asking questions the
while, and then with clever hands put a stop to further bleeding,
bandaged the wound, and contrived that a little water should trickle
between the sufferer's lips.
"Now then," said the doctor, "the poor fellow ought to be taken over to
Ratcham to the military hospital; but you had better get a door, and
we'll lay him on that and you will carry him to the Seven Steers. It
isn't above a mile, is it?"
"Mile an harf, sir," said Joe.
"Well, he must be carried there. To-morrow the people at Ratcham will
send an ambulance to fetch him. Now, then, a light door."
"Don't see as we can get a door off without tools, sir," said Smiler.
"What d'yer say to a huddle?"
"The very thing. We can lift this mattress right on to it, and it will
be lighter and easier to carry."
The light hurdle was soon brought, and the rough bed lifted carefully
on. Volunteers were plentiful enough, and one of the men was sent on in
advance to the little roadside inn, to give warning of the approach of
the wounded man, while the four bearers--possibly from the load being
what it was--stepped out in regular slow military fashion, and went on
along the dusty lane.
"Will he die, sir?" whispered Joey, as they reached the road.
The doctor shook his head.
But fate had destined that the patient should find a different
resting-place that night, for before half a mile had been traversed the
sound of wheels was heard behind, and the doctor called to the party to
step on one side of the lane and to let the waggonette which approached
pass by.
This necessitated a halt, which was taken advantage of for a change to
be made in the bearers; and, while this was going on, the waggonette was
stopped, and the younger of two ladies within the vehicle addressed the
doctor.
"What is the matter?" she asked. "An accident?"
"Rather worse than an accident, I'm afraid," said the doctor, raising
his hat in a combination of respect and admiration for the speaker. "A
young soldier has been found injured by a bullet."
"And you are taking him to Ratcham?"
"No; to the neighbouring public-house. But, may I ask, are you going
into Ratcham?"
"Yes, yes," said the lady excitedly, as she rose, held on by the rail of
the driver's seat, and peered over the heads of the bearers, adding
wildly--"Oh, aunt, aunt! it must be poor Smithson they have found."
"Anna, my dear, what are you going to do?" cried the elder lady from
behind her veil.
"Nothing--I--oh, aunt, I--"
The words were faltered out, but the girl's movements were quick and
decisive as she unfastened the door at the back of the waggonette and
sprang down, the labouring men drawing right and left as she turned to
the side of the hurdle.
"It is--it is!" she cried, as she bent over the pallid face and laid her
hand upon Dick's forehead.
"You know him, then?" said the doctor eagerly, for his patient began to
be of much greater importance in his eyes.
"Oh, yes--a little. Yes--very well," cried Miss Deane, contradicting
herself.
"Anna, my dear, pray come here!"
"Yes, aunt, directly.--But, tell me quickly, is he very much hurt?"
"Very gravely, as far as I can tell after so slight an examination."
"He will not die?" she cried, with the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I hope not. I will do my best to save him."
"Yes, yes; of course. But we must not waste time. Sir, he once saved
my life. Oh, pray, pray make haste!"
"Yes. Forward, my lads!"
"But where are you taking him?"
"To the nearest inn."
"Oh, no--no--no!" she cried. "He ought to be taken to where he will be
properly attended."
"Yes; but it is impossible for the men to carry him all the way to
Ratcham. If you would drive on and give notice at the barracks, they
would send their ambulance and take him at once to the hospital."
"The hospital?" said the girl piteously.
"What a fool I am!" thought the young doctor, whose sympathies were
aroused by this great display of interest; "I am throwing away an
interesting patient."
"Anna, my dear, this is very dreadful!" cried Miss Deane, senior. "Let
us drive on at once!"
"Yes, aunt dear--no, aunt dear! I know!" she cried excitedly. "The men
could lay that wooden thing upon the seats of the carriage, and he could
be driven gently right into the town."
"Anna!"
"Hush, aunt, pray!" cried the girl decisively. "Do you not see it is a
case of life and death? Now, doctor, move him at once! Aunt, come down
out of the carriage!"
Miss Deane, senior, uttered an indignant sob, and descended into the
dusty road. Then she not only made a virtue of necessity, but felt her
own sympathies aroused.
"I wish I were a soldier and had shot myself," thought the doctor, as he
directed the men, and had the hurdle carefully lifted into the
waggonette, where, with a little management, it rode securely enough,
while the girl watched every step of the proceedings, with her fingers
twitching as if she longed to help.
"But you?" said the doctor now.
"Oh, never mind us; we can walk," said Miss Deane; and her aunt
suppressed a groan.
"But it is a long distance," said the doctor.
"Don't talk of us when that poor lad may be dying," she cried. "You
must ride with him and watch him."
"Yes, and send my chaise back," said the doctor eagerly. "Or--one
moment; this would be better, if you would not mind riding on the box."
"Oh, pray, pray think of him!"
"I am thinking of him--and of you," said the doctor firmly. "We will
not waste time. Let me help you up, and then I can drive this lady in
my chaise and keep close by and have an eye to my patient as we go."
Anna Deane needed no assistance. She sprang up beside the driver, while
her aunt was helped into the chaise. Then a thought struck her, and,
taking out her purse, she emptied it into her hand, and beckoned to
Joey, who came up, followed by Smiler, whose face had never looked so
pleasantly full of admiration before.
"Will you pay all the men? Share it, please," she whispered. "Thank
you, thank you so very much for what you've all done!"
The party of labourers followed till they had passed the little roadside
inn, where they stopped and stood watching till chaise and waggonette
had passed a corner of the road.
Then Joey turned to his companions, and opened his hand to count over
the coins.
"There's four-and-twenty, Smiler," he said.
"And there's eight on us," said Smiler.
"And eight into twenty-four goes three times," said the man who left
school last, amidst a murmur of satisfaction.
"Eight shillin's apiece," said Smiler.
"Get along with you," cried Joey. "Three shillin's apiece. Hands out,
boys."
Seven hard palms were extended to him instantly, the coins counted into
them, and Joey looked round.
"Before we can get to work again, boys, it'll be nigh time to leave
off."
"Ay," was chorussed.
"There's a drop of yale nigh at hand, we're all dry and we've yearned
it, so I says let's have one drink and then talk about it as we goes
back."
"And so says all you," cried Smiler.
But they did not in words, only in acts; so that the aphides left on the
hops enjoyed a few more leaves of life.