Meanwhile Nell was lying on the floor of the telegraph office, her head resting on the doctor’s jacket, which he had rolled up to make a pillow for her, while he knelt beside her, trying to investigate her hurts.
Her right hand hung helpless at the wrist, her right cheek had a disfiguring weal from chin to ear, from the broken skin of which the blood was slowly oozing. But it was the look in her eyes, and her inability to speak beyond an inarticulate gurgle, which bothered the doctor most.
“Some dislocation of the jaw, I’m afraid. Ah!” and a sympathetic shudder went through the doctor’s frame, because of the anguish which leaped into Nell’s eyes.
“I wish we’d got a woman here to help,” he muttered irritably, as his assistant, a burly miner six feet high, and broad in proportion, shook and shivered, nearly dropping the lamp in his agitation. “Hold that light steady, will you. If you are not careful you’ll be setting the poor girl ablaze with her clothes soaked in kerosene, and she has got quite enough to bear already.”
“Can’t help it, doctor. I never could stand seeing any one suffer; it sort of turns me sick,” said the sturdy giant, collapsing into a nerveless heap, to the imminent danger of the lamp.
“You great baby, I mean you lubberly idiot, get out, and send in one of the other fellows!” said the doctor, wrathfully, springing up and seizing the lamp, which he put on the floor for safety, then hustled the quaking miner out of the office. “Go along to the engine, and send Sam Peters to me; but you must stand by the engine while he’s away, for there is too much mystery in this business for us to take risks anywhere.”
“I’ll stay by the engine; I’ll do anything, only I can’t stand that,” said the man, his voice breaking in a great gasping sob, as, with a jerk of his head in the direction of the girl on the floor, he fairly bolted from the office.
The doctor sent an uncomplimentary ejaculation after him, then was relieved to see the dim ghost of a smile about Nell’s white lips.
“I’m glad you can smile; I feel more like heaving a book or a boot at his head,” grumbled the doctor. Then kneeling down again, he said quietly, “Shut your eyes once for ‘yes,’ and twice for ‘no.’ Are you in very great pain?”
Slowly Nell’s eyes closed—once, a great tear forcing itself from under her dark lashes and rolling down her cheek.