When Dr. Bliss and the other physicians in attendance examined the wounds, they found the first shot had passed through the arm just below the shoulder, without breaking any bones. The other ball had entered the back just over the hips, but what direction it had taken, of where it had lodged, could not be determined with any degree of certainty. The physicians held a short consultation, and agreed to search for the ball as soon as the President's condition would permit.
The wounded man first complained of pain in his feet and legs, and for a long time the "tiger clawing," as he called it, seemed harder to bear than anything else. It is easy to understand now, how seriously the spinal cord and the whole nervous system must have been affected by that first fearful fracture of the vertebrae.
As the shock began to pass off, the President turned to Secretary Blaine, who was sitting beside him, and said,—
"What motive do you think that man could have had in trying to assassinate me?"
"Indeed, I cannot tell. He says he had no motive."
"Perhaps," said Garfield, with a smile, "he thought it would be a glorious thing to be a pirate king."
Turning to Dr. Bliss, he said,—
"I want to know my true condition. Do not conceal anything from me; remember, I am not afraid to die."
The President's condition was extremely critical at that time, as there were indications of internal hemorrhage, and the doctor frankly told him that he feared he could live but a few hours.
"God's will be done," he replied; "I am ready to go if my time has come."