The surgeon wished, however, to do all he could, and gave Gilbert a dose of medicine to counteract the effect of the smoke which the young lieutenant had inhaled. Inside of half an hour Gilbert felt quite like himself once more, though somewhat shaky in the lower limbs.
Nuggy Polk had been taken to a neighboring building, which had been transformed into a temporary hospital for such of the prisoners as were sick. When Gilbert got there, he found the young man in a doze; and he was advised not to disturb him.
“He has been sick, and this affair has made him worse,” said the prison doctor, in broken English. “Better let him rest.” And Gilbert agreed.
An hour later found the acting captain of Company A at the home of the Bartletts, where a warm welcome awaited him. He found Amos Bartlett in an easy-chair, propped up by hair pillows. The old tea-merchant was glad to see him.
“I am much better, thank you,” he said in answer to Gilbert’s query. “I seem to have come out of a bad dream.”
“I am glad to see it,” returned the young lieutenant. “You must take it easy for a while, though, both in body and in mind.”
“My mind is easy, thanks to what the insurance companies have promised to do and what my wife has found out about the Richmond Importing Company. I presume she has told you of what Nuglich Polk tried to do.”
“I will tell him later on, Amos,” put in the wife. “But now you must rest.” And she beckoned Gilbert from the room.
A long talk between Mrs. Bartlett, Jennie, and Gilbert followed; and the young lieutenant was shown the papers taken from Nuggy Polk, which he perused with keen interest. Then he told of the affair at the prison, but modestly refused to relate how much of a hero he had been.
“Somehow, I think Nuggy Polk will be a better fellow after this,” he concluded. “He has been brought face to face with death, and that often makes a difference in a man.”