“Velo, get back to the station and bring me a fresh kit,” he ordered. “I’m going to hold this artery until you get back, and see if I can’t keep a little blood in here.” He sat down and pressed a finger on the fast emptying vein. With his free hand he held a flask to the lips of the almost dying man. Velo disappeared in the dark.
“Really, my dear chap,” said the wounded officer, “it’s a waste of time for you to do that. I wish you would jolly well leave me for some other chap. I’m done; and I don’t care in the least, so you need not trouble your conscience about me.”
Hurt to death as he was, the officer smiled; and Zaidos was all at once filled with the conviction that he was someone whom he had met. But where?
“That’s nonsense!” said Zaidos. “We will fix you up if you will make up your mind to hang on to yourself.”
“I’ve been hanging on for a good while,” said the officer pleasantly. “I’ve been here for a year or two, I think. I only came down from London for the night, you see. Not very long, eh, old chap?” He nodded his head.
“You what?” said Zaidos stupidly.
“London, you know,” said the officer. “I came down right away. I couldn’t be sure it was true. Seemed sort of unofficial, don’t you know?” He smiled again. Zaidos understood. He was delirious. He went on muttering disjointed sentences which Zaidos paid no attention to; but every time the man smiled his gay, light-hearted, unconscious smile, Zaidos felt the strange sense of acquaintance. He could see that the man was almost gone. He had lost almost all the blood in his body, and Zaidos did not dare to move him, nor even shift the weight of the unconscious but living man who laid across the shattered leg. Zaidos felt sure that he would die before Velo returned. And he was still more convinced that the man was at his end when after a few moments of stupor, he opened his eyes quite sanely and looked at Zaidos.
“That was a pretty bad blow for me, wasn’t it, old chap?” he said quietly. “I think I won’t make out to stop much longer. I’ve been here since eleven this morning. Pretty long for a man hurt like this. I am glad you ran across me. There’s a lot of papers in my blouse. Would you mind sending them to the address on the outside envelope? And I wish you would write to my father. Tell him it’s all right. Tell him not to let Frank enlist if he can help it. He’s too young. And if you can mark the place they put me, it would be a mighty kind thing. Mother would be so glad if she could have me safe in the church at home, some day. Will you do this?”
“Of course I will,” said Zaidos. “But I think you have got a chance.”
“I don’t want it,” said the wounded man. “I could not fight again, and there are reasons—I really don’t care a hang about living. Just send those letters for me. And one thing more,” he tried to lift his hand to his throat, but was too weak. “Will you kindly take off the chain under my blouse,” he said, “before anyone else gets here?”