“Well?” said Drummond anxiously; “did you?”
“Yes, sir, of course I did; for he spoke just as if it was so; and I got hold of it and tried to pull it away, but he wouldn’t let me. He kep’ it tight down close to his throat, and looked quite bad in the face.”
“You should have used force,” said Drummond.
“I did, sir; lots o’ force; but he’d got it crooked, and it was just as if the joint had gone fast, so that I was afraid that if I pulled too hard I might break something; and it was just while I was hanging fire like that you came, and he let it come then quite easy. Didn’t you, sir?”
“Yes, yes,” said Bracy hurriedly. “It had gone to sleep, I suppose, and was as heavy and as cold as marble.”
“Oh, I see,” said Drummond, smiling; “been lying in an awkward position, I suppose?”
Bracy nodded, but there was a curious look in his eyes that his visitor did not see.
“Come to take a look at you and have a chat.—I say. You heard about me getting in for it?”
“Yes, I heard,” said Bracy sadly. “You were wounded.”
“Bit of a chop from a tulwar,” replied Drummond, touching his bandaged arm lightly. “Nothing much, but I am off duty for a bit. Precious nuisance, isn’t it?”