“Oh, you’re not such a very bad soldier, 253 after all,” commented the doctor, quietly, as he gathered up his instruments to clean and boil them again. “I can’t say that I’m optimistic about this case––but perhaps you don’t quite understand such big words. I mean that I haven’t any great hopes for this lad, but at least he has some little chance now. There was none whatever before. Of course it depends a lot on the nursing he gets. If I thought for a moment that he could stand the trip I’d take him away with me, but that’s out of the question.”
Then he turned to Stefan.
“I’ll have to catch the first freight back in the morning, my man. Will you take me to Carcajou in good time? I can’t afford to miss it. Too many needing me just now east of here!”
“Ay, I take you––if Hugo he no worse. But if tings is goin’ wrong, I’ll let Papineau do it. I––I can’t leaf no more. Vhen I starts from here I tank I can’t stand it a moment––but vhen I get off on de road, I gets grazy to come back. I––I don’t know vhat I vants!”
The doctor looked at him curiously, appreciating the depth of the man’s emotion and gauging the strength of the superb creature he was.
“I won’t let you take me if it isn’t safe,” he told him, and turned to his patient again.
“Do you expect to stay up all night?” he suddenly asked the girl.
“I––I am anxious to, if I can be of the slightest help.”
“One can never tell,” he replied. “I might be glad to have you with me. You don’t lose your head––and you’re efficient.”