“Mr. mate,” I cried. “I want some balsam, quick.”
“Get out of this,” he shouted. “Get out of this. I can't attend to your hurts. Don't come bothering here.”
“It's for the lady,” I said, “the lady down below.”
“In my chest. Look in my chest till,” he said. “Now stand dear. I've trouble enough without ladies in the case. Are you all clear, you, aft there?”
“All gone here, sir,” the men shouted back. “Shall we sling a bowline over the foot?”
“No,” he shouted. “Look out. She's going.”
For just a second I saw the mass of spar all tangled up with sail rise up on a wave as it drifted past. I found myself wondering why we had all been in the shadow of death only a couple of minutes before. There was no thought of danger now. I ran below for the balsam, which I found without difficulty.
CHAPTER XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET
I took what handkerchiefs I could find into the pantry with me. “There's no danger,” I said. “The ship's all right. How are you now? Let me give you some more brandy.” I gave her a little more brandy; then I helped her on to the top of the locker. Pouring out some water into the basin I bathed the cut on her head. It was a clean long cut which would probably have gone through the bone had not her hair been so thick. I dressed it as well as I could with balsam, then bound it tightly up with a white handkerchief. The hand was a good deal more, difficult to manage; it was nastily crushed; though no bones were broken. The wrist was so much swollen that I had to cut open the sleeve of her man's riding jacket. Then I bathed the hand with cold water mixed with vinegar (which I had heard was cooling) till I felt that the time had come to bandage it, so that the patient might lie down to rest. She had been much shaken by her fall. I don't think it ever once occurred to me to think of her as my enemy. I felt too much pity for her, being hurt, like that. “Look here,” I said. “You'll have to wear that arm in a sling. I'll bandage it up for you nicely.” She bore my surgery like the hero she was; it didn't look very wonderful when it was done; but she said that the pain was a good deal soothed. That was not the end though. I had to change cabins with her, since I could not let a hurt woman sleep in that bunk in the pantry; she might so easily be flung from it a second time. So I shifted her things into my cabin, where I made all tidy for her. As for the precious slush can, I stowed that carefully away, at the back of some lumber in one of the pantry lockers, where it would not be found. Altogether, it took me about twenty minutes to make everything ready, by which time the little accident on deck had been forgotten, except by those who had to do the work of sending up a new topmast; a job which kept all hands busy all night. The ship was making a steady three knots. under her reduced sail when I helped Aurelia across to her new room. There was no more thought of danger.