“The moment blood ceases to flow, or is arrested at any point in the circulatory tracts, coagulation begins. It is for that reason the surgeon tightly binds the arm between the wound and the heart or checks the flow between the two points in the circulation. The cessation of movement immediately begins to thicken the blood, and in case of poisons the venom cannot reach the heart, and in wounds the tendency is to close up the ruptured veins or arteries.”
“I have noticed that when the hand is wounded the blood will soon get thick and stop to flow, and I suppose when it gets to the air the same thing happens to prevent a continual flow?”
“Yes; it is nature’s way of protecting in cases of injury.”
“Judging from the direction of the wound, the bullet has struck the spinal column,” continued the Professor.
“That is the view I took after seeing the wound,” responded John. “It was the only way I could account for his prostrated condition. A mere wound in the groin would not have made him so helpless.”
“Do you think,” asked Tom, “that the bullet could have gone into the backbone?”
“If such had been the case he would, in all probability, be dead by this time. A bullet of this size, striking the backbone, would be sufficient to cause partial paralysis, and if such is the case he will recover. The shock is sufficient to derange his system for a time.”
The patient was made as comfortable as possible, and in the course of two hours the Professor announced that the symptoms showed a marked improvement. The besieging party was still on the watch. But no further attack was made.
“There are many things which indicate to me a conflict of opinion among the attacking party,” remarked John. The boys crowded around him for an explanation.
“I give this opinion for several reasons: Their continual altercations show that they have no unity of purpose, and during all this time they have done nothing to investigate our position, and determine the best methods of approaching us other than the open. To the right is the river, and to our left the cliff ridge. If they were in concord with each other, the first thing they would do would be to make a careful survey of our surroundings.”