The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 39

"Not a word, my man," returned the doctor, regaling his nose with a pinch of snuff, and scanning the bearing of the men with evident delight.

"It's beautiful they look," murmured the doctor, in a low tone, and then elevating his voice, he continued, "the signal will be 'one, two, three,' and then, the dropping of this handkerchief. Mind, gentlemen, and reserve your fire until you see the handkerchief lave my hand. Now, thin, are ye ready?"

Wattles and Fred braced themselves as though expecting a shock, drew their caps a little more over their eyes, and signified that they were.

"One!" cried the doctor, in a loud voice.

The duellists brought their rifles to their shoulders, fully c.o.c.ked.

"Two!" exclaimed the doctor.

The rifles were levelled, and eager eyes glanced along the tubes.

"Three!"

For a second after the word was spoken the doctor held the white handkerchief aloft; but as it slowly fell towards the ground, there was but one report, so closely did they fire together.

I had not taken my eyes from Fred, and to my joy I saw that he did not move. I glanced towards Wattles. He had dropped his rifle and was rubbing his right arm, which hung down powerless by his side.

"By the ma.s.s," cried the doctor, grabbing his box of instruments and running towards his brother officer, "the Americans have got the best of this fight, as I knew they would with their d----d rifles. But, by Saint Patrick, it was illegantly done, and that I'll stick to as long as I live."

CHAPTER XXI.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE SEARCH FOR GULPIN'S BURIED TREASURES.

I started to congratulate Fred, but, quick as were my movements, I found that Smith had taken the lead, and was shaking hands with him at a tremendous rate.

"Are you injured?" I asked, running my eye over his form to see if I could discover any signs of blood.

"No, thank Heaven, I have escaped; although my adversary's bullet whizzed close over my head," replied Fred.

"I knew that he was overcharging the rifle when loading it," I cried, delighted to think that Merriam had done so.

"It was the means, perhaps, of saving my life, for the fellow aimed with good intentions, and I saw by the expression of his face that he was bound to hit me if possible."

"Well, since you are safe, I'll run and see how your adversary is doing," I said, glancing towards the doctor, who, with coat off, was kneeling on the ground, and wiping away blood with a cloth which he had taken from his mysterious box.

"Do so," replied Fred, "and if I can be of any a.s.sistance, let me know; I have no enmity against the man, and should really like to shake hands with him before parting."

I ran to the spot where Wattles was lying on the ground, and found him looking very pale and weak. Merriam and the doctor had ripped off the sleeve of his coat, and torn off the arm of his s.h.i.+rt; and while one was making bandages, the other was cleaning a ragged looking wound, just above the elbow of the right arm.

"If I can be of any service, doctor, I will a.s.sist you," I said, in a half-hesitating way, for I feared that they might consider it an intrusion.

"Sarvice, my dear boy?" echoed the doctor, stopping to look up for a moment from his work. "Of course ye can be of sarvice. Stoop down here and lind me a helpin' hand by straightening out the arm a bit, so that I can see if the bones are smashed, or only one broken."

I readily complied with the request, and the doctor continued,--"There's no raison in the world for ye to be inemies now. Your friend has had a pop at the lieutenant here, and, I'm sorry to say, he's got the worse of it, although it's about time, for Wattles has been mighty lucky in these things, and was hardly ever hit afore."

Here the wounded man opened his eyes, and uttered a suppressed groan; whether at the recollection of his numerous duels, or because the doctor wrenched his arm, is more than I can tell.

"Ah, man, don't groan, for it's only a broken arm ye have; but I'll tell ye privately that it's yer life it would have been, had the American been disposed to take it, for a divil a fear but he put the bullet jist where he intended. I saw, the instant he raised the rifle, that it was only a flesh wound he wished, and that he didn't know whether to pop ye on the right or left arm. Here, swallow that, and see if it don't put the life into ye, and make ye open yer eyes and sing psalms."

The doctor emptied a teaspoonful of cordial into the wounded man's mouth, and its strength must have been very beneficial, for he opened his eyes, a healthy color came to his face, and he spoke without any painful effort.

"Ah, a divil a fear is there of ye now, and if I can save the arm, ye'll be at it again in less than six months," muttered the doctor, as he applied a balm to the wound, and then covered it with lint.

"There is no fear of that, is there, doctor?" asked Wattles, who was a youngster not more than twenty-two years of age.

"I'll do all that I can; but rifle bullets are different intirely than pistol b.a.l.l.s. It's many's the good wound I've cured made by the latter, and well ye knows it, Wattles; but who'd have suspected ye of fighting with murdering rifles?"

The young officer made no reply, and the doctor, tearing a piece of linen cloth into strips about two inches wide, continued working and talking at the same time.

The bandages were all tied on, and Smith had been sent after the driver of the carriage to tell him to bring his vehicle as near as possible, so that the wounded man could enter without exerting himself to walk. While we were waiting, Wattles looked at me, and a grim smile crossed his face, as he said,--

"Your friend is in luck to-day, sir."

"If you think that he considers it luck because you are wounded, you are mistaken," I replied.

"He had the advantage in the use of a weapon with which he is accustomed, and therefore I did not expect a favorable result. Had we used pistols, he would now be occupying my place."

"Ah, have done with your boasting, lieutenant, and think no more of the quarrel. Ye challenged the gentleman, and he accepted and chose his weapons; and it's mighty lucky ye may think yourself to get off with life, for he could have killed ye as easily as a kangaroo. It's myself that knows he could have done it," said the surgeon, warmly.

"Is that so?" asked Wattles, turning to me for confirmation.

"He could have killed you, had he been so disposed, even at twice the distance," I replied.

The lieutenant looked sober and thoughtful for a moment, when, thinking to make an impression, and get him to drop the quarrel forever, I continued,--

"My friend did contemplate firing over your head, and would have done so had not your looks convinced him that you intended mischief."

"By the Lord, I aimed for a vital part, but am glad that I missed my object. Ask your friend to shake hands with me. From all accounts I'm convinced that he is a gentleman to cherish and know."

"Ah, Wattles, divil fear ye but yer heart is in the right place, afther all," cried the doctor, delighted at the proposed reconciliation.

I told Fred the request of his adversary, and without a moment's hesitation he joined the group, and extended his hand to the wounded man.

"You have got the best of me, sir," Wattles said, faintly, his pain beginning to grow excessive.

"I trust that it is a mere gun-shot wound, and that you will soon be well," replied Fred.

"I don't know--I don't know," moaned the lieutenant. "It seems as though the doctor would kill me with his cursed probing and punching. Half of it is unnecessary, I believe."

"Do you hear that?" cried O'Haraty, appealing to us, in astonishment.

"It's like an infant I've treated him, and now ye see how he abuses me."