i;8 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



Bushman, in making such a proposal to her ? 

 I exhausted my stock of arguments in explaining 

 that it was impossible for me to advise treatment 

 unless I thoroughly comprehended the nature of 

 the injury. All was of no avail, persuasion and 

 threats were alike thrown away, so I ordered my 

 horse to be brought up. -The husband, poor fellow, 

 seemed much annoyed, and begged me not to 

 depart, so I delayed mounting. I was willing to 

 be of service if I could, but how could I be so 

 unless I understood exactly the nature of the 

 injury ? I explained this to him ; of course he saw 

 my position, and understood it at once. After he 

 had gone back and forth several times between 

 his wife and myself, he brought intelligence that 

 she would consent, provided I never told any one 

 in the Transvaal ; so, with this understanding, I 

 re-entered the waggon. I have seen bashful 

 maidens of fifteen, and bashful old maids of fifty, 

 but never such a superlative degree of squeamish- 

 ness exhibited as here. Inch by inch her skirt 

 was raised ; in half an hour its selvage reached 

 the knee, and then at a glance I saw what was 

 the matter. The knee-cap had been kicked on one 

 side. But what else did I see ? the dirtiest leg I 

 supposed possible to exist ; it was literally encrusted 

 with filth, the accumulation of ages. When I 

 rejoined Chummy, he asked me regarding my 

 patient ; without an effort there came to my lips 



