A PRIMITIVE OrERATION. 345 



I would not utter a sound. Next the old Indian took 

 liold of my arm, laying his left hand on my shoulder, 

 and while Wachiga suddenly seized me round the body 

 from behind, the other pulled with all his force. The 

 pain at first was so great that I almost fainted ; but it 

 gradually diminished ; in spite of my resolve to show 

 no signs of it, I could not suppress a shriek. Conwell 

 soon after asked if I could ride. On my answering 

 " yes," he helped me on a horse ; then throwing the 

 bear's skin and some of the meat on his own, we moved 

 slowly homewards. My sufferings on the way were 

 very great, but I uttered no murmur. I only longed 

 for repose. At nightfall we had still four miles to go. 

 He asked me if I could support the pain and fatigue, 

 or if we should camp where we were, as there was 

 plenty of wood and water. I would rather have ridden 

 forty miles, let alone four, with the hope of rest at the 

 end of them. We arrived in about an hour. I was so 

 stiff that I could hardly get off the horse. On enter- 

 ing the room I threw myself on a bed, and had a violent 

 fever during the night, and talked wildly — fortunately 

 in German. Towards morning I began to feel better, 

 had a quiet sleep, and woke up about noon much 

 refreshed. Meantime, old Conwell had related all that 

 had occurred, and they attended me like a son. It 

 took two more days before I could move out of bed and 

 was able to stand. 



I was hardly so far recovered as to be able to crawl 

 about, when Conwell proposed another hunt, and 

 although I had suffered so much, I could not say " No." 

 On the 6th February we rode out again, but there was 



