SUFFERING AND SORROW. 



259 



It was cut off through the back above the knuckles, and 

 the four fingers hung merely by the fleshy part of the 

 thumb. The skin was drawn back, and showed on 

 each side four bones protruding like the teeth of a skel- 

 eton. I joined them together, and as he drew up his 

 arm they jarred like the grating of teeth. I saw that 

 the case was beyond my art. Possibly the hand might 

 have been restored by sewing the skin together ; but I 

 believed that the only thing to be done was to cut it off 

 entirely, and this I was not willing to do. Unable to 

 give any farther assistance, I wound it up again in the 

 handkerchief. The young man had a mild and pleasing 

 countenance ; and as thankful for my ineffectual attempt 

 as if I had really served him, told me not to give my- 

 self any more trouble, but return to bed ; his mother 

 and sister, with stifled sobs, hung over his head ; his 

 father retained the sternness of his manner, but it was 

 easy to see that his heart was bleeding ; and to me, a 

 stranger, it was horrible to see a fine young man muti- 

 lated for life in a street-brawl. 



As he told the story himself, he was walking with 

 some of his friends, when he met one of the Spinosas 

 from Guatimala, also with a party of friends. The lat- 

 ter, who was known as a bully, approached them with 

 an expression in Spanish about equivalent to the Eng- 

 lish one, " I'll give it to you." Chico answered, " No 

 you won't," and immediately they drew their swords. 

 Chico, in attempting to ward off a stroke, received it 

 on the edge of his right hand. In passing through all 

 the bones, its force was so much broken that it only cut 

 the crown and rim of his hat. The loss of his hand had 

 no doubt saved his life; for, if the whole force of the 

 stroke had fallen on his head, it must have killed him ; 

 but the unfortunate young man, instead of being thank- 



