Doctor Jones' Picnic Part 18

After ascertaining that the Princess still slept quietly, the Doctor and Count retired for the remaining hours of the night.

CHAPTER XVII.

Farewell to Beauty and the Beast.

The royal patient slept soundly until eight o'clock the following morning, or six consecutive hours. This was so entirely new and different from anything she had experienced for a very long time, that nothing could exceed her own and the astonishment of everyone who was acquainted with the facts. Long and painful had been her nights, sleepless and full of misery, unless under the influence of a narcotic.

And, as we said before, she had reached a point where her system would endure no more of crude drugging. She always awoke unrefreshed and miserable from these unnatural, forced sleeps. So when she awoke this morning, refreshed and rested, her grat.i.tude was boundless.

Dr. Jones received her grateful expressions with the simple, modest dignity that is characteristic of the good and intelligent the world over. He made now a critical examination of the heart, and found it incurably affected. And there were complications of the digestive organs, etc., that we need not stop to mention. He acquainted the Prince with the conditions he had found, and showed him why she could not be cured. But he a.s.sured his royal patron, that she might be kept comfortable, and her life indefinitely prolonged by treating her case symptomatically as occasion should require.

He remained at the castle several days. In two weeks the royal lady who had been devoted to immediate death by that school of medicine which arrogates unto itself the terms, "Liberal," "Regular," and "Scientific,"

walked in her garden!

The effect upon the Count was past our powers of description. "Doctor Jones," he cried, "I am converted not only to your system, but to G.o.d! I realized, as I witnessed the astounding power of the infinitesimal dose in this remarkable case, the wisdom and goodness of our Heavenly Father. And I now say to you, that I am devoted to your cause, and I shall never rest until your school of medicine shall have free course throughout all Russia. And you can rest a.s.sured that the Prince's influence, conjoined with my own, will have sufficient weight at court to break down all barriers and opposition to the propagandism of your blessed system of medicine. This shall be my life work, and I only wish that you were going to stay with me. But I will not urge that point, as I know that you are pledged to prosecute your effort to reach the North Pole. You will succeed in that enterprise, and the world will ring with your praise. But far grander than all this is your simple, sublime faith in G.o.d, and in the beautiful law by which you are guided in the selection of the remedy in the treatment of the sick. I am a far better man, physically, morally, and spiritually for having met you."

"If my visit to Russia shall effect the recognition of my school by your Government, I shall forever thank G.o.d for sending me here. This is probably the entering wedge that shall open Europe to us, and induce the inquiry and investigation that we crave. Let our system stand or fall upon its merits."

And so the friends conversed and laid their plans for the introduction of the new medical system into Europe. The Prince also joined them in their plans, and his enthusiasm quite equaled that of the Count. Among other items, the two n.o.ble converts made arrangements to purchase a complete stock of books and drugs. Dr. Jones daily taught them the art of "taking a case," as he called it; or the examination of a patient and writing down the symptoms.

The three months had expired and Feodora's condition was far above the danger mark. She was beautiful, rosy, and blushing, romping about with Mattie, like a great school-girl. So now the morning of their departure was set. The news was heralded far and wide that the great air-ship would sail upon a certain day if the wind were favorable.

The morning had arrived, the wind was blowing within a point or two of north, and every preparation had been made for hoisting anchors. A vast concourse of people had a.s.sembled to witness their departure. The many friends of the voyagers were present in force, and they loaded them with presents, many of them very costly. Dr. Jones' practice had been lucrative beyond anything he had ever dreamed of. He found himself suddenly made a wealthy man. The grat.i.tude of the people was boundless; and the simple-hearted man scarcely knew what to do with all the money that poured in upon him. So he caused a considerable portion of it to be distributed among the poor peasantry in the vicinity of the castle. He felt a great sense of sorrow as he looked upon the many faces that he had learned to love. But all was ready and he must away.

"I have spent some of the happiest hours of my life with yourself and daughter, my dear Count, and truly hope to visit you again and enjoy your hospitality. Good-bye, and G.o.d bless you all."

He had shaken hands with all those immediately about him, among whom were the Prince and Princess, and stepped with Mrs. Jones into the cage.

It shot up to the engine-room, the anchors and cables were cast off, and the splendid globe, so long bound in chains to the earth, arose majestically into the blue vault above. Loud and mighty were the cheers that followed them. Silver Cloud, as if impatient at the long delay in Russia, rapidly ascended three thousand feet, and flew northward at tremendous speed.

"Could deliverance have come to your house and mine more appropriately than from the skies, and in yonder silver chariot?" asked the Count of his two royal friends, while they stood watching the rapidly disappearing Silver Cloud.

"The deliverance has not come to us alone, but to the suffering millions of Russia, Count Icanovich. And all through the faithfulness and earnestness of that modest, yet wonderful little man, Doctor Jones. But as he said over and over again, 'Let us give G.o.d all the glory,'"

replied the Prince.

The company, meanwhile, though much regretting the parting with their new found friends, yet were exhilarated with the idea that they were again rapidly rushing toward the object of their expedition. Their supplies of food, fuel, clothing, etc., had been fully replenished so far as was necessary, and nothing should now prevent their reaching the Pole at an exceedingly early date. This they were the more anxious to do, as the season was getting well advanced, and they desired to be out of the Arctic region before winter should set in. This was not a matter of so much concern to them, however, as it had been to all previous explorers of these frigid regions. The navigators of Silver Cloud had no frozen seas nor icebergs to contend with, and could soar above all clouds and storms. And the matter of temperature was of little consequence to them; for, as Will had said, the cabin was so constructed that frost could never penetrate its beautiful aluminum walls.

So they were jubilant and happy. Even Sing--whom, by the way, we have shamefully neglected during the past three months--joined in the general hilarity, and treated them to many Russian dishes that he had picked up in the kitchen of the castle, where he had spent his time during their stay there.

The wind continued all day from the south, so that by evening they sighted the city of Archangel away to their left. All night they sped at express train speed toward their destination. When they looked out in the morning from the balcony, the northern coast of Russia was indistinctly seen in the southern horizon, and they were again floating over the floes and bergs of Arctic seas.

"We have crossed the 70th degree of lat.i.tude," said the Professor at breakfast. "We are heading directly for Franz Joseph Land. We should sight that island by noon at our present rate of speed."

All expressed themselves as delighted at the marvelous performance of Silver Cloud, and Denison declared that he should never be contented to settle down to slow going terrestrial life again.

"I move that we set out for the South Pole as soon as we get back to Washington," said he.

"I second the motion!" cried Mattie.

"I don't know whether women have the elective franchise in this country or not," laughingly replied Dr. Jones. "At all events, let's get back to Washington before we plan any more expeditions. I do not doubt that the South Pole will be our next objective point."

"Just imagine the American flag flying at the two poles of the earth!"

cried Professor Gray. "What could be more appropriate and grander! I believe Denison's motion to be strictly in order. As to Mattie's second, I am for female suffrage, here and everywhere upon earth.

Without it woman is but a slave, and can be but what her lord and master, man, permits her to be."

"Hear! hear!" cried the ladies, clapping their hands.

"What an old Bluebeard of a husband you have, haven't you?" said the Doctor to Mrs. Jones.

"Oh! you are fishing for compliments," she returned archly, "But I tell you, sir, that I have my eye upon you. Did you all notice how the Princess, Feodora, and a lot more of those Russian ladies cried over him when we were parting from them?" and she shook her finger at him from the lower end of the table, and tried so hard to look jealous and mad, and made so dismal a failure of it, that they all laughed heartily.

And so they merrily chatted through the meal. The men then resorted to the smoking-room, and when all had lighted their cigars or pipes, Fred asked:

"Which of the battles of the war of the great Rebellion do you consider to have been the hardest fought, Doctor Jones?"

"Chickamauga is conceded by the majority of our historians to have been the most savagely contested of the great battles of the war. Something near forty per cent of the men engaged were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner."

"Were you in that battle, Doctor?"

"I was."

"I would be glad if you would tell us about it; that is, I mean, your own personal experiences."

"Well," returned Dr. Jones, taking a look out of the window by which he sat, "we are spinning along at a rattling gait toward Franz Joseph Land, and I don't know that we can do any better than tell war stories to pa.s.s away time.

"I believe I told you that I was fifteen years old when I enlisted. The battle of Chickamauga occurred September 19, and 20, 1863, one year after my enlistment, so that I was a lad of sixteen at the time of the battle. You cannot presume that a boy would have seen much that would be of historical value, where all was horrible roar of musketry, booming of cannon, confusion, and blood-curdling yells of charging battalions.

"The morning of September 19, 1863, dawned upon us beautiful and bright.

I shall never forget that lovely morning. Throughout the rank and file of our army there was a feeling that we were upon the eve of a great battle; but we did not dream that the armies of Bragg and Longstreet had combined, and we were opposing from fifty-five thousand to seventy-five thousand men. But our confidence in our commander, General Rosecranz, was so great that we would have fought them just the same if we had known of the great odds against us.

"Heavy skirmishing began quite early in the morning along the picket lines. This gradually swelled into the incessant roar of pitched battle.

At about nine o'clock we were ordered to the front at a double-quick. We crossed a field, then into a wood where we met the fire of the enemy.

Being a musician I was counted a noncombatant, and my duties during battle consisted in helping the wounded back to hastily extemporized hospitals.

"So on we charged into the woods, already densely filled with smoke.

Then the bullets flew swiftly about us, and men began falling along the line. I set to work helping the wounded to the rear. I had just been to the hospital with a poor fellow from my company, and hastened back to where I had last seen the regiment. They had made a flank movement to the left, but I, supposing that they had advanced and were driving the enemy like chaff before them, traveled straight on through the woods, and out into an open field. What a sight was there! Dead and wounded Confederates lay thickly strewn in every direction. I was really in what had just been the Confederate lines, and was in imminent peril of being shot or captured.

"Several of the wounded spoke to me, 'O Yank! for G.o.d's sake, give me a drink of water,' I felt alarmed at my position, but I could not resist the appeals of these poor fellows. So I gave water to many from the canteens that I found scattered about the field. I spread blankets for others who asked me; dragged some of them into the shade, for the sun was very hot. And so I spent a considerable time among them, doing such little offices as I could. For these services they were very grateful, some of them calling down the blessings of heaven upon my head. I have always been glad that I incurred this risk of life and liberty for these dying men. But at last I felt that I dared not stop longer, and started to retrace my steps to the woods, when I heard a terrible wailing and moaning a few yards to my right. I rushed to the spot and saw a poor Confederate boy, about my own age, at the foot of a great poplar tree, in the midst of a brush heap, trying to spread his blanket. I did not at first see what the cause of his terrible outcry was. 'What is the matter, Johnnie?' I asked. He lifted his face to me, and I shall never forget the awful sight! A bullet had shot away the anterior part of each eye and the bridge of the nose, and in this sightless condition he was trying in the midst of the brush heap to spread his blanket and lie down to die! As he moved about upon his hands and knees the ends of the dry twigs, stiff and merciless as so many wires, would jag his bleeding and sightless eyeb.a.l.l.s. I could not leave him in this condition, and so helped him from the brush heap to a smooth, shady place, spread his blanket for him, put a canteen of water by him, and then ran for the Union lines, not a moment too soon.

"All day the battle raged with terrible fury until long after the shades of night had fallen. Indeed, the heaviest musketry I ever heard occurred some time after pitch darkness had completely enveloped us. My supper that night was a very plain one. A piece of corn bread, or hoe cake, that I had abstracted from the haversack of a dead Southerner, and a canteen of cold water const.i.tuted that simple meal. I really felt a sense of grat.i.tude toward the poor Confederate, who had undoubtedly baked the corn bread that morning, little thinking that it was destined to be eaten by a miserable Yankee drummer boy. But such is the fate of war.

"It had been very hot during the day, but the night was bitterly cold.

There was a heavy frost that night, and under a thick blanket upon the bare ground, I slept by fitful s.n.a.t.c.hes. Let me tell you, friends, that the most terrible place upon earth is a battlefield at night. The groans of the wounded men and horses are awful beyond anything I ever heard.

All night I could hear their heartrending cries, but in the pitch darkness could do nothing to help them. How many times I thought of my far away northern home during that awful night. Should I live through the morrow? for the battle would certainly be resumed with the return of daylight. Should I ever see mother, brothers and sisters, home and friends again?"

Here the Doctor sang softly and slowly part of the pathetic old war song: