Stan Lynn Part 34

"Bury you? Nonsense! Who's going to bury a live man?"

"Only half alive. Oh deah! oh deah! Oh-h-h!"

"Come, come; be a man," said Blunt gently as he softly raised the poor fellow's head, manipulating it gently the while, and laying it down again. "Does that hurt very much?"

"N-no," sighed the sufferer. "Not head bleak. All to piecee evely place, not head."

"Then you're not going to die, I hope," said Blunt. "Your skull is not fractured, and the hinges of your neck are not broken."

"You suah?"

"Quite sure, my lad. You wouldn't be talking like that if your neck was broken."

"P'l'aps not," sighed Wing. "Bleak to bit evelywheh, no alm, no leg.

Oh deah! oh deah!"

"Now then, I want to lay you out straight so as to feel your body all over."

"Lay stlaight?" cried the poor fellow, with more animation. "Leady to buly poo' Wing?"

"Nonsense!" cried Stan warmly. "No one thinks of such a thing. Let me lay that arm close beside you."

"No, no," sighed the poor fellow. "Wing don't wantee see aim come off."

"It won't come off, my man," said Blunt kindly.--"That's right, Lynn.

Well done! It's not broken. Neither is this," he continued as, with the patient still groaning, the other arm was tenderly examined and laid straight.--"Hurt you very much, Wing?"

"Not velly much. Bloken off. Wing can't feel."

Stan glanced at Blunt, and saw him frown and look more stern as he met his companion's eyes to exchange a look full of intelligence.

"Now his legs," said Blunt then. "Both together. Lay them out straight."

This was done, Wing groaning softly the while.

"Bones all right," said Blunt half to himself; "joints move easily--no dislocation. That hurt you very much, Wing?"

"N-no. Hultee evelywheh else."

"Does that mean the spine is injured?" whispered Stan anxiously.

"I'm afraid so," was the reply.

Wing looked sharply from one to the other.

"Young Lynn say bote leg bloke light off?"

"No," said Blunt, smiling; "he didn't say anything of the kind. They're quite sound. Now then, I will not hurt you much. I'm going to feel whether your ribs are broken."

"No, no; much betteh let be. All bloke littlee bit."

"I don't think so," said Blunt, pa.s.sing his hands softly down the man's sides over and over again from armpits to hips. "Now breathe, Wing."

"Wing keep on bleathe lil bit longeh. Not dead yet."

"'Not dead yet: see the _Quiver_,'" said Blunt softly to himself, as, incongruously enough, there came to his mind the words on one of the great bills which appeared upon nearly all the h.o.a.rdings in London many years ago.

"Breathe again, Wing," continued Blunt. "Draw in as long a breath as you can.--Well, do you hear me?"

"Wing 'flaid," was the reply.

"Afraid? What of?"

"'Flaid nevah bleathe again; so bad."

"Stuff! Do as I tell you."

"Oh deah! oh deah!" sighed the poor fellow as he obeyed, and retained his breath for some time.

"Well, does that hurt you very much?"

"N-no, n-no," sobbed the man. "Not velly much."

"Then there are no broken ribs, Lynn. Look here."

As he spoke Blunt pa.s.sed his hands firmly about the sufferer's chest, even going so far as to press the ribs inward, without eliciting more than a faint groan.

"There!" said Blunt; "nothing is broken. The injury must be to the back."

"Yes," said Wing, uttering a whimper. "Back. Velly, velly bad."

"Come, let's see," said Blunt. "We'll have you carried into the big office now, and knock you up a bed of some kind. Give me your hand.-- Take the other, Lynn, and let's raise him up into a sitting posture.

Gently, mind."

"No, no; plea', plea' don't!"

"Why not?" said Blunt, who was watching the man keenly.

"Back bloke. Come in two bit. Bleak light off. Leave poo' Wing leg lie all alone."

"Well, well!" said Blunt gently; "never mind; be a man. If you come right in two we'll fasten you up tightly again with sticking-plaster.

You'll soon grow together again."

"Eh?" exclaimed Wing, looking sharply from one to the other, but looking in vain, for Stan took his cue from his companion and preserved a perfectly serious countenance.

"Now," said Blunt; "both together. Lift."

Wing uttered a louder groan than ever as he was drawn right up into a sitting posture and lowered down again.