The Kopje Garrison Part 66

"You were, sir. You told me that his brain was suffering from pressure, and then you went on to say that you wanted to get at the cause of his hurt."

"Bah! Tchah! Nonsense, man! I was talking then about Lennox."

"I beg your pardon, sir."

"Oh, all right, my lad. Now then; I'm talking about Lennox now. I say I want to get at the cause of his trouble without questioning him and setting his poor feverish brain working. Tell me how you found him."

d.i.c.kenson briefly explained.

"Humph! Utterly exhausted; been suffering from the sun, thirst, and evidently after exerting himself tremendously. Been in a complete stupor more than sleep, you say?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's very strange," said the doctor thoughtfully. "He was in the a.s.sault, wasn't he?"

"Oh yes, of course."

"Well, human nature's a queer thing, d.i.c.kenson, my lad."

"Yes, sir; very," said the young man gruffly, "or Roby wouldn't behave like this and set that sneak May off on the same track."

"And," continued the doctor testily, as if he did not like being interrupted, "the more I examine into man's nature the more curious and contradictory I find it-I mean, in the mental faculties."

"I suppose so, sir.-What's he aiming at?" added the young officer to himself.

"Now, look here, d.i.c.kenson, my lad; between ourselves, that was rather a horrible bit of business, eh?-that attack in the half-darkness."

"Well, sir, it wasn't quite like an al fres...o...b..ll," said d.i.c.kenson gruffly.

"Of course not. Bayoneting and bludgeoning with rifle-b.u.t.ts?"

d.i.c.kenson nodded.

"And all on the top of the excitement of the march and the long waiting to begin?"

"Just so, sir," said d.i.c.kenson.

"Enough to over-excite a young fellow's brain?"

"Well-yes, sir; it's not at all cheerful work. But, really, I don't see what you mean."

"Just this, my dear boy, and, as I said, between ourselves. You don't think, do you, that just in the midst of the fight poor Lennox was seized with what you vulgar young fellows call a fit of blue funk, do you?"

"No, sir, I do not," said d.i.c.kenson stiffly. "Certainly not."

"Lost his nerve?"

"No, sir."

"I've lost mine before now, my lad, over a very serious operation-when I was young, you know."

"May be, sir; but Drew Lennox is not the sort of fellow for that."

"As a rule, say."

"Yes, as a rule, sir, without a single exception."

"And took fright and ran?"

"Rubbish, sir! He couldn't."

"Just as Roby says?"

"Roby's mad."

"And as Corporal May holds to in corroboration?"

"No, sir, no; and I should like to see Corporal May flogged."

"Rather an unpleasant sight, my lad," said the doctor quietly, "even when a culprit richly deserves it. But about Lennox. He might, though as a rule brave as a lion, have had a seizure like that."

"No, he mightn't sir," said d.i.c.kenson stoutly.

"You don't know, my lad."

"Oh yes, I do, sir. I know Drew Lennox by heart."

"But there is such a thing as panic, my lad."

"Not with him, sir."

"I say yes, my lad. Recollect that he had a terrible shock a little while ago." d.i.c.kenson's lips parted. "He was plunged into that awful hole in the dark, and whirled through some underground tunnel. Why, sir, I went and looked at the place myself with Sergeant James, and he let down a lantern for me to see. I tell you what it is; I'm as hard as most men, through going about amongst horrors, but that black pit made me feel wet inside my hands. I wonder the poor fellow retained his reason."

"But he got the better of that, sir," said d.i.c.kenson hoa.r.s.ely.

"How do you know, sir? He seemed better; but a man can't go through such things as that without their leaving some weakening of the mental force."

"Doctor, don't talk like that, for goodness' sake!"

"I must, my lad, because I think-mind you, I say I think-"

"Doctor, if you begin to think Drew Lennox is a coward I'll never respect you again," cried d.i.c.kenson angrily.

"I don't think he's a coward, my dear boy," said the doctor, laying his hand upon the young officer's arm. "I think he's as brave a lad as ever stepped, and I like him; but no man is perfect, and the result of that horrible plunge into the bowels of the earth shook him so that in that fierce fight he grew for a bit very weak indeed."

"Impossible, doctor!" cried the young man fiercely.

"Quite possible," said the doctor, pressing his companion's arm; "and now let me finish. I tell you, I like Drew Lennox, and if I am right I shall think none the less of him."