Page:Oruddy Romance - Crane and Barr.djvu/274

264 might be good enough to send out for some one who would dress our wounds; but luckily that 's not needed now."

"Why is it not needed?" I asked. "I 'll send at once."

"Oh, no," moaned Paddy, "there was one good friend that did not forget us."

"Well," said Jem, "he seemed mighty afeerd of coming in. I suppose he thought it was on his advice that we went where we did, and he was afeerd we thought badly of him for it; but of course we had no blame to put on the poor little man."

"In Heaven's name, who are you talking of?" said I.

"Doctor Chord," answered Jem. "He put his head inside the door and inquired for us, and inquired specially where you were; but that, of course, we could n't tell him. He was very much put out to find us mis-handled, and he sent us some tankards of beer, which are now empty, and we 're waiting for him because he promised to come back and attend to our injuries."

"Then you did n't see Doctor Chord in the gardens?"

"In what gardens?" asked Bottles.

"You did n't see him among that mob that set on you?"

"No fear," said Jem, "wherever there 's a scrimmage Doctor Chord will keep away from it."

"Indeed and in that you 're wrong," said I. "Doctor Chord has been the instigator of everything that has happened, and he stood in the background and helped to set them on."