Another five minutes, and she heard the quick step of the doctor coming up the path.
"Thank God you have come! He has bled dreadfully." "I was out attending a poor fellow who was shot through the lung, and that fool of a woman waited for me to come back instead of following me.
I have brought you an orderly in place of her.

By Jove, he has bled! I suppose the silk has slipped.

Well, there is only one thing for it.
Orderly, the chloroform." Then followed another long half-hour of slashing and tying and horror, and when at last the unfortunate John opened his eyes again he was too weak to speak, and could only smile feebly.

For three days after this he lay in a dangerous state, for if the artery had broken out for the third time the chances were that, having so little blood left in his veins, he would die before anything could be done for him.

At times he was very delirious from weakness, and these were the critical hours, for it was almost impossible to keep him still, and every moment threw Jess into an agony of terror lest the silk fastenings of the artery should break away.