One of the younger officers from the magazine was already scouring the neighbourhood in obedience to Ugo's orders.
Pica sent the men away at once with the authority which a favourite orderly instinctively exercises over his less fortunate comrades.

He was neither stupid nor quite unskilled, however, and in a few minutes he had slit the Captain's boot down the seam at the back and removed it almost without hurting him, as well as the merino sock.

The small round wound was not bleeding much, but it was clear that the bone of the ankle was badly injured and the whole foot was already much swollen.

The revolver had evidently been of small calibre, but the charge had been heavy and the damage was considerable.

Pica had the sense not to attempt to make any bandage beyond laying two soft folded handkerchiefs one upon the other to the wound and loosely confining them with a silk one.