it was like this, my boy. He was about one of the biggest and fiercest fellows that I have seen here. There was only one good thing about him: he could speak bad English. He came up here one day and tried to make me understand that he was in terrible pain. But that was plain enough, for as soon as he was in my room he began stamping about, pointing to his mouth.”
“What! had he got the toothache?” said Archie.
“Yes—one of those awfully bad ones; and twice over he clapped his hand to his waist and uncovered the handle of his kris as if he meant to use it. It quite startled me.”
“Now, Henry, pray do not exaggerate so. I do wish you wouldn’t be so fond of ornamenting your anecdotes.”
“Well, really, my dear, if I didn’t touch up a story a little bit, young Maine here wouldn’t be able to grasp it.”
“Was he in such pain, then, sir,” said Archie, “that he wanted you to think he would kill himself?”
“Yes, my lad; and being such a fierce-looking fellow, he made me feel quite nervous, for twice over he looked as if he was going to use a kris on me, and I began to look round my bottles for something to use in self-defence.”
“Chloroform, I suppose,” said Mrs. Morley sarcastically.
“No, my dear; something much stronger than that.”
“That’s a new improvement, Henry,” said Mrs. Morley.
“There, she won’t let me tell you, Archie. You ask me, and I will tell you the story some day when we are alone.”
“Oh no, Doctor; you have raised my curiosity, and I want to hear it now.”
“Oh, pray go on,” said Mrs. Morley.
“Well, don’t interrupt me, then.”
Minnie and Archie exchanged laughing glances, and the Doctor went on:
“Well, I got him down in a chair, and as he lay back he opened his mouth and displayed a tremendous set of the biggest and whitest teeth I ever saw.”
“Ahem!” coughed Minnie, with a merry look at Archie.
“Fine, healthy-looking man he was, but he had the regular savage Malay look in his eyes; but I gained courage directly I saw what was the matter. There was one great double tooth which was evidently the cause of all the trouble, and I knew at once that he would have no peace till it was drawn. There was a position for a medical man! And I could not help feeling that I was quite at his mercy. I went to a drawer and took out an instrument, and as I approached him he glared at me more savagely than ever, and laid his right hand once more upon the ugly, pistol-like hilt of his kris. Now, sir, what would you have done under the circumstances?”
“Bolted,” said Archie laconically.
“I don’t believe you,” said Minnie.
“What! and left two defenceless women at his mercy, sir? That won’t do; will it, Mary, my dear?”
“Well, then,” said Archie, “I should have called in old Sergeant Ripsy and a couple more men to hold him. Or why didn’t you give him a dose of something to send him to sleep? But I know. You got tight hold of the tooth and tugged it out.”
“How are you going to get tight hold of a savage’s tooth when you can see him ready to pull out his kris, and your hands are trembling like banana-leaves in a storm?”
“Well, I should have asked him to give me the kris to put away in case of accidents,” said Archie merrily.
“Ask a Malay to give you his head to put away in case of accidents!” cried the Doctor sarcastically. “No, sir; I took my courage in both hands and approached him.”
“Why, you were holding the instrument in one hand, sir,” said Archie merrily; and Minnie laughed.
“Ah, you are getting too sharp, sir,” cried the Doctor. “But I can tell you it was nervous work, and for a few minutes I felt sure that if I operated on him he would operate on me; and if I had thought of it at the time, I think I should have called in my wife to stand sentry with a revolver.”
“Oh dear me!” sighed Mrs. Morley, as she drew some work out of her handbag.
“Well,” continued the Doctor, “I got a good hold of the tooth at last, gave a wrench—”
“And out came the tooth,” said Archie quickly.
“No, it didn’t, sir; and as I stood over the man, looking down into his fierce eyes, he snatched his hand from his waist, and I turned cold, for I felt it was all over, when in an instant up came the other hand, and both of them closed over my wrist, giving me such a wrench that it quite startled me; and it was then that the tooth came out.”
“And the toothache was cured, sir?” cried Archie.
“Minnie, my dear,” said Mrs. Morley quietly, “do you notice any difference in that story since your uncle told it last?”
“Yes, aunt; it is much more flowery than it used to be.”
“Flowery!” growled the Doctor. “Why, Archie, my lad, that story is as true as true. Indeed, I should have been able to show you the great tooth as a proof, only the man took it away. He was one of my first patients when I came here; and I never had any fee.”
“For shame, Henry! The man is always bringing you fruit or fish. I am sure that he would do anything for you.”
“Well, yes,” said the Doctor, “he has been grateful in his way; but I never feel sure that those fellows will not make use of their krises.”
Chapter Five.
The Officers’ Washing.
“Oh, here you are, Mrs. Smithers. Aunt was saying just now that she wondered you had not been up. I told her perhaps it was on account of the hot weather, for it has been terribly trying.”
“Oh, bless your heart, Miss Minnie!” said the tall, sturdy, buxom-looking woman who had just set down a big basket in the veranda, “the weather doesn’t make no difference to me. Whether it’s hot or whether it’s cold, I have got to get my bit of washing done; though I am a bit tried when it comes to that mounsoon, or mounseer, or whatever they call it, when it’s such strange, hard work to get the things dry. But even then it ain’t fair to complain, for the soft water’s lovely, and plenty of it. But I am late again this week, and it has been very hard work to get the officers washed. ’Tain’t half-an-hour since I took young Mr. Maine’s home to his quarters. I hope your aunt ain’t cross with me.”
“Oh no, she’s not angry. She knew there must be some good reason. We were half-afraid you were ill.”
“Not me, Miss Minnie! I’ve never no time to be
