Brandon of the Engineers

On the morning after his fall, Dick came to his senses in a shaded room.

He heard a shutter rattle as the warm breeze flowed in, and noted a

flickering patch of light on the wall, but found with some annoyance that

he could not see it well. His head was throbbing and a bandage covered

part of his face. His side was painful too, and he groaned when he tried

to move.

"Where am I?" he asked a strange man, who appeared beside his bed, and

added in an injured tone: "It looks as if I'd got into trouble again."

"You had a narrow escape," the other answered soothingly. "You cut your

head badly and broke two of your ribs when you fell down the steamer's

hold. Now you're in hospital, but you're not to talk."

"I'll get worse if you keep me quiet," Dick grumbled. "How can you find

out things that bother you, unless you talk?"

"Don't bother about them," said the doctor. "Have a drink instead."

Dick looked at the glass with dull suspicion. "I don't know, though I'm

thirsty. You see, I've been in a doctor's hands before. In fact, I seem

to have a gift for getting hurt."

"It's cool and tastes nice," the other urged. "You didn't rest much last

night and if you go to sleep now we'll try to satisfy your curiosity

afterwards."

Dick hesitated, but took the glass and went to sleep soon after he

drained it. When he awoke the light had vanished from the wall and the

room was shadowy, but he saw Jake sitting by the bed. A nurse, who put a

thermometer in his mouth and felt his pulse, nodded to the lad as if

satisfied before she went away. Dick's head was clearer, and although the

movement hurt him he resolutely fixed his uncovered eye on his companion.

"Now," he said, "don't tell me not to talk. Do you know why they've fixed

this bandage so that it half blinds me?"

Jake looked embarrassed. "There's a pretty deep cut on your forehead."

"Do you suppose I can't feel it? But I want to know why they're not

satisfied with tying my forehead up? You may as well tell me, because I'm

not going to sleep again. It looks as if I'd slept all day."

"The cut runs through your eyelid and the doctor thinks it wiser to be

careful."

"About my eye?"

"It's just a precaution," Jake declared. "There's really nothing the

matter, but he thought it would be better to keep out the strong light."

"Ah!" said Dick, who was not deceived, and was silent for the next few

moments. Then he resumed in a rather strained voice: "Well, let's talk

about something else. Where's Don Sebastian?"