Таємничий острів

           Hehasevenutteredamoan.Butforyourboy’ssake,calmyourself.Wehaveneedofallourself-possession."

           "Donotmakeusloseit,myfriend."

           Pencroftwassilent,butareactionsetin,andgreattearsrolleddownhischeeks.

           Inthemeanwhile,GideonSpilettendeavoredtocollecthisideas,andproceedmethodically.Afterhisexaminationhehadnodoubtthattheball,enteringinfront,betweentheseventhandeighthribs,hadissuedbehindbetweenthethirdandfourth.Butwhatmischiefhadtheballcommittedinitspassage?Whatimportantorganshadbeenreached?Aprofessionalsurgeonwouldhavehaddifficultyindeterminingthisatonce,andstillmoresothereporter.

           However,heknewonething,thiswasthathewouldhavetopreventtheinflammatorystrangulationoftheinjuredparts,thentocontendwiththelocalinflammationandfeverwhichwouldresultfromthewound,perhapsmortal!Now,whatstyptics,whatantiphiogisticsoughttobeemployed?Bywhatmeanscouldinflammationbeprevented?

           Atanyrate,themostimportantthingwasthatthetwowoundsshouldbedressedwithoutdelay.ItdidnotappearnecessarytoGideonSpilettthatafreshflowofbloodshouldbecausedbybathingthemintepidwater,andcompressingtheirlips.Thehemorrhagehadbeenveryabundant,andHerbertwasalreadytoomuchenfeebledbythelossofblood.

           Thereporter,therefore,thoughtitbesttosimplybathethetwowoundswithcoldwater.

           Herbertwasplacedonhisleftside,andwasmaintainedinthatposition.

           "Hemustnotbemoved."saidGideonSpilett.