The old dog lifted his head and
listened. Snatching up the lantern, she was out of the
door before the dog was on his feet; there were wheels
coming, coming down the road in mad haste. Pearl swung
the lantern and shouted.
The doctor reined in his horse.
She flashed the lantern into his face.
"Oh Doc!" she cried, "dear Doc, I have been waitin' and
waitin' for ye. Git in there to the granary. Arthur's
the sickest thing ye ever saw. Git in there on the double
jump." She put the lantern into his hand as she spoke.
Hastily unhitching the doctor's horse she felt her way
with him into the driving shed. The night was at its
blackest.
"Now, Thursa," she laughed to herself, "we got him, and
he'll do it, dear Doc, he'll do it." The wind blew dust
and gravel in her face as she ran across the yard.
When she went into the granary the doctor was sitting on
the box by Arthur's bed, with his face in his hands.
"Oh, Doc, what is it?" she cried, seizing his arm.
The doctor looked at her, dazed, and even Pearl uttered
a cry of dismay when she saw his face, for it was like
the face of a dead man.
"Pearl," he said slowly, "I have made a terrible mistake,
I have killed young Cowan."
"Bet he deserved it, then," Pearl said stoutly.
"Killed him," the doctor went on, not heeding her, "he
died in my hands, poor fellow! Oh, the poor young fellow!
I lanced his throat, thinking it was quinsy he had, but
it must have been diphtheria, for he died, Pearl, he
died, I tell you!"
"Well!" Pearl cried, excitedly waving her arms, "he ain't
the first man that's been killed by a mistake, I'll
bet lots o' doctors kill people by mistake, but they
don't tell--and the corpse don't either, and there ye
are.
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