A DOCTOR OF THE OLD SCHOOL by Ian Maclaren Book III. A FIGHT WITH DEATH PREFACE It is with great good will that I write this short preface to theedition of "A Doctor of the Old School" (which has been illustrated byMr. Gordon after an admirable and understanding fashion) because thereare two things that I should like to say to my readers, being also myfriends. One, is to answer a question that has been often and fairly asked. Wasthere ever any doctor so self-forgetful and so utterly Christian asWilliam MacLure? To which I am proud to reply, on my conscience: Not oneman, but many in Scotland and in the South country. I will dare prophecyalso across the sea. It has been one man's good fortune to know four country doctors, not oneof whom was without his faults--Weelum was not perfect--but who, eachone, might have sat for my hero. Three are now resting from theirlabors, and the fourth, if he ever should see these lines, would neveridentify himself. Then I desire to thank my readers, and chiefly the medical professionfor the reception given to the Doctor of Drumtochty. For many years I have desired to pay some tribute to a class whoseservice to the community was known to every countryman, but after thetale had gone forth my heart failed. For it might have been despisedfor the little grace of letters in the style and because of the outwardroughness of the man. But neither his biographer nor his circumstanceshave been able to obscure MacLure who has himself won all honest hearts, and received afresh the recognition of his more distinguished brethren. From all parts of the English-speaking world letters have come incommendation of Weelum MacLure, and many were from doctors who hadreceived new courage. It is surely more honor than a new writer couldever have deserved to receive the approbation of a profession whosecharity puts us all to shame. May I take this first opportunity to declare how deeply my heart hasbeen touched by the favor shown to a simple book by the American people, and to express my hope that one day it may be given me to see you faceto face. IAN MACLAREN. Liverpool, Oct. 4, 1895. A FIGHT WITH DEATH. III A FIGHT WITH DEATH When Drumsheugh's grieve was brought to the gates of death by fever, caught, as was supposed, on an adventurous visit to Glasgow, the Londondoctor at Lord Kilspindie's shooting lodge looked in on his way from themoor, and declared it impossible for Saunders to live through the night. "I give him six hours, more or less; it is only a question of time, "said the oracle, buttoning his gloves and getting into the brake;"tell your parish doctor that I was sorry not to have met him. " Bell heard this verdict from behind the door, and gave way utterly, but Drumsheugh declined to accept it as final, and devoted himself toconsolation. "Dinna greet like that, Bell wumman, sae lang as Saunders is stillliving'; a'll never give up houp, for ma pairt, till oor ain man saysthe word. "A' the doctors in the land dinna ken as muckle aboot us as WeelumMacLure, an' he's ill tae beat when he's trying tae save a man's life. " MacLure, on his coming, would say nothing, either weal or woe, till hehad examined Saunders. Suddenly his face turned into iron before theireyes, and he looked like one encountering a merciless foe. For there wasa feud between MacLure and a certain mighty power which had lasted forforty years in Drumtochty. [Illustration: "GAVE WAY UTTERLY"] "The London doctor said that Saunders wud sough awa afore mornin', didhe? Weel, he's an authority on fevers an' sic like diseases, an' oughttae ken. "It's may be presumptous o' me tae differ frae him, and it wudna beverra respectfu' o' Saunders tae live aifter this opeenion. But Saunderswes awe thraun an' ill tae drive, an' he's as like as no tae gang hisown gait. "A'm no meanin' tae reflect on sae clever a man, but he didna ken theseetuation. He can read fevers like a buik, but he never cam across sica thing as the Drumtochty constitution a' his days. "Ye see, when onybody gets as low as puir Saunders here, it's juista hand to hand wrastle atween the fever and his constitution, an' ofcoorse, if he had been a shilpit, stuntit, feckless effeegy o' a cratur, fed on tea an' made dishes and pushioned wi' bad air, Saunders wud haenae chance; he wes boond tae gae oot like the snuff o' a candle. [Illustration] "But Saunders hes been fillin' his lungs for five and thirty year wi'strong Drumtochty air, an' eatin' naethin' but kirny aitmeal, anddrinkin' naethin' but fresh milk frae the coo, an' followin' the ploothrough the new-turned sweet-smellin' earth, an' swingin' the scythe inhaytime and harvest, till the legs an' airms o' him were iron, an' hischest wes like the cuttin' o' an oak tree. "He's a waesome sicht the nicht, but Saunders wes a buirdly man aince, and wull never lat his life be taken lichtly frae him. Na, na, he hesnasinned against Nature, and Nature 'ill stand by him noo in his oor o'distress. "A' daurna say yea, Bell, muckle as a' wud like, for this is an evildisease, cunnin, an' treacherous as the deevil himsel', but a' winna saynay, sae keep yir hert frae despair. "It wull be a sair fecht, but it 'ill be settled one wy or anither bysax o'clock the morn's morn. Nae man can prophecee hoo it 'ill end, butae thing is certain, a'll no see deith tak a Drumtochty man afore histime if a' can help it. "Noo, Bell ma wumman, yir near deid wi' tire, an' nae wonder. Ye've dunea' ye cud for yir man, an' ye'll lippen (trust) him the nicht taeDrumsheugh an' me; we 'ill no fail him or you. "Lie doon an' rest, an' if it be the wull o' the Almichty a'll wauken yein the mornin' tae see a livin' conscious man, an' if it be ither-wisea'll come for ye the suner, Bell, " and the big red hand went out to theanxious wife. "A' gie ye ma word. " Bell leant over the bed, and at the sight of Saunders' face asuperstitious dread seized her. "See, doctor, the shadow of deith is on him that never lifts. A've seenit afore, on ma father an' mither. A' canna leave him, a' canna leavehim. " [Illustration: "BELL LEANT OVER THE BED"] "It's hoverin', Bell, but it hesna fallen; please God it never wull. Gang but and get some sleep, for it's time we were at oor work. "The doctors in the toons hae nurses an' a' kinds o' handy apparatus, "said MacLure to Drumsheugh when Bell had gone, "but you an' me 'ill needtae be nurse the nicht, an' use sic things as we hev. "It 'ill be a lang nicht and anxious wark, but a' wud raither hae ye, auld freend, wi' me than ony man in the Glen. Ye're no feared tae gie ahand?" "Me feared? No, likely. Man, Saunders cam tae me a haflin, and hes beenon Drumsheugh for twenty years, an' though he be a dour chiel, he's afaithfu' servant as ever lived. It's waesome tae see him lyin' theremoanin' like some dumb animal frae mornin' tae nicht, an' no able taeanswer his ain wife when she speaks. "Div ye think, Weelum, he hes a chance?" "That he hes, at ony rate, and it 'ill no be your blame or mine if hehesna mair. " While he was speaking, MacLure took off his coat and waistcoat and hungthem on the back of the door. Then he rolled up the sleeves of his shirtand laid bare two arms that were nothing but bone and muscle. "It gar'd ma very blood rin faster tae the end of ma fingers juist taelook at him, " Drumsheugh expatiated afterwards to Hillocks, "for a' sawnoo that there was tae be a stand-up fecht atween him an' deith forSaunders, and when a' thocht o' Bell an' her bairns, a' kent wha wudwin. "'Aff wi' yir coat, Drumsheugh, ' said MacLure; 'ye 'ill need tae bendyir back the nicht; gither a' the pails in the hoose and fill them atthe spring, an' a'll come doon tae help ye wi' the carryin'. '" It was a wonderful ascent up the steep pathway from the spring to thecottage on its little knoll, the two men in single file, bareheaded, silent, solemn, each with a pail of water in either hand, MacLurelimping painfully in front, Drumsheugh blowing behind; and when theylaid down their burden in the sick room, where the bits of furniture hadbeen put to a side and a large tub held the centre, Drumsheugh lookedcuriously at the doctor. [Illustration. ] "No, a'm no daft; ye needna be feared; but yir tae get yir first lessonin medicine the nicht, an' if we win the battle ye can set up for yerselin the Glen. "There's twa dangers--that Saunders' strength fails, an' that the forceo' the fever grows; and we have juist twa weapons. "Yon milk on the drawers' head an' the bottle of whisky is tae keep upthe strength, and this cool caller water is tae keep doon the fever. "We 'ill cast oot the fever by the virtue o' the earth an' the water. " "Div ye mean tae pit Saunders in the tub?" "Ye hiv it noo, Drumsheugh, and that's hoo a' need yir help. " "Man, Hillocks, " Drumsheugh used to moralize, as often as he rememberedthat critical night, "it wes humblin' tae see hoo low sickness can bringa pooerfu' man, an' ocht tae keep us frae pride. " "A month syne there wesna a stronger man in the Glen than Saunders, an'noo he wes juist a bundle o' skin and bone, that naither saw nor heard, nor moved nor felt, that kent naethin' that was dune tae him. "Hillocks, a' wudna hae wished ony man tae hev seen Saunders--for itwull never pass frae before ma een as long as a' live--but a' wish a'the Glen hed stude by MacLure kneelin' on the floor wi' his sleeves uptae his oxters and waitin' on Saunders. "Yon big man wes as pitifu' an' gentle as a wumman, and when he laid thepuir fallow in his bed again, he happit him ower as a mither dis herbairn. " Thrice it was done, Drumsheugh ever bringing up colder water from thespring, and twice MacLure was silent; but after the third time there wasa gleam in his eye. "We're haudin' oor ain; we're no bein' maistered, at ony rate; mair a'canna say for three oors. "We 'ill no need the water again, Drumsheugh; gae oot and tak a breatho' air; a'm on gaird masel. " It was the hour before daybreak, and Drumsheugh wandered through fieldshe had trodden since childhood. The cattle lay sleeping in the pastures;their shadowy forms, with a patch of whiteness here and there, having aweird suggestion of death. He heard the burn running over the stones;fifty years ago he had made a dam that lasted till winter. The hootingof an owl made him start; one had frightened him as a boy so that he ranhome to his mother--she died thirty years ago. The smell of ripe cornfilled the air; it would soon be cut and garnered. He could see the dimoutlines of his house, all dark and cold; no one he loved was beneaththe roof. The lighted window in Saunders' cottage told where a man hungbetween life and death, but love was in that home. The futility of lifearose before this lonely man, and overcame his heart with anindescribable sadness. What a vanity was all human labour, what amystery all human life. [Illustration] But while he stood, subtle change came over the night, and the airtrembled round him as if one had whispered. Drumsheugh lifted his headand looked eastwards. A faint grey stole over the distant horizon, andsuddenly a cloud reddened before his eyes. The sun was not in sight, butwas rising, and sending forerunners before his face. The cattle beganto stir, a blackbird burst into song, and before Drumsheugh crossed thethreshold of Saunders' house, the first ray of the sun had broken on apeak of the Grampians. MacLure left the bedside, and as the light of the candle fell onthe doctor's face, Drumsheugh could see that it was going well withSaunders. "He's nae waur; an' it's half six noo; it's ower sune tae say mair, buta'm houpin' for the best. Sit doon and take a sleep, for ye're needin''t, Drumsheugh, an', man, ye hae worked for it. " As he dozed off, the last thing Drumsheugh saw was the doctor sittingerect in his chair, a clenched fist resting on the bed, and his eyesalready bright with the vision of victory. He awoke with a start to find the room flooded with the morningsunshine, and every trace of last night's work removed. The doctor was bending over the bed, and speaking to Saunders. "It's me, Saunders, Doctor MacLure, ye ken; dinna try tae speak or move;juist let this drap milk slip ower--ye 'ill be needin' yir breakfast, lad--and gang tae sleep again. " [Illustration: "A CLENCHED FIST RESTING ON THE BED"] Five minutes, and Saunders had fallen into a deep, healthy sleep, alltossing and moaning come to an end. Then MacLure stepped softly acrossthe floor, picked up his coat and waistcoat, and went out at the door. Drumsheugh arose and followed him without a word. They passed throughthe little garden, sparkling with dew, and beside the byre, where Hawkierattled her chain, impatient for Bell's coming, and by Saunders' littlestrip of corn ready for the scythe, till they reached an open field. There they came to a halt, and Doctor MacLure for once allowed himselfto go. His coat he flung east and his waistcoat west, as far as he could hurlthem, and it was plain he would have shouted had he been a complete milefrom Saunders' room. Any less distance was useless for the adequateexpression. He struck Drumsheugh a mighty blow that well-nigh levelledthat substantial man in the dust and then the doctor of Drumtochtyissued his bulletin. "Saunders wesna tae live through the nicht, but he's livin' this meenut, an' like to live. "He's got by the warst clean and fair, and wi' him that's as good ascure. "It' ill be a graund waukenin' for Bell; she 'ill no be a weedow yet, nor the bairnies fatherless. "There's nae use glowerin' at me, Drumsheugh, for a body's daft at atime, an' a' canna contain masel' and a'm no gaein' tae try. " Then it dawned on Drumsheugh that the doctor was attempting the Highlandfling. "He's 'ill made tae begin wi', " Drumsheugh explained in the kirkyardnext Sabbath, "and ye ken he's been terrible mishannelled by accidents, sae ye may think what like it wes, but, as sure as deith, o' a' theHielan flings a' ever saw yon wes the bonniest. "A' hevna shaken ma ain legs for thirty years, but a' confess tae a turnmasel. Ye may lauch an' ye like, neeburs, but the thocht o' Bell an'the news that wes waitin' her got the better o' me. " "THE DOCTOR WAS ATTEMPTING THE HIGHLAND FLING" Drumtochty did not laugh. Drumtochty looked as if it could have donequite otherwise for joy. "A' wud hae made a third gin a bed been there, " announced Hillocks, aggressively. [Illustration] "Come on, Drumsheugh, " said Jamie Soutar, "gie's the end o't; it wes amichty mornin'. " "'We're twa auld fules, ' says MacLure tae me, and he gaithers up hisclaithes. 'It wud set us better tae be tellin' Bell. ' "She wes sleepin' on the top o' her bed wrapped in a plaid, fair wornoot wi' three weeks' nursin' o' Saunders, but at the first touch she wasoot upon the floor. "'Is Saunders deein', doctor?' she cries. 'Ye promised tae wauken me;dinna tell me it's a' ower. ' "'There's nae deein' aboot him, Bell; ye're no tae lose yir man thistime, sae far as a' can see. Come ben an' jidge for yersel'. ' "Bell lookit at Saunders, and the tears of joy fell on the bed likerain. "'The shadow's lifted, ' she said; 'he's come back frae the mooth o' thetomb. "'A' prayed last nicht that the Lord wud leave Saunders till the laddiescud dae for themselves, an' thae words came intae ma mind, 'Weepin' mayendure for a nicht, but joy cometh in the mornin'. " "'The Lord heard ma prayer, and joy hes come in the mornin', ' an' shegripped the doctor's hand. [Illustration] "'Ye've been the instrument, Doctor MacLure. Ye wudna gie him up, and yedid what nae ither cud for him, an' a've ma man the day, and the bairnshae their father. ' "An' afore MacLure kent what she was daein', Bell lifted his hand to herlips an' kissed it. " "Did she, though?" cried Jamie. "Wha wud hae thocht there wes as mucklespunk in Bell?" "MacLure, of coorse, was clean scandalized, " continued Drumsheugh, "an'pooed awa his hand as if it hed been burned. "Nae man can thole that kind o' fraikin', and a' never heard o' sica thing in the parish, but we maun excuse Bell, neeburs; it wes anoccasion by ordinar, " and Drumsheugh made Bell's apology to Drumtochtyfor such an excess of feeling. "A' see naethin' tae excuse, " insisted Jamie, who was in great fettlethat Sabbath; "the doctor hes never been burdened wi' fees, and a'mjudgin' he coonted a wumman's gratitude that he saved frae weedowhoodthe best he ever got. " [Illustration: "I'VE A COLD IN MY HEAD, TO-NIGHT"] "A' gaed up tae the Manse last nicht, " concluded Drumsheugh, "and teltthe minister hoo the doctor focht aucht oors for Saunders' life, an'won, and ye never saw a man sae carried. He walkit up and doon the rooma' the time, and every other meenut he blew his nose like a trumpet. "'I've a cold in my head to-night, Drumsheugh, ' says he; 'never mindme. '" "A've hed the same masel in sic circumstances; they come on sudden, "said Jamie. "A' wager there 'ill be a new bit in the laist prayer the day, an'somethin' worth hearin'. " And the fathers went into kirk in great expectation. "We beseech Thee for such as be sick, that Thy hand may be on them forgood, and that Thou wouldst restore them again to health and strength, "was the familiar petition of every Sabbath. The congregation waited in a silence that might be heard, and were notdisappointed that morning, for the minister continued: "Especially we tender Thee hearty thanks that Thou didst spare Thyservant who was brought down into the dust of death, and hast given himback to his wife and children, and unto that end didst wonderfully blessthe skill of him who goes out and in amongst us, the beloved physicianof this parish and adjacent districts. " "Didna a' tell ye, neeburs?" said Jamie, as they stood at the kirkyardgate before dispersing; "there's no a man in the coonty cud hae duneit better. 'Beloved physician, ' an' his 'skill, ' tae, an' bringing in'adjacent districts'; that's Glen Urtach; it wes handsome, and thedoctor earned it, ay, every word. "It's an awfu' peety he didna hear you; but dear knows whar he is theday, maist likely up--" Jamie stopped suddenly at the sound of a horse's feet, and there, comingdown the avenue of beech trees that made a long vista from the kirkgate, they saw the doctor and Jess. One thought flashed through the minds of the fathers of thecommonwealth. It ought to be done as he passed, and it would be done if it were notSabbath. Of course it was out of the question on Sabbath. The doctor is now distinctly visible, riding after his fashion. There was never such a chance, if it were only Saturday; and each manreads his own regret in his neighbor's face. The doctor is nearing them rapidly; they can imagine the shepherd'startan. Sabbath or no Sabbath, the Glen cannot let him pass without some tributeof their pride. Jess had recognized friends, and the doctor is drawing rein. "It hes tae be dune, " said Jamie desperately, "say what ye like. "Then they all looked towards him, and Jamie led. [Illustration] "Hurrah, " swinging his Sabbath hat in the air, "hurrah, " and once more, "hurrah, " Whinnie Knowe, Drumsheugh, and Hillocks joining lustily, butTammas Mitchell carrying all before him, for he had found at last anexpression for his feelings that rendered speech unnecessary. It was a solitary experience for horse and rider, and Jess boltedwithout delay. But the sound followed and surrounded them, and as theypassed the corner of the kirkyard, a figure waved his college cap overthe wall and gave a cheer on his own account. "God bless you, doctor, and well done. " "If it isna the minister, " cried Drumsheugh, "in his goon an' bans, taethink o' that; but a' respeck him for it. " Then Drumtochty became self-conscious, and went home in confusion offace and unbroken silence, except Jamie Soutar, who faced his neighborsat the parting of the ways without shame. "A' wud dae it a' ower again if a' hed the chance; he got naethin' buthis due. " It was two miles before Jess composed her mind, and the doctorand she could discuss it quietly together. "A' can hardly believe ma ears, Jess, an' the Sabbath tae; their verrajidgment hes gane frae the fouk o' Drumtochty. "They've heard about Saunders, a'm thinkin', wumman, and they're pleasedwe brocht him roond; he's fairly on the mend, ye ken, noo. "A' never expeckit the like o' this, though, and it wes juist a weethingie mair than a' cud hae stude. "Ye hev yir share in't tae, lass; we've hed mony a hard nicht and daythegither, an' yon wes oor reward. No mony men in this warld 'ill everget a better, for it cam frae the hert o' honest fouk. "