The industry of Rich was something remarkable. He was well fed, his work for Mrs. Clemens gave him abundant exercise, and kept him in vigorous health, and the habit of thorough study he had performed in college enabled him to make rapid progress.

In connection with the study of text-books he had performed a great number of operations upon animals, obtained practice in the use of instruments, and now felt disposed to comply, to a certain extent, with the doctor's advice in respect to actual practice. It was not long before an opportunity offered.

Dan Clemens had the toothache, and in spite of all the remedies his mother applied,—and they were by no means few in number—laudanum, gunpowder, pepper, cloves, the stem of a pumpkin smoked in a pipe, hot salt, camphor, and new rum,—was half crazy with it.

"Mr. Richardson," said Dan, "will you please pull my tooth? I don't want to go to Dr. Ryan. I know he'll hurt me awfully."

[Pg 215]

"Nobody can pull a tooth, Daniel, without inflicting pain. They are designed to stay in—the second crop."

"But you won't hurt me as much as he will. He won't care if he does hurt me. Besides, you haven't got such an awful-looking thing to pull 'em with as his is." Rich had purchased, with his other instruments, forceps of a modern pattern, while the doctor used the huge old corkscrew instruments. "Do, please, Mr. Richardson. I won't tell anybody; so you won't have your time taken up by boys running to you."

Rich put the instrument on the tooth Dan indicated, and took it out in a moment. Dan gave a fearful yell, and ran to the fire-place.

"I told you it would hurt you."

"I don't care. Dr. Ryan would have hurt me more."

Notwithstanding Dan's promise of secrecy, it got wind somehow, and Rich soon had considerable practice of that kind. But, as he had now made good progress in study, and the money was very acceptable, he became reconciled to it.

An opportunity was soon after this presented that Rich did not fail to improve. The people of the neighborhood were engaged in hauling a barn, and a young man, in attempting to fling a skid under the building while in motion, received a compound fracture of the thigh. Dr. Ryan was called. He sent for Dr. Slaughter, and took Rich[Pg 216] with him, who required no solicitation, as it was the first opportunity he had enjoyed of witnessing an important operation.

The limb was taken off some distance above the knee, leaving that joint entire, it having escaped injury by being pressed into the mud. Weary of dissecting animals, Rich longed to obtain this limb. There it lay, a well-developed leg and part of the thigh of a young man. He took it in his hands after the operation was performed, and gloated over it as an antiquarian over a rare coin. His fingers itched, and he felt an intense desire to possess it.

"Dr. Ryan," he whispered, "won't you ask for this leg, and then give it to me?"

"It would be of no use, Mr. Richardson; they would think the leg must be buried, or the man would not do well. It would cost me my practice. They are that superstitious. But if I were you, I would find out where they bury it, and dig it up to-night."

The doctor took up the limb, and carrying it into the kitchen, said, "This leg must be put in a box and buried."

"That it must," replied the father of the young man; "for I've heard say, ever since I can remember, if a dog or any critter got hold of any part of a person what had been cut off, that person would feel it just as though the limb was still on."

"I'll make the box, and help bury it," said Rich.

[Pg 217]

"I should be much obliged if you would, Mr. Richardson. Neighbor Pollard, here, will help you. Where ought it to be buried, doctor?"

"In the graveyard with his relatives, to be sure. It is part of a Christian, and the rest of him will go to keep it company some time."

A daughter of the family had died some years before, and Pollard proposed that the leg should be buried beside her grave, which was done.

The doctor had proposed that it should be put in a box, in order to keep it clean, and in a good state for Rich to dissect, and be placed in the cemetery, because that lot was in a retired spot.

That night Rich dug up the limb, and hid it in the haymow, meaning to dissect it the next night, in order to escape the sharp eyes of Dan Clemens, and then keep the bones in the doctor's study, where there was a closet.

Rich was detained at school that afternoon by a boy who had failed to get his lesson. When he reached the house he found a man in the barn floor loading hay on a cart from the very mow in which he had concealed the leg, while Dan was on the mow pitching down the hay.

"I am so glad you have come, Mr. Richardson! Mr. Bangs wants a ton of hay, and I told Daniel he had better be doing what he could till you came."

Rich was terribly frightened. His color went and came.

[Pg 218]

"Daniel," he cried, flinging off his coat, "run into the house quick, and get me a drink; I am very thirsty."

Leaping upon the mow, he beheld one corner of the box alrea............