AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 285

Indeed, most of them, as soon as they gained a place of
safety, saluted his companion. ‘‘’These Russians have evi-
dently a higher respect for their doctors than have the
Swedes,” he said to himself. ‘I am sure that not even the
chief surgeon of the army would be treated with anything
like the same respect, and indeed no one would recognize
him at all if he were not in uniform.”

The doctor seemed to pay no attention to what was pass-
ing round him, but was muttering angrily to himself. It
was not until they dashed out into the open country that he
seemed to remember Charlie’s presence at his side.

“These people are enough to vex one of the saints by
their stupidity,” he said. ‘‘Unless they have some one
standing behind them with a whip, they cannot be trusted
to do what they are told. It is not that they are not will-
ing, but that they are stupid. No one would believe that
people could be so stupid; they drive me well-nigh to mad-
ness sometimes, and it is the more irritating because against
stupidity one is powerless. Beating a man or knocking him
down may do him good if he is obstinate or if he is care-
less, but when he is simply stupid it only makes him more
stupid than before; you might as well batter a stone wall.
You slept well and breakfasted well, Captain Carstairs?”.

“excellently well, thank you. What superb horses you
have, doctor.”’

“Ves; I like travelling fast. Life is too short to throw
away time in travelling. A busy man should always keep
good horses.”

“Tf he can afford to do so,” Charlie said with a laugh.
“T should say that every one, busy or not, would like to sit
behind such horses as these, and, as you say, it would save
a good deal of time to one who travelled much. But three
such horses as these would only be in the reach of one with
a very long purse.”

“They were bred here, Their sire was one of three