“Doctor, I’ll make you rich for this!”

“My dear sir, I’ve done nothing; it has been your instant care that saved him—­as far as he is saved.  I’ll tell you what to continue doing for him; in half an hour I must leave.”

Drew smiled faintly.

“Not till he’s well or dead, doctor.”

“I didn’t quite catch that.”

“You won’t leave the room, Young, till this man is dead or on the way to recovery.”

“Come, come, Mr. Drew, I have patients who—­

“I tell you, there is no one else.  Until a decision comes in this case your world is bounded by the four walls of this room.  That’s final.”

“Is it possible that you would attempt—­”

“Anything is possible with me.  Make up your mind.  You shall not leave this man till you’ve done all that’s humanly possible for him.”

“Mr. Drew, I appreciate your anxiety, but this is stepping too far.  I have an officer of the law with me—­”

“Better do what he wants, Doc,” said Glendin uneasily.

“Don’t mouth words,” ordered Drew sternly.

“There lies your sick man.  Get to work.  In this I’m as unalterable as the rocks.”

“The bill will be large,” said Young sullenly, for he began to see that it was as futile to resist the grey giant as it would have been to attempt to stop the progress of a landslide.

“I’ll pay you double what you wish to charge.”

“Does this man’s life mean so much to you?”

“A priceless thing.  If you save him, you take the burden of murder off the soul of another.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

“I know you will.”

He laid the broad hand on Young’s shoulder.  “Doctor, you must do more than you can; you must accomplish the impossible; I tell you, it is impossible for this man to die; he must live!”

He turned to Glendin.

“I suppose you want the details of what happened here?”

“Right.”

“Follow me.  Doctor, I’ll be gone only a moment.”

He led the way into an adjoining room, and lighted a lamp.  The sudden flare cast deep shadows on the face leaning above, and Glendin started.  For the moment it seemed to him that he was seeing a face which had looked on hell and lived to speak of it.

“Mr. Drew,” he said, “you’d better hit the hay yourself; you look pretty badly done up.”

The other looked up with a singular smile, clenching and unclenching his fingers as if he strove to relax muscles which had been tense for hours.

“Glendin, the surface of my strength has not been scratched; I could keep going every hour for ten days if it would save the life of the poor fellow who lies in there.”

He took a long breath.

“Now, then, let’s get after this business.  I’ll tell you the naked facts.  Anthony Bard was approaching my house yesterday and word of his coming was brought to me.  For reasons of my own it was necessary that I should detain him here for an uncertain length of time.  For other reasons it was necessary that I go to any length to accomplish my ends.