have something to do. He can’t fill in time by reading or writing a diary like the rest of us.’
The doctor nodded. ‘You’re very kind to the poor fellow.’
‘I don’t have much choice, sharing a cabin with him. And besides, he’s a gentle soul.’
‘Until he’s pushed too far,’ the doctor said. ‘I’ve seen it happen when people goad fellows like him. Just stay on your guard.’
Zachary nodded to show he’d been listening to this advice, but he couldn’t imagine Leo ever attacking anyone.
Two days later there was a storm and the passengers were locked down. When it was over, Leo and the convict now in charge of the animals went to check that they were all right.
To their dismay, they found that one of the cows had a broken front leg.
‘She’s the one they told me was most valuable,’ the convict said. ‘They brought her out for breeding, but she’ll have to be slaughtered. The owner won’t be pleased about that. Still, they can’t blame us for a storm, can they?’ He went off to find an officer.
Leo went to examine the poor creature which was making distressed noises.
When the ship’s doctor came to look, he shook his head. ‘You can’t set a cow’s leg. She’ll have to be shot.’
‘I can set her leg,’ Leo said.
They looked at him in surprise.
‘Have you done it before?’ the doctor asked.
Leo nodded. ‘But it was a sheep. The farrier said I should practise on a sheep.’
‘Did it recover?’
‘Yes. If it’s the front leg, you can sometimes mend it, if it’s only a simple break. If it’s the back leg, you can’t do much. I can straighten it if someone will hold her down for me. I’ll need a splint and a bandage.’
‘He doesn’t understand,’ the convict muttered, tapping his forehead.
‘He sounds as if he does. Sometimes people like him have special skills, as if to make up for their other problems.’ The doctor frowned then shrugged. ‘It’s worth giving it a try. This is a very valuable animal.’ He turned back to Leo. ‘All right, young man. Show me what you can do.’
‘Can’t you do it, doctor?’ the convict begged. ‘I don’t want them blaming me.’
‘I’ve never tried anything with animals. He clearly has. I’ll be interested to watch and of course I’ll stop him making things worse, if I have to, and put it out of its misery.’
Leo dealt with the leg with a speed that surprised them all. Ignoring the animal’s struggles and the noises it was making, he felt carefully along the bone and pushed quickly. ‘We need to tie it to the wood now,’ he said.
‘Is that it?’ the convict asked, sounding disappointed.
Leo looked at him in puzzlement. ‘It was only a simple break.’
‘Will she recover?’ the doctor asked.
‘Some do, some just die. But she’s young. It’d be better if I stayed with her.’ He stroked the animal’s head and she quieted almost immediately.
Several passengers and members of the crew came to look at the invalid, walking away muttering.
Leo ignored them, spending most of his time for several days by the side of the sick animal, which always seemed calmer when he was with it.
‘Damnedest thing I ever saw,’ the doctor said to Zachary. ‘He did it so quickly, and look how well the animal responds to him. The owner is going to be very pleased about this if it recovers.’
6
O n the day after the wedding Pandora woke early, thankful to see daylight lightening the tent walls. She’d started awake several times during the night, wondering what some nearby noise was.
After washing herself all over, she stood for a moment or two naked, feeling guilty at acting immodestly, but the air on her skin was so blessedly cool. Reluctantly she reached for her working clothes: drawers, one petticoat only, a cotton skirt, a camisole and a bodice from which she’d removed the sleeves in a vain attempt to keep cool. Over it all she tied a coarse twill pinafore, then lingered for a moment or two longer to stare at
The doctor nodded. ‘You’re very kind to the poor fellow.’
‘I don’t have much choice, sharing a cabin with him. And besides, he’s a gentle soul.’
‘Until he’s pushed too far,’ the doctor said. ‘I’ve seen it happen when people goad fellows like him. Just stay on your guard.’
Zachary nodded to show he’d been listening to this advice, but he couldn’t imagine Leo ever attacking anyone.
Two days later there was a storm and the passengers were locked down. When it was over, Leo and the convict now in charge of the animals went to check that they were all right.
To their dismay, they found that one of the cows had a broken front leg.
‘She’s the one they told me was most valuable,’ the convict said. ‘They brought her out for breeding, but she’ll have to be slaughtered. The owner won’t be pleased about that. Still, they can’t blame us for a storm, can they?’ He went off to find an officer.
Leo went to examine the poor creature which was making distressed noises.
When the ship’s doctor came to look, he shook his head. ‘You can’t set a cow’s leg. She’ll have to be shot.’
‘I can set her leg,’ Leo said.
They looked at him in surprise.
‘Have you done it before?’ the doctor asked.
Leo nodded. ‘But it was a sheep. The farrier said I should practise on a sheep.’
‘Did it recover?’
‘Yes. If it’s the front leg, you can sometimes mend it, if it’s only a simple break. If it’s the back leg, you can’t do much. I can straighten it if someone will hold her down for me. I’ll need a splint and a bandage.’
‘He doesn’t understand,’ the convict muttered, tapping his forehead.
‘He sounds as if he does. Sometimes people like him have special skills, as if to make up for their other problems.’ The doctor frowned then shrugged. ‘It’s worth giving it a try. This is a very valuable animal.’ He turned back to Leo. ‘All right, young man. Show me what you can do.’
‘Can’t you do it, doctor?’ the convict begged. ‘I don’t want them blaming me.’
‘I’ve never tried anything with animals. He clearly has. I’ll be interested to watch and of course I’ll stop him making things worse, if I have to, and put it out of its misery.’
Leo dealt with the leg with a speed that surprised them all. Ignoring the animal’s struggles and the noises it was making, he felt carefully along the bone and pushed quickly. ‘We need to tie it to the wood now,’ he said.
‘Is that it?’ the convict asked, sounding disappointed.
Leo looked at him in puzzlement. ‘It was only a simple break.’
‘Will she recover?’ the doctor asked.
‘Some do, some just die. But she’s young. It’d be better if I stayed with her.’ He stroked the animal’s head and she quieted almost immediately.
Several passengers and members of the crew came to look at the invalid, walking away muttering.
Leo ignored them, spending most of his time for several days by the side of the sick animal, which always seemed calmer when he was with it.
‘Damnedest thing I ever saw,’ the doctor said to Zachary. ‘He did it so quickly, and look how well the animal responds to him. The owner is going to be very pleased about this if it recovers.’
6
O n the day after the wedding Pandora woke early, thankful to see daylight lightening the tent walls. She’d started awake several times during the night, wondering what some nearby noise was.
After washing herself all over, she stood for a moment or two naked, feeling guilty at acting immodestly, but the air on her skin was so blessedly cool. Reluctantly she reached for her working clothes: drawers, one petticoat only, a cotton skirt, a camisole and a bodice from which she’d removed the sleeves in a vain attempt to keep cool. Over it all she tied a coarse twill pinafore, then lingered for a moment or two longer to stare at
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