Almost the first thing he saw was the tall form of his host bending
feebly over the electric stove. His face was drawn with pain, and he
was so weak that he was compelled to support himself by grasping the
table with one hand while with the other he stirred the contents of a
simmering kettle.
"Let me do that, sir!" cried Cabot, springing to his feet. "You are
not fit to be out of your bed, and I am perfectly familiar with the
management of electrical cooking apparatus, though I don't know much
about cooking itself."
The man hesitated a moment, and then permitted the other to lead him
back to his bed, on which he sank with a groan. Here Cabot made him as
comfortable as possible before turning his attention to the stove. On
it he found two kettles, each having its own wire connections, in one
of which was boiling water while the other contained a meat stew. On
the table was a box of tea, a bowl of sugar, and a plate heaped with
hard bread. Finding other dishes in a cupboard, Cabot made a pot of
tea, turned off the electric current, and served breakfast. Before
eating a mouthful himself he prepared a bowl of broth for his patient,
which the latter managed to swallow after many attempts and painful
effort.
Cabot ate ravenously, and, after his meal, felt once more ready to face
any number of difficulties. First he went to the bedside of his host
and said:
"Now, Mr.
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