Tom Swift and His Sky Racer or The Quickest Flight on ... - Fourmilab

Chapter 18<strong>The</strong> Broken BridgeDr. Kurtz looked as grave as did Dr. Gladby when he had made an examinationof the patient. Mr. <strong>Swift</strong> was still in a semi-conscious condition, hardly breathingas he rested on the bed where they had placed him after the fire.“Vell,” said the German physician, after a long silence, “vot is your obinion,my dear Gladby?”“I think an operation is necessary.”“Yes, dot is so; but you know vot kind of an operation alone vill safe him;eh, my dear Gladby?”Dr. Gladby nodded.“It will be a rare <strong>and</strong> delicate one,” he said. “<strong>The</strong>re is but one surgeon Iknow of who can do it.”“You mean Herr Hendrix?” asked Dr. Kurtz.“Yes, Dr. Edward Hendrix, of Kirkville. If he can be induced to come I thinkthere is a chance of saving Mr. <strong>Swift</strong>’s life. I’ll speak to <strong>Tom</strong> about it.”<strong>The</strong> two physicians, who had been consulting together, summoned the youthfrom another room, where, with Mrs. Baggert <strong>and</strong> Mr. Jackson he had beenanxiously awaiting the verdict.“What is it?” the young invent<strong>or</strong> asked Dr. Gladby.<strong>The</strong> medical man told him to what conclusion he <strong>and</strong> his colleague hadarrived, adding:“We advise that Dr. Hendrix be sent f<strong>or</strong> at once. But I need hardly tell you,<strong>Tom</strong>, that he is a noted specialist, <strong>and</strong> his services are in great dem<strong>and</strong>. He ishard to get.”“I’ll pay him any sum he asks!” burst out the youth. “I’ll spend all myf<strong>or</strong>tune—<strong>and</strong> I have made considerable money of late—I’ll spend every cent toget my father well! Money need not st<strong>and</strong> in the way, Dr. Gladby.”“I knew that, <strong>Tom</strong>. Still Dr. Hendrix is a very busy man, <strong>and</strong> it is hard toinduce him to come a long distance. It is over a hundred miles to Kirkville, <strong>and</strong>it is an out-of-the-way place. I never could underst<strong>and</strong> why Dr. Hendrix settledthere. But there he is, <strong>and</strong> if we want him he will have to come from there.81