"Then he went round by where one apple-tree, like that, had lost a
bough, and whose stump he had carefully trimmed--just as you are going
to trim that, Grant."
"I know," I cried, eagerly; "and then--"
"You attend to your apple-tree, sir, and let me tell my story," he said,
half gruffly, half in a good-humoured way, and I sawed away with my thin
saw till I was quite through, and the stump I had cut off fell with such
a bang that the cats all jumped in different directions, and then stared
back at the stump with dilated eyes, till, seeing that there was no
danger, one big Tom went and rubbed himself against it from end to end,
and the others followed suit.
"All at once, as he stood staring at the broken tree, an idea flashed
across his brain, Grant."
"Yes," I said, pruning-knife in hand.
"He knew that if he had not cut and trimmed off that branch the limb
would have gone on decaying right away, and perhaps have killed the
tree."
"Yes, of course," I said, still watching him.
"Isn't your knife sharp enough, my lad?" said Old Brownsmith dryly.
"Yes, sir," I said; and I went on trimming. "Well, he thought that if
this saved the tree, why should it not save the life of the man?" and he
grew so excited that he went in at once and had a look at the patient,
and then went in to the prior, who shook his head.
"`Poor fellow,' he said; `he will die.' "`Yes,' said the young monk, `unless--' "`Unless--' said the prior.
"`Yes, unless,' said the young monk; and he horrified the prior by
telling him all his ideas, while the other monks shook their heads.
"`It could not be done,' they said. `It would be too horrible.' "`There is no horror in performing an act like that to save a man's
life,' said the young monk; `it is a duty.' "`But it would kill the poor fellow,' they chorused.
"`He will die as it is,' said the young monk. `You said as much when I
came in, and I am sure of it.' "`Yes,' said the prior sadly, `he will die.' "`This might save his life,' said the young monk; but the old men shook
their heads.
"`Such a thing has never been done,' they said. `It is too horrible.' "`And even if it saved his life he would only have one leg.' "`Better have no legs at all,' said the young monk, `than die before his
time.' "`But it would be his time,' said the old monks.