All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot

Author:James Herriot [Herriot, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw
ISBN: 9781453234495
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2011-11-15T08:00:00+00:00

23

I WAS BACK AT Granville Bennett’s again. Back in the tiled operating theatre with the great lamp pouring its harsh light over my colleague’s bowed head, over the animal nurses, the rows of instruments, the little animal stretched on the table.

Until late this afternoon I had no idea that another visit to Hartington was in store for me; not until the doorbell rang as I was finishing a cup of tea and I went along the passage and opened the door and saw Colonel Bosworth on the step. He was holding a wicker cat basket.

“Can I trouble you for a moment, Mr. Herriot?” he said.

His voice sounded different and I looked up at him questioningly. Most people had to look up at Colonel Bosworth with his lean six feet three inches and his tough soldier’s face which matched the D.S.O. and M.C. which he had brought out of the war. I saw quite a lot of him, not only when he came to the surgery but out in the country where he spent most of his time hacking along the quiet roads around Darrowby on a big hunter with two Cairn terriers trotting behind. I liked him. He was a formidable man but he was unfailingly courteous and there was a gentleness in him which showed in his attitude to his animals.

“No trouble,” I replied. “Please come inside.”

In the waiting room he held out the basket. His eyes were strained and there was shock and hurt in his face.

“It’s little Maudie,” he said.

“Maudie…your black cat?” When I had been to his house the little creature had usually been in evidence, rubbing down the colonel’s ankles, jumping on his knee, competing assiduously with the terriers for his attention.

“What’s the matter, is she ill?”

“No…no…” He swallowed and spoke carefully. “She’s had an accident, I’m afraid.”

“What kind of accident?”

“A car struck her. She never goes out into the road in front of the house but for some reason she did this afternoon.”

“I see.” I took the basket from him. “Did the wheel go over her?”

“No, I don’t think it can have done that because she ran back into the house afterwards.”

“Oh well,” I said. “That sounds hopeful. It probably isn’t anything very much.”

The colonel paused for a moment “Mr. Herriot, I wish you were right but it’s…rather frightful. It’s her face you see. Must have been a glancing blow but I…really don’t see how she can live.”

“Oh…as bad as that…I’m sorry. Anyway come through with me and I’ll have a look.”

He shook his head. “No, I’ll stay here if you don’t mind. And there’s just one thing.” He laid his hand briefly on the basket. “If you think, as I do, that it’s hopeless, please put her to sleep immediately. She must not suffer any more.”

I stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment then hurried along the passage to the operating room. I put the basket on the table, slid the wooden rod from its loops and opened the lid. I could see

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