It was a hard, fibrous substance, and deeply seated among the veins, arteries and muscles of the neck.

The surgeon's hand retained its firmness; there was a concentration of thought and purpose that gave science and skill their best results.

It took over twenty minutes to dissect the tumor away from all the delicate organs upon which it had laid its grasp, and nearly half as long a time to stanch the flow of blood from the many small arteries which had been severed during the operation.

One of these, larger than the rest, eluded for a time the efforts of Doctor Hillhouse at ligation, and he felt uncertain about it even after he had stopped the effusion of blood.

In fact, his hand had become unsteady and his brain slightly confused.