he others, "and
fevers are my long suit. Get me some towels and a lot of ice."

Blaze, who had watched the snake-charmer's deft ministrations with
mingled amazement and suspicion, inquired: "What are you going to do
with ice? Ice ain't medicine."

"I'm going to pack his head in it."

"God'l'mighty!" Blaze was horrified. "Do you want to freeze his brain?"

Mrs. Strange turned on him angrily. "You get out of my way and mind
your own business. 'Freeze his brain!'" With a sniff of indignation she
pushed past the interloper.

But Blaze was waiting for her when she returned a few moments later
with bowls and bottles and various remedies which she had commandeered.
He summoned sufficient courage to block her way and inquire:

"What you got there, now, ma'am?"

Mrs. Strange glared at him balefully. With an effort at patience she
inquired: "Say! What ails you, anyhow?"

Jones swallowed hard. "Understand, he's a friend of mine. No damned
magic goes."

"Magic?"

"No--cockroaches or snakes' tongues, or--"

Mrs. Strange fingered a heavy china bowl as if tempted to bounce it
from Blaze's head. Then, not deigning to argue, she whisked past him
and into the sick-room. It was evident from her expression that she
considered the master of the house a harmless but offensive old
busybody.

For some time longer Blaze hung about the sick-room; then, his presence
being completely ignored, he risked further antagonism by telephoning
for Jonesville's leading doctor. Not finding the physician at home, he
sneaked out to the barn and, taking Paloma's car, drove away in search
of him. It was fully two hours later when he returned to discover that
Dave was sleeping quietly.

XXV

A WARNING AND A SURPRISE

Dave Law slept for twenty hours, and even when he awoke it was not to a
clear appreciation of his surroundings. At first he was relieved to
find that the splitting pain in his head was gone, but imagined himself
to be still in the maddening local train from Brownsville. By and by he
recognized Paloma and Mrs. Strange, and tried to talk to them, but the
connection between brain and tongue was imperfect, and he made a bad
business of conversation. It seemed queer that he should be in bed at
the Joneses', and almost ludicrous for Mrs. Strange to support him
while Paloma fed him. In the effort to understand these mysteries, he
dozed again. After interminable periods of semi-consciousness
alternating with complete oblivion, h