wing
of the blood; and the gigantic fellow really looked piteous in his
helplessness.

The other party now came up. The seats were taken out of the wagon. The
buffalo-skins, doubled in fours, were spread all along one side, and
four men, with great difficulty, lifted the heavy form of Tom into it.
Before he was gotten in, he fainted entirely. The old negress, in the
abundance of her compassion, sat down on the bottom, and took his head
in her lap. Eliza, George and Jim, bestowed themselves, as well as they
could, in the remaining space and the whole party set forward.

"What do you think of him?" said George, who sat by Phineas in front.

"Well it's only a pretty deep flesh-wound; but, then, tumbling and
scratching down that place didn't help him much. It has bled pretty
freely,--pretty much drained him out, courage and all,--but he'll get
over it, and may be learn a thing or two by it."

"I'm glad to hear you say so," said George. "It would always be a heavy
thought to me, if I'd caused his death, even in a just cause."

"Yes," said Phineas, "killing is an ugly operation, any way they'll fix
it,--man or beast. I've seen a buck that was shot down and a dying, look
that way on a feller with his eye, that it reely most made a feller
feel wicked for killing on him; and human creatures is a more serious
consideration yet, bein', as thy wife says, that the judgment comes
to 'em after death. So I don't know as our people's notions on these
matters is too strict; and, considerin' how I was raised, I fell in with
them pretty considerably."

"What shall you do with this poor fellow?" said George.

"O, carry him along to Amariah's. There's old Grandmam Stephens
there,--Dorcas, they call her,--she's most an amazin' nurse. She takes
to nursing real natural, and an't never better suited than when she
gets a sick body to tend. We may reckon on turning him over to her for a
fortnight or so."

A ride of about an hour more brought the party to a neat farmhouse,
where the weary travellers were received to an abundant breakfast. Tom
Loker was soon carefully deposited in a much cleaner and softer bed than
he had, ever been in the habit of occupying. His wound was carefully
dressed and bandaged, and he lay languidly opening and shutting his
eyes on the white window-curtains and gently-gliding figures of his sick
room, like a weary child. And here, for the present, we shall take our
leave of one party.

CHAPTER XVIII

Miss O