to-day, even if he could walk, to report himself at Teackle Hall,
another fever came, and a furious one, too, and he will have good luck
to survive forty days of fever, with probably eighty sweats in that
time."

"He must be doctored at once, papa."

"Well, I am good enough doctor for the bilious fever. He wants plenty of
cold lemonade, cold sponging, and ice to suck when the fever is on him.
When the chills intervene he wants blanketing, hot bottles at his feet,
and hot tea, or something stronger. In the rest between the attacks of
fever and chill, he wants calomel and Peruvian bark, and if these
delirious spells go on, he may want both bleeding and opium."

"Here are some of the things he immediately needs, then," Vesta said, as
a tall white man she had never seen before came up the stairs with
Virgie, bringing some Susquehanna ice in a blanket, and a roll of
carpet, and other articles she had sent for. The man's face wore a large
bruise that heightened his savage appearance.

"Judge," exclaimed the stranger, "I'm doin' a little work to pay fur my
board. Who's your whiffler? He'll know me when he sees me next time."

Following the stranger's eyes, Vesta and her father saw Meshach Milburn,
half raised up from the low trundle-bed, staring at Joe Johnson as if
trying to get at him. His lips moved, he partly articulated:

"Catch the--scoundre--_him_!"

"Joe," said the Judge, "slip away! He recognizes you as the assailant
yesterday. Don't hesitate: see how he glares at you!"

"Oh, it's the billy-noodle with the steeple nab-cheat, him that settled
me with the brick," said the stranger, in a low voice. "So I have piped
him. Ah! that's plumby!"

As the tall man started to go Milburn's countenance relaxed, he wandered
again in his head, and fell back upon the bed.

"I told you he was a hard hater, Mr. Johnson," the Judge remarked.

"Them shakes is the equivvy for the bruise he give me,--that is, till we
both heal up. He's painted the ensigns of all nations on my stummick,
Judge. But a blow is cured by a blow!"

With a look of admiring computation upon the girl Virgie, Joe Johnson
drew his long figure down the stairs, like a pole.

"What a brutal giant," Vesta said; "and how came he to be doing our
errands?"

"Why, Aunt Hominy hadn't nobody to bring the wheelbarrow load, and this
man said he'd come, and he would come, Miss Vesty, so I couldn't say
anything."

"He's a man of a good deal of influence," said the