somebody had taken him out.

Dan Green kept his own counsel, running straight home and putting
himself to bed. After his first sleep, however, he woke in such a
fright that he could keep the tale no longer, but told it to his mother
with many sobs and tears. His mother soothed and comforted him,
believing that he had been startled out of a troubled dream. But the
next day the story was told in Gershom at least a thousand times; and
when Davie went into the post-office for his grandfather's weekly paper,
he heard, with mingled amazement and disgust, extravagant praises of his
courage in saving the boy's life.

"Courage? Nonsense! Risk? Stuff!" He never bathed in Black Pool that
he did not dive in at one side and come out at the other. Why, his
little brother could do that. There was no more danger for them than
for a musk-rat, and Davie hurried away to escape more words about it,
and to avoid meeting Mr Maxwell and his friends, who were coming down
the street. In his haste he nearly stumbled over Jacob Holt, who held
him fast, and that was worse than all the rest. For Jacob could not
utter a word, but choked and mumbled and shook his hand a great many
times, and when David fairly got away, he vowed that he should not be
seen at the post-office again for a while, and he was not, but it was
for a better reason than he gave to himself then.

For Davie went about all next day with a heavy weight upon him, and a
dull aching at his bones, as new as it was painful. He refused his
dinner, and grew sick at the sight of his supper; and tossed, and
turned, and muttered all night upon his bed, longing for the day. But
the slow-coming light made him wish for the darkness again, for it
dazzled his heavy eyes, and put strange shapes on the most familiar
objects, and set them all in motion in the oddest way. A queer sort of
light it seemed to be, for though he closed his eyes he did not shut it
out, and the changes on things and the odd movements seemed to be going
on still within the lids.

So in a little he rose and dressed, and roused his brothers to bring the
cows into the yard, meaning to help as usual with the milking. But the
milking was done and the breakfast over, and worship, and no one had
seen Davie. He was lying tossing and muttering on the hay in the big
barn, and there at last, in the course of his morning's work, his
grandfather found him. He turned a dull, dazed look upon him as he
raised himself u