firing-party to waste a few cartridges over,
doctor. Can't you see?"

"Humph!" said our visitor, feeling the poor fellow's head and then his
pulse. "Here, drink a little of this."

"More physic?" groaned Denham despondently.

"Yes, Nature's," replied the doctor, holding out a folding cup which he
had refilled. "Fresh water; a bucket just brought to the screen there
by the orderly."

As he spoke he raised the poor fellow up with one arm and held the cup
to his lips.

Denham took a few drops unwillingly, then a little more, and finally
finished the cupful with avidity, while the sight of my companion
drinking seemed to produce a strange, feverish sensation in my throat.

The next minute the doctor had let Denham sink down, and refilled the
cup and handed it to me. It was delicious, and I drained the little
vessel all too soon. Then I was gently lowered, and the doctor repeated
the dose with us both.

"That's better," he said quietly. "You two fellows have been talking
too much; now shut your eyes and have a good long sleep."

"What! in the middle of the day?" protested Denham.

"Yes. Nature wants all your time now for healing your damaged places.
No more talking. I'll come again by-and-by."

"How absurd!" said Denham as soon as the tilt had fallen back to its
place. "I can't sleep now. Can you?"

"Impossible," I said, and I lay looking up at the long slit of blue sky
over the wagon-tilt. Then I was looking at something black as ink, and
beyond it the slit of blue sky was fiery orange.

"Joeboy?" I said wonderingly.

"Um? Yes, Boss," was the reply.

"How long have you been here?"

"Um? Long, long time. Boss Val been very fass asleep."

"Hist! Is Mr Denham asleep?" I whispered.

"Um? Very fass; not move once."

I was silent for a few moments, struggling mentally to say something, I
could not tell what.

"Boss Val like drink o' water?" said the black just then.

"Yes--no. Ah, I remember now," I cried eagerly, for it all came back.
"Where have you been all this time?"

The black smiled.

"Um? Been to see Boss and Aunt Jenny."

"You have?" I cried eagerly. "But stop a moment. You went after that
Irish captain?"

The black nodded, and, to my horror, his face contracted and his lips
drew away from his white teeth, but not in a grin.

I lay back looking at him wildly, and as I gazed in his eyes the
appearance of his countenance made me shudder just then, lit up by the
fiery