r his cheerful speech to his mother. He lay awake long,
making boy's plans for his future. He would go and collect money by some
hook or crook from the rascally Gray; he would make a great invention;
he would discover a gold mine; he would find some rich cousin who would
send him through college; he would----, but just then he grew more
wakeful and realized that all his plans had no foundation of
probability.

CHAPTER XI

COLUMBUS AND HIS FRIENDS

When he waked up in the morning, Jack remembered that he had not seen
Columbus Risdale go past the door after his cow the evening before, and
he was afraid that he might be ill. Why had he not thought to go down
and drive up the cow himself? It was yet early, and he arose and went
down to the little rusty, brown, unpainted house in which the Risdales,
who were poor people, had their home. Just as he pushed open the gate,
Bob Holliday came out of the door, looking tired and sleepy.

"Hello, Bob!" said Jack. "How's Columbus? Is he sick?"

"Awful sick," said Bob. "Clean out of his head all night."

"Have you been here all night?"

"Yes, I heerd he was sick last night, and I come over and sot up with
him."

"You good, big-hearted Bob!" said Jack. "You're the best fellow in the
world, I believe."

"What a quare feller you air to talk, Jack," said Bob, choking up. "Air
you goin' to school to-day?"

"No. Mother'd rather have me not go any more."

"I'm not going any more. I hate old Ball. Neither's Susan Lanham going.
She's in there," and Bob made a motion toward the house with his thumb,
and passed out of the gate, while Jack knocked at the door. He was
admitted by Susan.

"Oh, Jack! I'm so glad to see you," she whispered. "Columbus has asked
for you a good many times during the night. You've stood by him
splendidly."

Jack blushed, but asked how Lummy was now.

"Out of his head most of the time. Bob Holliday stayed with him all
night. What a good fellow Bob Holliday is!"

"I almost hugged him, just now," said Jack, and Susan couldn't help
smiling at this frank confession.

Jack passed into the next room as stealthily as possible, that he might
not disturb his friend, and paused by the door. Mrs. Risdale sat by the
bedside of Columbus, who was sleeping uneasily, his curious big head and
long, thin hair making a strange picture against the pillow. His face
looked more meagre and his eyes more sunken than ever before, but there
was a feverish flush on his