rned and watched her light the fire.

"Good. We shall need hot water immediately. How long since you have
eaten?" he asked the man.

"He hain't eat nothing all day," said the wife, who had returned and
again stood in the door with all her flock, gazing at him. Then the
woman grew plaintively garrulous about the trouble she had had "doin'
fer him," and begged David to tell her "could he he'p 'im." At last
Thryng put a hurried end to her talk by saying he could do
nothing--nothing at all for her old man, unless she took herself and the
children all away. She looked terror-stricken, and her mouth drew
together in a stubborn, resentful line as if in some way he had
precipitated ill luck upon them by his coming. Cassandra at once took
her basket and walked out toward the stream, and they all followed,
leaving David and the father in sole possession of the place.

Then he turned to the bed and began a kindly explanation. He found the
man more intelligent and much more tractable than the woman, but it was
hard to make him believe that he must inevitably lose either his life or
his foot, and that they had not an hour--not a half hour--to spare, but
must decide at once. David's manner, gentle, but firmly urgent, at last
succeeded. The big man broke down and wept weakly, but yielded; only he
stipulated that his wife must not be told.

"No, no! She and the children must be kept away; but I need help. Is
there no one--no man whom we can get to come here quickly?"

"They is nobody--naw--I reckon not."

David was distressed, but he searched about until he found an old
battered pail in which to prepare his antiseptic, and busied himself in
replenishing the fire and boiling the water; all the time his every move
was watched by the hound and the pathetic blue eyes of his master.

Soon Cassandra returned, to David's great relief, alone. She smiled as
she looked in his face, and spoke quietly: "I told her to take the
children and gather dock and mullein leaves and such like to make tea
for her old man, and if she'd stay awhile, I'd look after him and have
supper for them when they got back. Is there anything I can do now?"

David was troubled indeed, but what could he do? He explained his need
of her quickly, in low tones, outside the door. "I believe you are
strong and brave and can do it as well as a man, but I hate to ask it of
you. There is not time to wait. It must be done to-day, now."

"I'll help you," she said simply, and