lt himself rushing
through space. He made an effort to look up, and then all was blank.

He had a numb feeling in his whole body. "Stan' back, stan' back, gin
him air, wash thet tobakker juice off his face, hit luks like blud,"
were the first words he caught. His eyes were wide open.

"Pour water on his head; Lor' don't pour hit down his bosum, you'll ruin
Lib's worked waist. Open the gate an' we'll carry him hum an' fetch a
doctur, ef thar's no bones broke he may be hurt innerdly."

Alfred raised himself up. He looked up into the faces about him.
"Where's Bindley?" were the first words he uttered.

"Oh, I'm all right," Alfred assured him, "we'll do it all right
tomorrow, won't we Bindley?"

Bindley nodded his head, doubtfully. Alfred attempted to walk but would
have fallen had not helping hands been stretched out, easing him down
until he rested on all fours. He commanded all to release him: "Let me
alone, I'm all right. Come on home with me, Bindley." Painfully, slowly
he started, crawling toward the opened gate, over the spot where he had
collected the ammunition that disbanded the torch-light parade; nor did
he turn aside for anything. Not unlike a four-footed animal he made his
way to the middle of the street. He attempted to arise. Again weakness,
or pain, bore him down. Hands that were willing to assist him before he
crawled through the cow pasture, were now held aloof.

Lin, as she saw him fall in the dust, said: "Well, ef he ain't a sight
on airth. Kum on James Todd, help him hum; an' you boys strip him while
I heat a kittle uf water, till we git him so the doctur kin handle him."

Alfred staggered to his feet again, Bindley and Charley Brashear
supporting him on either side. Thus, the limping procession slowly moved
homeward, the young ones and a few grown-up ones bringing up the rear.
These latter were re-telling the story of the accident for the twentieth
time, usually concluding with: "Bindley is a fool; he had further to
fall than Alfred; he didn't have to fall, he could have just flopped
Alfred over and turned him so he would have lit on his feet and let him
go. No, dam if he didn't hold on 'til he petered out and down they both
come like two bags of salt. Alfred hit full length, it's a wonder it
hadn't busted him. Bindley lit sort of half standing, but he got right
up and limped a little and it was all over with him, but tother one was
knocked colder than a wedge."

Alfred had been feverish, hot.