e you did not do yourself or some of us a
serious injury. But," she continued, stopping me as I attempted to
speak, "thank God, that is over now, I hope; and all that remains is for
you to take as much nourishment as you can, do as you are told, and get
well and strong again as quickly as possible. I must run away and leave
you for a few minutes to tell Momma the good news, and arrange to have
some food prepared for you."

With a nod and a smile of encouragement she left the cabin, and a minute
or two later Mrs Vansittart entered it. She stepped quickly up to the
side of my bunk, looked at me, and presently laid her slim, cool fingers
upon my pulse, holding them there for several seconds.

"Ah!" she commented, as she removed them at length, "I guess you are
oceans better than you were at this time yesterday. The fever is gone,
and your skin is delightfully cool and moist; moreover, you are in your
right mind once more, and that is something gained. I expect the wound
in your head is healing, although we haven't been able to look at it
properly for nearly a week. But we will attend to it now, as soon as
you have taken a little food. My stars, Walter, we have had a time with
you! Lucky for us all that you have taken it into your head to become
sensible again, or I guess we'd all have been sick people in another day
or two. Do you know how long you've been ill?"

"No," I answered; "but I am afraid that it has been much too long. I
don't know where to find words in which to express my regret for--"

"Regret!" she repeated. "Regret nothing! You couldn't help it, my dear
boy. You got hurt in defending us, and it was just our duty to look
after and nurse you as best we could; and that is all there is to it.
You have been ill ten whole days. This is the eleventh morning since
the junk appeared. During the best part of those ten days you have been
raving in delirium, with occasional outbreaks of violence, when it taxed
the energies of all five of us to the utmost to restrain you. Oh, I
guess we have had some very lively times with you, Walter, off and on!
But, thank God! that is all over now and--Ah! here comes Lizette with
some broth for you. We have been hoping for this change for the last
five or six hours, and have got all ready for it.

"Now, Lizette, I guess you've got to climb right up on to this chair,
seat yourself on the edge of the bunk, and support Mr Leigh in a
sitting posture while I feed him.