to the height of
a dozen yards; sometimes he was bobbing about on his head, and again he
was ten times as broad as he was long, and hopping up and down on one
short leg. From the other side of the lodge he often made a bound that
landed him on the bison skin, which lay over the breast of the sick boy,
where he executed a final tattoo that drove the last vestige of
consciousness from him.

It was all a torturing jumble of wild and grim fancies, with occasional
glimmerings of reason, which led Jack to clutch the air as if he would
not let them go; but they whisked away in spite of all he could do, and
a black "rayless void" descended upon and gathered round about him,
until the mind was lost in its own overturnings and struggles, and all
consciousness of being departed.

CHAPTER XXIX.

CONVALESCENCE.

As nearly as can be ascertained, Jack Carleton lay the major part of
four days in the Indian lodge, sick nigh unto death, with his brain
topsy turvy. During that time he never received a drop of medicine, and
scarcely any attention. The chief was gone most of each day, and the
squaw spent many hours out doors, looking after her "farm." When the
patient became unusually wild, she would give him a drink of water and
attend to his wants. A few of the Indians peeped through the door, but
as a whole they showed surprising indifference to the fate of the
captive. Had he died, it is not likely he would have been given even
Indian burial.

Several times the Medicine Man put in an appearance, and danced and
hooted and sounded his rattles about the lodge, after which he took
himself off and would not be seen again for many hours.

On the fourth day, while Jack was lying motionless on his bison skin and
looking up to the composite roof, his full reason returned to him.
Indeed, his brain appeared to have been clarified by the scorching
ordeal through which it had passed, and he saw things with crystalline
clearness. Turning his head, he found he was alone in the lodge, and, as
nearly as he could judge, the afternoon was half gone. The fire had died
out, but the room was quite warm, showing there had been a rise of
temperature since the night of the rain. Peering through the crevices
nearest him, he observed the sunlight was shining, and could catch
twinkling glimpses of Indians moving hither and thither; but there was
no outcry or unusual noise, and business was moving along in its
accustomed channel.

With some trepid