hat he would
be powerless to fight against it!

In fact, Herbert remained in an almost continuous state of drowsiness,
and symptoms of delirium began to manifest themselves. Refreshing drinks
were the only remedies at the colonists' disposal. The fever was not
as yet very high, but it soon appeared that it would probably recur at
regular intervals. Gideon Spilett first recognized this on the 6th of
December.

The poor boy, whose fingers, nose, and ears had become extremely
pale, was at first seized with slight shiverings, horripilations, and
tremblings. His pulse was weak and irregular, his skin dry, his thirst
intense. To this soon succeeded a hot fit; his face became flushed; his
skin reddened; his pulse quick; then a profuse perspiration broke out
after which the fever seemed to diminish. The attack had lasted nearly
five hours.

Gideon Spilett had not left Herbert, who, it was only too certain, was
now seized by an intermittent fever, and this fever must be cured at any
cost before it should assume a more serious aspect.

"And in order to cure it," said Spilett to Cyrus Harding, "we need a
febrifuge."

"A febrifuge--" answered the engineer. "We have neither Peruvian bark,
nor sulphate of quinine."

"No," said Gideon Spilett, "but there are willows on the border of
the lake, and the bark of the willow might, perhaps, prove to be a
substitute for quinine."

"Let us try it without losing a moment," replied Cyrus Harding.

The bark of the willow has, indeed, been justly considered as a
succedaneum for Peruvian bark, as has also that of the horse-chestnut
tree, the leaf of the holly, the snake-root, etc. It was evidently
necessary to make trial of this substance, although not so valuable as
Peruvian bark, and to employ it in its natural state, since they had no
means for extracting its essence.

Cyrus Harding went himself to cut from the trunk of a species of black
willow, a few pieces of bark; he brought them back to Granite House, and
reduced them to a powder, which was administered that same evening to
Herbert.

The night passed without any important change. Herbert was somewhat
delirious, but the fever did not reappear in the night, and did not
return either during the following day.

Pencroft again began to hope. Gideon Spilett said nothing. It might be
that the fever was not quotidian, but tertian, and that it would return
next day. Therefore, he awaited the next day with the greatest anxiety.

It