ng in the bottom with the sun beating down
upon me--sick almost to death.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

By a wonderfully kindly arrangement of nature we recover very rapidly
when we are young; and before half an hour had passed I was seated on
the thwart, using one of the oars, while the boy was using the other,
but he kept leaving off rowing to gaze earnestly in my face; and when I
smiled at him to show him that I was better, he showed his white teeth,
and even then I could not help thinking what a bright, chubby-looking
face he had, as he plunged his oar in again, and tugged at it, rowing
very clumsily, of course, but helping me to get the boat along till we
reached the rough logs and the stumps which formed our landing-place,
where I was very glad to get ashore and make the boat fast.

"Well, George, how many fish?" cried my father, as I went up to the
house, to find him in the garden trying to direct the big black how to
use his hoe.

"None, father," I said, half hysterically, for I was quite broken down.

"Why, what's the matter?" he said. "Hallo! Been in?"

"Yes--been drowned--that boy."

"What!" cried my father, furiously.

"No, no! He jumped in--saved me--I was going down."

I saw my father close his eyes, and his lips moved as he stood holding
my hand in his, evidently struggling with his emotion. Then he said
quietly--

"Better go in and get some dry clothes, and--"

He stopped and stood listening and gazing in wonder at the great negro
and my companion, for the boy had gone up to him, and gesticulating
rapidly and with animated face he seemed to be relating what had passed.

The change that came over the big fellow's face was wonderful. The
minute before it wore its old, hard, darkening look of misery, with the
eyes wild and the forehead all wrinkled and creased; but now as he stood
listening, his eyes lit up, his forehead grew smooth, and his face
seemed to have grown younger; his tightly-drawn-together lips parted,
showing his white teeth. So that as my father took a step or two
forward, seized the boy's arm, and then laid his hand upon his head, it
was a completely transformed countenance that looked in my father's.
For the man caught his hand, bent down and held it against his forehead,
saying a few words in a low tone, and then drew respectfully away.

"You have had a narrow escape, my boy," said my father, huskily; "but
out of evil sometimes comes good; and it looks as if your accident has