r now?"

"Better? Yes; I am not ill," I said, and I tried to get up, but lay
still again, for the effort seemed to give me a violent pain in the head
which made me groan.

"Mass' George not seem very better."

"But I am. I'll get up directly. But tell me, Pomp, how was it all?"

"How was?"

"Yes; how did it happen?"

"Done know, Mass' George. 'Pose Injum come over big fence and jump on
and knock poor lil nigger and Mass' George down. Den um hab big fight
an kill de Injum, an noder big fight by de gate an kill more Injum, and
den Injum say good-night, time go to bed, an dat's all."

"The Indians gone?"

"Yes; all gone."

"Then we have beaten them. Hurrah! Oh, my head!"

"Hurrah--oh my head!" cried Pomp, in imitation. "Why say `Hurrah! Oh,
my head'?"

"Oh, don't, Pomp. You make me laugh."

"Dat right; glad see Mass' George laugh. Mass' George couldn't laugh
lil bit when Pomp fess um fader carry um."

"No; I remember now. I had forgotten."

"Mass' Dockor say good job Mass' George got tick head, or kill um."

"Did the doctor say that, Pomp?"

"Yes, Mass' Dockor say dat. Injum hit um wif um lil chopper, same time
some one shoot and kill Injum; den Pomp knock down, and all jump on um,
and dey pick um up, and take um 'way, and bring um here."

"Then were you hurt too?"

"Yes, hurt dreffle, and dockor laugh, and say nuffum matter wif um, and
send um 'way 'gain. Den Pomp go an' fine um fader, and come an' fine
Mass' George, and bring um here. Dockor no laugh at Mass' George, ony
say, `Poor fellow!' and `Put um to bed,' an' `Good job um got such tick
head,' and put plaster on um."

I raised my hand to my head, and sure enough there was some
sticking-plaster there.

"Does my father know?" I said, as a sudden thought occurred to me.

"Pomp done know, Mass' George. Haben see Mass' Capen long time."

Our conversation was checked by the entrance of the doctor, who smiled
as he saw me sitting up on the rude bed.

"Well, squire," he said, "you seem determined to be a patient. How are
you now?"

"My head aches a good deal."

"No wonder, my lad, you got an ugly crack with the flat of a tomahawk.
The man must have slipped as he was leaping from the fence. A narrow
escape for you."

"But the Indians are beaten off," I said, eagerly.

"For the present at all events. But they may attack again to-night, and
I am beginning to be busy."

"Must I stop here, sir?"

"Certainly not, if you