ad picked up something that was by her feet; the boy got a
glimpse of rich brown with white spots--the limp form of a newly killed
Fawn. Then she passed out of sight. The Kittens followed, and he saw
her no more until the time when, life against life, they were weighed
in the balance together.

IV

THE TERROR OF THE WOODS

Six weeks had passed in daily routine when one day the young giant
seemed unusually quiet as he went about. His handsome face was very
sober and he sang not at all that morning.

He and Thor slept on a hay-bunk in one corner of the main room, and
that night the Boy awakened more than once to hear his companion
groaning and tossing in his sleep. Corney arose as usual in the morning
and fed the horses, but lay down again while the sisters got breakfast.
He roused himself by an effort and went back to work, but came home
early. He was trembling from head to foot. It was hot summer weather,
but he could not be kept warm. After several hours a reaction set in
and Corney was in a high fever. The family knew well now that he had
the dreaded chills and fever of the backwoods. Margat went out and
gathered a lapful of pipsissewa to make tea, of which Corney was
encouraged to drink copiously.

But in spite of all their herbs and nursing the young man got worse. At
the end of ten days he was greatly reduced in flesh and incapable of
work, so on one of the "well days" that are usual in the course of the
disease he said:

"Say, gurruls, I can't stand it no longer. Guess I better go home. I'm
well enough to drive to-day, for a while anyway; if I'm took down I'll
lay in the wagon, and the horses will fetch me home. Mother'll have me
all right in a week or so. If you run out of grub before I come back
take the canoe to Ellerton's."

So the girls harnessed the horses; the wagon was partly filled with
hay, and Corney, weak and white-faced, drove away on the long rough
road, and left them feeling much as though they were on a desert island
and their only boat had been taken from them.

Half a week had scarcely gone before all three of them, Margat, Loo,
and Thor, were taken down with a yet more virulent form of chills and
fever.

Corney had had every other a "well day," but with these three there
were no "well days" and the house became an abode of misery.

Seven days passed, and now Margat could not leave her bed and Loo was
barely able to walk around the house. She was a brave girl with a fund
of drolle