and every eye was strained to
find his dead body.

Eben leisurely swam to the shore, and was glad when he reached land,
for he was nigh exhausted.

He had to be very cautious, for many tories resided on the shore, and
he knew that he would be treated as a suspicious character.

He found a wood which afforded him shelter.

Undressing, he hung his clothes out to dry, while he climbed into a
tree, with the double object of not being found in a state of undress
and be the better able to see if anyone approached.

There was a warm breeze blowing, and his clothes soon dried, and once
again he felt like a human being.

A new trouble arose. He found his limbs so weak that he could not
stand.

His flesh was hot and dry, his mouth parched, and his eyes were like
burning coals.

He had fever.

The fact was appalling enough at ordinary times, but how much more so
under the circumstances?

He dare not seek a house, even if he could crawl as far, for he knew
that fever meant delirium, and in his delirium he might betray himself
and so injure the cause he loved so well.

He had not lived in the mountains without knowing the value of herbs,
so he looked around to find those natural medicines which at home had
been used by the Indians and most of the white folks of the Green
Mountains.

He wanted agrimony, but did not see any; but he did find yarrow in
abundance.

Now, the leaves and flowers of the common yarrow, or the _achillea
milefolium_ of botanists, are an excellent thing in fevers, producing
perspiration and cleansing the blood at the same time; but Eben knew
that it should be macerated in boiling water.

Boiling water was out of the question, and, in fact, there seemed to be
no water save sea water near, so he gathered a quantity of the leaves
and chewed them. The taste was bitter and aromatic, but refreshing to
the fever-stricken boy.

After a time he felt a nausea, and stopped eating.

He turned over on his back and fell asleep.

When he awoke the sun was high in the heavens and he fancied he had
slept four or five hours; in reality he had slept nearly thirty hours.

His body was covered with a cold perspiration and his mouth seemed less
parched.

As he raised himself to look around he saw that he was not alone.

A man, evidently poor, if judged by his dress, stood some distance
away, watching him closely.

"So you did wake, eh? I reckon'd that you were going to sleep till
Gabriel blew his tru