e change in his countenance.

"Yes, yes! ay, ay!" he exclaimed, pacing violently up and down the room,
"he wants nothin' but victuals an' rest--steaks an' shops, and plenty o'
whusky an' water--hot. Don't be croodin' about him an' botherin' him.
Come away, and leave him to his mother, an' send for the doctor. Has no
wan gone for him yet?"

"Yes; Peter has just started. I heard the clatter of his horse's feet,"
said Jessie.

"It iss not the doctor that will put him right, whatever," muttered the
old man, as he left the room, followed by most of the family.

And the doctor himself held the same opinion; for he said, on returning
to the reception hall after seeing his patient--

"It will be a considerable time before he recovers, for the fountain of
life had been well-nigh drained when he fortunately extemporised that
tourniquet. But there's no fear of him: all that he wants is food,
rest, and peace of mind."

"An' whusky, doctor," added old McKay. "Don't forget the best pheesic;
an' I hev goot store of it, too, in my cellar at Ben Nevis."

"I'm not so sure about the whisky, Mr McKay," returned the doctor with
a laugh. "I think we shall manage to pull him through without that."

The other requisites for recovery were applied without stint at Prairie
Cottage; for, despite the misfortune which had attended the cultivation
of the soil, the Davidsons had a little money, which enabled them to buy
provisions and other necessaries, obtainable from the Hudson Bay
Company, and thus tide over the disastrous year in greater comfort than
fell to the lot of many of the other settlers.

Thus Dan was well looked after. His brother Peter found the food--at
least much of it--on the prairie and in the woods; his sister Jessie
cooked it; Louise helped, looked on, and learned; home afforded rest;
Elspie supplied the peace of mind--at least as much of it as it was
possible for a fellow-mortal to supply; and his mother superintended
all. Add to this that Archie Sinclair cheered him with miscellaneous
gossip; that Little Bill read to him, or entertained him with serious
talk and grave speculation; that Andre Morel and his sister often
entertained him with song; that on such occasions Jenkins, the sailor,
frequently amused him with nautical tales; that old Peg sometimes came
from Ben Nevis to gaze at him tenderly; and that Okematan came to glare
at him more or less affectionately--and we have said enough to warrant
the conclusio