amends.
Do you understand me? I mean to say, that I have been very cruel to
you, and now I will do all you wish, and answer every question you may
put to me, as well as I can."

"That is what I want," replied I.

"I know it is, but my wound is festering, and must be washed and
dressed. The feathers make it worse. Will you do this for me?"

I thought a little, and recollected that he was still in my power, as he
could not obtain water. I replied, "Yes, I will."

"The cord hurts it, you must take it off."

I fetched the kid of water, and untied the cord, and took away the
feathers, which had matted together with the flow of blood, and then I
washed the wound carefully. Looking into the wound, my desire of
information induced me to say, "What are these little white cords which
are cut through?"

"They are the sinews and tendons," replied he, "by which we are enabled
to move our hands and fingers; now these are cut through, I shall not
have the use of my hand again."

"Stop a moment," said I, rising up, "I have just thought of something."
I ran down to the point where the chest lay, took a shirt from the rock,
and brought it back with me, and tearing it into strips, I bandaged the
wound.

"Where did you get that linen?" said Jackson. I told him.

"And you got the knife there, too," said he, with a sigh. I replied in
the affirmative.

As soon as I had finished, he told me he was much easier, and said:

"I thank you."

"What is, I thank you?" replied I.

"It means that I am grateful for what you have done."

"And what is grateful?" inquired I again. "You never said those words
to me before."

"Alas, no," replied he, "it had been better if I had. I mean that I
feel kindly towards you, for having bound up my wound, and would do any
thing for you if I had the power. It means, that if I had my eyesight,
as I had a week ago, and was master, as I then was, that I would not
kick nor beat you, but be kind to you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," replied I, "I think I do; and if you tell me all I want to know,
I shall believe you."

"That I will as soon as I am well enough; but now I am too ill--you must
wait a day or two, till the fever has left me."

Satisfied with Jackson's promise, I tended him carefully, and washed and
dressed his wound for the two following days. He said that he felt
himself much better, and his language to me was so kind and
conciliatory, that I hardly knew what to make of it;