r dose of
medicine did not have the effect the doctor desired, or rather, it had
more effect than the doctor or Hare desired.

The old doctor was a very resolute man, fiery and game, nearly everyone
feared him. Bob, his son, was one of the few who dared brave the old
doctor's wrath. The young doctor espoused Alfred's cause when his father
charged Alfred with carelessness. Bob swore that old Hare was a
notorious liar and that it was not the medicine that made him so sick.

The old doctor was very practical, therefore a successful practitioner.
Alfred protested that he had prepared the medicine for Hare as per the
formula furnished him. Some time after the above argument Alfred was
summoned to the doctor's room. Holding in one hand a glass of water, the
doctor handed Alfred a lump of darkish color, ordering the boy to
swallow it. Alfred mechanically swallowed the lump, the doctor handing
him the water to take the taste out of his mouth.

As Alfred drank, the doctor, with a humorous glance, ordered him to hang
around until he could determine the effects of the medicine. "It's the
same dose you fixed for Hare. I'll see whether Hare lied or not."

Alfred had a keen sense of the ridiculous. He had swallowed the pill ere
he realized what he was doing and knew full well he would be dreadfully
ill, yet he laughed immoderately.

"Ef Hare suffered more than Alfurd, he sure wus sick," was Lin's
comment. "No, Alfurd wus not sacked by the ole doctur, he jus naturally
did not like doctorin'."

Mr. Todd replied: "I dunno nuthin' 'bout it, only what I've heard. They
do say thet since Alfred nearly pizened Mr. Hare, most of Doctor
Playford's patients has gone to Doctor Jackson. Folks is jus naturally
afeared to doctor with Playford since they found out Alfred mixes the
medicine. John McCune's two children, ole Lige Custer an' Dave Phillips
wus all took sick jus like ole Hare an' nobody but Alfred ever mixed the
medicine they took. You know it takes a man thet's hed practus to mix
medicines an' Alfred ain't hed no chance to learn."

Lin contended that Alfred hed plenty of practice. "He mixed paint in his
Pap's shop an' he mixed ink in the printin' offis an' Lord, he could
certinly mix a few squills an' a little castor ile an' sich, that's all
Playford ever gives. Alfurd cud a kep on doctorin' ef he'd wanted to,
but the ole doctor sed when he took him thet he would see what wus _in
him_, an' I s'pose he did."

CHAPTER TWELVE