noticed on the
main-deck rapidly approached the table. When he saw the pitcher of
ice-water, he stopped and gazed in consternation.

"Somebody's been fixing you!" said he. "He's been taking calomel," he
explained to Tom.

"He never said a word to me about it," faltered Tom, who thought he was
in a fair prospect of getting himself into trouble.

"You know the doctor said you must be careful not to drink any water
after taking that powder," continued the cowboy, looking at Tom as if he
had a mind to throw the pitcher at his head.

"The kid is all right," said the sick man, "and I'll stay by him. Now,
if you will go away and let me alone, I'll go to sleep."

He stretched himself out on the table once more, and the cowboy went off
to consult with his chum. In a few minutes he came back with him, and
all they could do was to try to arouse the man to ask him what he
thought they had better do for him; but to such interruptions he always
replied: "No, no, boys! I'm going to sleep now."

"You ought not to have given that man so much water," said one of the
cowboys. "But after all it's our own fault, Hank. One of us ought to
have stayed here with him."

Tom Mason did not know what to say, and neither was he able to account
for so much forbearance on the part of the cowboys. He looked to see
them pull their revolvers; but instead of doing that they drew chairs up
beside their sick comrade and waited to see what was going to happen to
him, and Tom, filled with remorse, went out on the boiler-deck. Just
then the _Jennie June's_ bell rang, the lines and gang-planks were
hauled in, and she backed down the river to her moorings. Then the
_Ivanhoe's_ bell was struck, and instantly a great hubbub arose among
the passengers. Hands were shaken, farewells were said, and in ten
minutes more the little boat was ploughing her way up the river. Tom had
an opportunity to sit down after that. He pulled a chair up to the
railing and sat there for ten minutes awaiting the arrival of the clerk,
and wondering how calomel would operate on that man after he had drank
ice-water on top of it; and consequently he did not feel very safe when
he saw the two cowboys approaching him. He had left them to watch over
the sick man, and he did not like to have them follow him up.

"Look here, pard," said the foremost. "You've got the only lower bunk
there is in the cabin, and we want to see if you won't give it up to
that sick boss of ours. The man now