, happily, closing his eyes.

After a while he opened them again to say, "I allow they shot me up a
little too, by these here rags on my head."

[Illustration: "'I allow they shot me up a little too by these here rags
on my head.'"]

"Oh, a trifle, yes,--but none to hurt,--you wa'n't born to die by no
Cheever lead."

"Gee, no," breathed Nucky, in quiet scorn.

"We brung you over here to the women, where you could get well sooner,"
continued Blant, in his gentle, reassuring voice; "and now since you are
doing so fine, I reckon I'll leave you a spell and get along home,--the
babe is punier than usual."

"Yes, I don't want you to stay here and get arrested," said Nucky; "but
I don't want you to go back there neither. You keep a constant watch on
Todd,--I wish it was him I had shot."

Rich and I followed Blant out. Not until we stood out in the snow did we
wring one another's hands in speechless relief.

"Of course he will live now," I said.

To-day Nucky is entirely rational, though quite weak. Only the nurse
sees him. Killis, Taulbee, Keats, Hosea and Joab came in for news of him
to-day, returning immediately on their long walks.

_Friday._

I was permitted to visit Nucky to-day. He is still forbidden to talk,
but he smiled his old bright smile, and I read Pilgrim's Progress to him
until he fell asleep.

_Sunday Morning._

All the boys came back to school yesterday from their vacation, several
with gifts for me,--a dozen eggs from the little Salyers, a fine
ground-hog-hide from Joab ("it'll make you shoe-strings enough to last a
lifetime," he said), a handsome hen from Taulbee, four huge
sweet-potatoes from Hosea, and an elegant green glass breastpin from
Geordie. Of course the one topic of conversation last night was
"Trojan" and his performance, in which they take endless pride. "I
allow Basil Beaumont will sure make up a song-ballad about him now,"
said Absalom.

They also brought the news that Dalt Cheever is probably "aiming to
live",--thank heaven if it is true, for I cannot bear that Nucky's hands
should be stained with human blood. Doubtless, however, it will be a
keen disappointment to him.

_Monday._

As I was about to leave the cottage for the hospital last night after
supper, the boys were all bewailing the fact that they had not been able
to stay at home over Old Christmas. I asked them what they meant by "Old
Christmas."

"You brought-on women," said Taulbee, "thi