, I'd fall flop on the ground, an' Jim Hart would have
to come an' feed me or I'd starve to death right before his eyes."

Paul laughed, and then he felt more like himself. Ross, too, had been
regarding him with sympathy, but he glanced inquiringly at Henry.

"You've had it hot an' hard?" he said.

"Yes," replied the boy laconically; "we've run against Shawnees, and about
everything that could has happened to us."

"Then it's fire, warmth, meat, rest, an' sleep for Paul right away," said
Ross.

Henry nodded.

Paul was looking at the fire, which seemed to him the most glorious one
ever built, and he did not notice anything more until he was lying beside
it, stretched on a blanket, and eating the very piece of tender buffalo
meat that Shif'less Sol had coveted for himself. Despite his relaxed and
half-dreamy condition, his imagination leaped up at once to magnificent
heights. All danger and hardship were gone. He was surrounded by a ring
of dauntless friends, and the fire glowed splendidly.

Shif'less Sol sat down near him, and regarded him with the deepest
sympathy, mingled with a certain amount of envy.

"Paul," he said, "I wish I wuz in your place for an hour or two. They've
jest got to wait on you. Nobody ever believes me when I say I'm sick,
though I'm took pow'ful bad sometimes, an' they don't care whether I'm
tired or not. Now, Paul, take all the advantages o' your position. Don't
you reach your hand for a thing. Make 'em bring it to you. Ef I can't get
waited on myself, I like to see another fellow waited on. Here, Saplin',
some more o' that buffalo steak for Paul, who is mighty hungry."

Saplin' cast a look of scorn upon Shif'less Sol, but he brought the steak,
and Paul ate again, for he was voraciously hungry. But one cannot eat
always, and by and by he had enough. Then his restful, dreamy feeling
grew. He saw Henry and the men talking, but he either did not hear what
they said or he was not interested. Soon the whole world faded out, and he
slept soundly. And as he slept the touch of fever left him. Shif'less Sol
looked down at him kindly.

"I'm tired, too," he said, "but I suppose if I wuz to go to sleep some o'
you 'ud be mean enough to shove me in the side with his foot."

"I'd try to be the first," said Jim Hart, "an' I'd shove pow'ful hard."

"It 'ud be jest like you," said Shif'less Sol, "but I suppose you can't
any more help bein' mean, Jim, than I can help bein' tired."

Jim shrugged his s