anked for his services and promising to call the next day,
went back to the station, and the three captains sat down by the bedside
to watch and wait.

Captain Eri was too much perturbed to talk, but the other two, although
sympathetically sorry for the sufferer, were bursting with excitement
and curiosity.

"Well, if THIS ain't been a night!" exclaimed Captain Jerry. "Seem's if
everything happened at once. Fust that darky and then the fire and then
this. Don't it beat all?

"Eri," said Captain Perez anxiously, "was John layin' jest the same way
when you found him as he was when we come?"

"Right in the same place," was the answer.

"I didn't say in the same place. I asked if he was layin' the same way."

"He hadn't moved a muscle. Laid jest as if he was dead."

It will be noticed that Captain Eri was adhering strictly to the
truth. Luckily, Perez seemed to be satisfied, for he asked no further
questions, but observed, "It's a good thing we've got a crowd to swear
how we found him. There's a heap of folks in this town would be sayin'
he set that fire if 'twa'n't for that."

"Some of 'em will be sayin' it anyhow," remarked Jerry.

"Some folks 'll say anything but their prayers," snapped Eri savagely.
"They won't say it while I'm around. And look here! if you hear anybody
sayin' it, you tell 'em it's a lie. If that don't keep 'em quiet, let me
know."

"Oh, all right. WE know he didn't set it. I was jest sayin'--"

"Well, don't say it."

"My, you're techy! Guess fires and colored folks don't agree with you.
What are we goin' to do now? If John don't die, and the Lord knows I
hope he won't, he's likely to be sick here a long spell. Who are we
goin' to git to take care of him? That's what I want to know. Somebody's
got to do it and we ain't fit. If Jerry 'd only give in and git married
now--"

But Captain Jerry's protest against matrimony was as obstinate as ever.
Even Perez gave up urging after a while and conversation lagged again.
In a few minutes the Doctor came back, and his examination of the
patient and demands for glasses of water, teaspoons, and the like, kept
Perez and Jerry busy. It was some time before they noticed that Captain
Eri had disappeared. Even then they did not pay much attention to the
circumstance, but watched the physician at work and questioned him
concerning the nature of their guest's illness.

"D'you think he'll die, Doctor?" inquired Jerry in a hushed voice, as
they came out of