Cap'n Dan's Daughter

der of the prostrate figure, shook it gently, whispering, "John! John!" There was no answer and no responsive movement, and the Captain bent his head and listened. Breath was ther

. He was bare-headed, and there was no sign of a wound upon him. One coat-sleeve was badly scorched, and from a pocket in the coat protruded the neck of a bott

with him should find the burned coat and the tell-tale bottle, it were better for John Baxter that consciousness and life never were his again. There migh

r away from the path as he could and then stripped off the coat, and, folding it into a small bundle, hid it in the bushes

the water buckets when their friend c

his forehead with his arm. "It's 'bout

em buckets, and you and Jerry come with me

uccess of the fire-fighting, Captain Eri led his messmates to a dark corner und

ing him up to the corner by the post-office. Whistle when you git there and the rest of us 'll come. Don't stop to ask questions. I ain't hur

set off in another. He was stopped every few moments and all sorts of questions and comments concerning the fire and its cause were fired at him, but he put off some inquiries with a curt "Don't know

lectrician. "Haven'

our mouth shut if it's necessary: Have you seen the Doctor anywhe

haven't seen him. Is a

ck, but-oh, Lord! Here comes W

g his way toward them, shouting the C

gn a petition to git the town a fire ingyne? I've b

"Mr. Mullett's been looking for you.

! He's jest the feller I want

vely as the convert to the han

y! There's the whistle. Come on, Mr. Hazeltine, if y

he received his diploma, waiting for them. Captain Perez, who had discovered the physician on the Nickers

ez!" commanded Eri

n't." And the whis

want to fetch the whole tribe here?

he others watched anxiously as the doctor listened at the par

a moment, "but unconscious.

he was took," said Captain Jerry. "Run out in his sh

id Eri unblushingly. "Lift him c

less burden toward the big house, now as black as the grave that was so near its owner. "We must find

" suggested Captain Jerry. "'Twouldn

e switched if you ain't right down brilliant once in a while. Of course w

he country generally are, undressed him as tenderly as their rough hands would allow, robed him in one of Captain Jerry's nightshirts-the buttons that fastened it had been sewed on by the Captain himself, and were all sizes and colors-and laid him in the big c

other two, although sympathetically sorry for the su

rry. "Seem's if everything happened at once. Fust that d

was John layin' jest the same way when

same place," w

e place. I asked if he w

muscle. Laid jest

fied, for he asked no further questions, but observed, "It's a good thing we've got a crowd to swear how

be sayin' it anyho

ey won't say it while I'm around. And look here! if you hear anybody sayin

now he didn't set it

don't s

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 h

k, 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 h

erry in a hushed voice, as they came out of

nsciousness I shall think he has a chance, but not a very good one. His pulse is a little stronger. I do

her," said C

"but I should hate to have her nuss me, and a

d they called A'nt Zuby he'd have another one and die. A'nt

U WOULD," was the anyt

st must be surmised, for just then the

Then he added in an alarmed whisper

door opened and Captain Eri appeared. There were beads of perspiration on his forehead, and he was c

e. A woman came in; a stout woman dressed in black "alpaca" and

make you acquainted with Mrs. Snow of Na

ucket shook hands, the former wit

Mrs. Snow-Mrs. Marthy B. Snow,"-this with especial empha

s glad to meet Mrs. Snow. Captain Jerry said nothing, but

needed somebody to take care of him. Well, Mrs. Snow-she's a-a-sort of relation of Jerry's"-just a suspicion of a smile accompanied this assertion-"a

d placed it on the bureau. The room was Captain Eri's, and the general disarrangement of everything movable was only a little less marked than in those of his

id Captain Eri rather apologetically.

r comb-a whole one. With this she arranged the hair on her forehead. It, the hair, was parted in the middle and drawn back smoothly at the sides, a

here, I s'pose. Sha

tle surprised at the lady's comm

u may. You have nursed befor

ers and sisters at one time or another. I've seen consid'rable sickness all my life. More of that than

rs gazed wide-eyed in at the door. They watched, as Doctor Palmer explained medicines and g

e out his face shon

me in my business." Then he added in response to a question, "He seems to be a little better just now. I think there will

the room in something like order, and caring for her patient's garments, that had been tossed helter-sk

ng's you stay. I'll bunk in with Perez downstairs. I'll git my dunnag

eau top and seemed about to say something,

to Cap'n Burgess. I don't think we

," he said. "Excuse me, ma'am. Jerry, this is Mrs. Sno

o right on to bed, for I know you're all tuckered out. We can talk to-morrow-I mean to-day, of course: I forgot 'twas next-door to day

the rocker by the bed and waved to them to go, which two of them reluctantly did afte

th the announcement that he wouldn't tell them a word about it till he'd had some sleep. Then he would explain the whole thing, and they could deci

that she was a relation of mine for? That was a nice thing to do, wa'n't it? I'll have to answer more fool que

as the answer, muffled by the bed clothes. "Ma

won't!" snort

close. The surf pounded and grumbled. A rooster, early astir, crowed somewhere in the distance. Daniel thumped the

s, climbed the back fence and hurried to the hill where John Baxter had fallen. Once there, he looked carefully around to be sure that no one was watching. Orham, as a rule,

hidden the burned coat, pushed aside the drenched boughs with

unpleasant discovery

mp of bushes in the immediate vicinity, but there was no doubt of