Alice drew her chair closely to the bedside and felt of the old negro's head and it was very hot; she felt his pulse and it was beating like a triphammer. He was groaning, too, as if in great pain, crying out in delirium occasionally "Charge bagonet! Sport harms! hep! hep! hep!" as if drilling and going through the manual of the soldier. Alice saw that something must be done and very quickly, and she said to Clarissa.
"I will run for the doctor."
"Lor, missis, yer a gwine a trapesing away over yander fur de doctur by your lone lorn sef? I specks hits er mile ur too ef its ary step."
Within an hour the physician was at the bedside of the sick negro, diagnosing the case and prescribing medicine.
"He is not in immediate danger," observed the physician to Alice, "But he must be watched."
"I want to put him under your care and whatever your charge may be I will pay it."
"Thank you, miss," replied the physician with a smile. "I will see that he does not suffer for the want of medical treatment. By the way, how is your father's health now, Miss Alice?" he asked.
"I think I can see that he is failing, sir," the girl replied sadly.
"I presume he, like every body else, is greatly annoyed by the freedmen."
"Yes, a few of them have given us trouble," she replied.