The boys pressed forward, but Harry, stepping quickly in front of them, stooped and raised Max carefully in his mighty arms.
“By your leave, gen’lemen,” said the big, good-hearted fellow, “there’s none but me as shall carry Master Max.”
And after that there was for Polly’s deliverer a long and dreamless night.
CHAPTER XVI.
WANTED—A NICE SOMEBODY.
When Max again looked out on the world with seeing eyes, he was lying upon his own bed, a fact which for the moment puzzled him exceedingly. Because cool air and soft sunshine were coming in at the open window; and while it was yet day, Max had been wont to work. As he still scolded himself lazily for a good-for-nothing lie-abed, and almost resolved to rise that very minute, his blinking eyes caught sight of a dark mass which resolved itself slowly into the definite shape of humanity, and became the motionless figure of a man.
“Dad!”
The figure moved, rose, came forward with the painful caution of dreary suspense. Dr. Brenton had doubted his ears, and Max’s eyelids were together again. But gradually they parted, tardily but surely, and Max’s lips smiled.
M432
“THE FIGURE MOVED, ROSE, CAME FORWARD WITH THE PAINFUL CAUTION OF DREARY SUSPENSE.”