The medical man said, beyond a hard blow on the head, which had made him unconscious for a time, Mr. Addison was not hurt.
"I'd stand another blow on the head for the sake of my fine spring," said the hermit, and he laughed.
He really seemed quite a different man now. His face was kinder, and the boys were no longer afraid of him.
"I guess you'll have to explain," suggested Mr. Jessup. "What is it all about, and what do you mean by your boiling spring, Mr. Addison?"
"Come with me, and I'll show you," said the hermit.
With slow steps he led the way to a little glade, not far from his cabin. There the boys saw a strange sight. In spite of the fact that it was Winter, and that snow was on the ground, there was a spot of green grass and ferns to be seen, surrounding a boiling and bubbling spring of clear water. And from the water a little cloud of steam arose.
"There she is!" cried Mr. Addison. "There's my boiling spring, and the waters of it are the best thing in the world for rheumatism. I know, for I've cured myself, and cured others. I discovered the spring by accident, and I worked hard to get title to the land it's on. Now I have it, and I'm going to bottle those waters and sell 'em. I'm going to be rich! I'm not going to be a hermit any longer," and he seemed ten years younger.