And Mother Fisher, for the first time since the children had known her, lost her self-control.
"Oh, Joey! and mother was cross to you," she could only sob as she reached him.
Polly, at a nod from the little doctor's night-cap and a few hurried words, ran as in a dream for the case of instruments in his bedroom.
"All right, Mamsie!" exclaimed Joel in surprise, and trying to stagger to his feet.
"Good heavens and earth!" cried old Mr. King, approaching. "What? oh! it's monstrous—Joel!"
"Och, murther!" Thomas sidled along the edge of the group, rolling fearful eyes at them, and repeating over and over, "I've shot that boy—that boy!"
All this occupied but an instant, and Joel was laid on his bed, and the wound which proved to be only a flesh one, the ball cutting a little furrow as it grazed the shoulder, was dressed, and everybody drew a long breath. "Tell Van that I'm all right," Joel kept saying all the time.
Polly undertook to do this.
"Van—Van!" she cried, running out into the hall to lay a shaking hand on his arm, where he lay on the floor. "Joel sent me to say that he is all right."
"Polly, I've killed him!" Van thrust his head up suddenly and looked at her, with wild eyes. "I have—don't speak to me, or look at me. I've killed Joel!"