“Oh, I don’t know,—I don’t know!” was the trembling answer. “I—I never saw anybody dead before. What—what do you think killed him, Dan?”
“Nothing. He isn’t killed,” replied Dan, who had been taking close observations. “He is still breathing. I guess he came here to hunt and got sick, and that’s what the dog was trying to tell people. Gosh, it’s a pity dogs like that can’t talk!”
“Oh, it is,—it is!” murmured Freddy, putting his arm around Rex, who, his duty done, was seated on his hind legs, gravely surveying his master.
The sick man moved a little, and groaned feebly: “Water!” the word came faintly through parched lips. “Water,—a little—Water!”
Dan picked up a can that had evidently done duty before.
“Stay by him, Freddy, so he’ll know there is something here. I’ll go to get some water. They must have had a pump or well around a place like this,”
And while Dan discovered the broken, half-choked cistern at the back of the Old Light, Freddy watched the sick man. He had never before seen any one very sick, and it took some pluck to keep his post especially when Mr. Wirt suddenly opened his eyes and looked at him. It was such a strange, wild, questioning look that Freddy felt his heart nearly leap into his throat.
Then Dan came back with the can full of water, and together they did their best for their patient,—bathing his head, wetting his parched lips, laving the helpless hands that were burning with fever, until the bright, sunken eyes closed and the sick man sank into a fitful sleep.
“He is pretty badly off,” said Dan, who had seen pain and sickness and death, and knew. “He ought to have a doctor right away, and it’s for us to get one quick as we can. But it will be a good three hour’s job; and” (Aunt Winnie’s boy’s voice softened) “I hate to leave the poor fellow here without any one to give him a drop of water, when he’s burning up like this. But you can’t sail the boat alone, kid.”
“No, I can’t,” faltered Freddy,—“I can’t sail the boat, Dan; but—but” (the young voice steadied bravely) “I can stay here with him.”