Into Mary's mind there suddenly flashed her dream. "Sickness, but no death." Well, then, her baby should live.
A short time after the doctor's departure, Mrs. Gallager, a neighbor, came into the tent, and said, "Mrs. Chittenden, let me hold the child."
"No, Mrs. Gallager, thank you, I would rather hold her."
The woman bustled about and got a tea-kettle of water upon the stove.
"What are you doing," asked Mary.
"Getting a bit of hot water. The child is dead, so we will want some water hot."
"She will not die, Mrs. Gallager. She is going to live."
"Why, woman, she is dead now! Her finger nails are black!"
"No, she is not dead," persisted the mother. Who knows the great power and faith of a mother?
Within a few hours the child's breathing became audible. Her recovery was very slow. And while she still lay weak and ill, William was stricken down by the same complaint. He grew rapidly worse. He too lay ill for several months. He was in a very critical condition, but whenever able to speak he would tell Mary not to bring a doctor, for he should recover without one. The turn for the better came at last, and as soon as he was able to get about a little, they determined to go to Lemon Flat. Their first idea in going to Lemon Flat had been to homestead, or "free select" land, as it is called in Australia. However, they were far too poor now to do this, so William got odd jobs to do. He scraped all he could together, and bought a horse for fifteen pounds. But shortly afterwards, he heard of one of his lost animals about eighteen miles up the country, so he made a trip up to find the animal. Arriving at the place, he heard that a Chinaman had just gone to another camp, on the horse. That night he tethered his horse out, and next morning at daybreak went out as usual for him, and behold, he, too, had disappeared, not leaving a track of a hoof to guide anyone in a search for him. So William was at last obliged to trudge wearily home, eighteen miles, carrying his saddle on his back.