visible was its black spire set against a web of stars. He was making no
speed at all. He panted on. His heart hammered. His legs drummed with
Lilliputian paces. Now he was among the village stores, all utterly
black. At one point the echo of his feet chattered back at him, as if
some other futile runner strained amid vast spaces of blackness.

After a long time he found himself running up a residential street, and
presently, far ahead, he saw the glow of Dr. Jallup's porch light. Its
beam had the appearance of coming from a vast distance. When he reached
the place, he flung his breast against the top panel of the doctor's
fence and held on, exhausted. He drew in his breath, and began shouting,
"Hello, Doctor!"

Peter called persistently, and as he commanded more breath, he called
louder and louder, "Hello, Doctor! Hello, Doctor! Hello, Doctor!" in
tones edging on panic.

The doctor's house might have been dead. Somewhere a dog began barking.
High in the Southern sky a star looked down remotely on Peter's frantic
haste. The black man stood in the black night with cries: "Hello,
Doctor! Hello, Doctor! Hello, Doctor!"

At last, in despair, he tried to think of other doctors. He thought of
telephoning to Jonesboro. Just as he decided he must turn away there
came a stirring in the dead house, a flicker of light appeared on the
inside now here, now there; it steadied into a tiny beam and approached
the door. The door opened, and Dr. Jallup's head and breast appeared,
illuminated against the black interior.

"My mother's sick, Doctor," began Peter, in immense relief.