Agnes paid no heed to him at all, but hastening back to her patients,
she recommenced her nursing care of them.

There was no fire, and in fact none was needed, except for cooking and
preparing the one or two simple remedies which Agnes used in
connection with the treatment of the sick victims, and which she felt
assured would not interfere with the medicine they were taking.

In truth, during the whole epidemic, it seemed as though mere medicine
was of no avail whatever, and that really the methods and means used
by the natives, independent of the doctors, did all the good that was
done.

First, she got out of the store some mackerel and bound them, just as
they came out of the barrel, brine and all, to the soles of the feet
of both the mother and children.

This simple remedy acted like a charm, for in about three hours the
fever began to break. Agnes put on fresh mackerel as before, removing
the first ones, which, startling as it may seem, were perfectly
putrid, though reeking with the strong salt brine when she applied
them.

By nine o'clock that night the noble young woman had the inexpressible
delight of seeing her poor patients so far changed for the better as
to be completely out of danger.

On the next morning, true to his promise, the dead-wagon man came
around. He was one of those in-bred wicked spirits which take delight