had felt Tom Cameron's pulse and now rose quickly. "Lift him carefully
upon the stretcher. We will get him into bed before I do a thing to
him. He's best as he is while we are moving him."

"It'll be a mighty long way to his house," grumbled one of the men.

"I believe yeou!" rejoined Jasper Parloe. "Three miles beyond Jabe
Potter's mill."

"Pshaw!" exclaimed Doctor Davison, in his soft voice. "You know we'll
not take him so far. My house is near enough. Surely you can carry him
there."

"If you say the word, Doctor," said the fellow, more cheerfully, while
old Parloe grunted.

They were more than half an hour in getting to the turn in the main
road where she could observe the two green lights before the doctor's
house. There the men put the stretcher down for a moment. Jasper
Parloe grumblingly took his turn at carrying one end.

"I never did see the use of boys, noway," he growled. "They's only an
aggravation and vexation of speret. And this here one is the
aggravatingest and vexationingest of any I ever see."

"Don't be too hard on the boy, Jasper," said Doctor Davison, passing
on ahead, so as to reach his house first.

Ruth remained behind, for the old gentleman walked too fast for her.
Before the men picked up the stretcher again there was a movement and