but tuppence, and there's lots o' fellers here for sech small debts,
that they don't come to mor'n a farthin a pound, and ye see I'm gittin
dearer, Perez. There's the interest one way, and I'm a gittin thinner
the other way," he added with a piteous smile.

"Perez," interrupted Fennell, in a feeble, whimpering voice, as he
weakly endeavored to raise himself from the floor, "I wish you'd jess
give me a boost on your shoulders, so I kin see out the winder. Reub
uster to do it, but he ain't stout enough now. It's two months since
I've seen out. Say, Perez, won't ye?"

"It'll do him a sight o' good, Perez, if ye will. I never see a feller
set sech store by trees and mountings as George does. They're jess
like medicine to him, an he's fell off faster'n ever since I hain't
been able to boost him up."

Perez knelt, too much moved for speech, and Reub helped to adjust upon
his shoulders the feeble frame of the sick man, into whose face had
come an expression of eager, excited expectation. As the soldier rose
he fairly tottered from the unexpected lightness of his burden. He
stepped beneath the high, grated window, and Fennell, resting his
hands on the lintel, while Reub steadied him from behind, peered out.
He made no sound, and finally Perez let him down to the floor.

"Could you see much?" asked Reub, but the other did not answer. His
gaze was afar off as if the prison walls were no barrier to his eyes,
and a smile of rapturous contemplation rested on his face. Then with a
deep breath he seemed to return to a perception of his surroundings,
and in tones of irrepressible exultation he murmured: