The spring wore along until the mild summer came, and still the boys remained with Farmer Pitcairn.

Chapter XVIII.

One night Jim Travers talked a great deal in his sleep.  His tossing awoke Tom Gordon several times and caused him some anxiety, which was increased when he touched his friend’s cheek and found him suffering with a burning fever.  Toward morning Jim’s restlessness partly subsided, and he fell into a fitful slumber.  Tom dropped off, and did not awake until he heard his friend astir.

“What’s the matter?” asked the elder, sitting up in bed and looking in a scared way at Jim, who having partly dressed himself, was sitting on the side of the couch.

“I don’t know; I feel awful queer; my head is light; I saw father and sister Maggie last night:  did you see anything of them?”

“No; you were dreaming.”

“They were here; father came in the room and looked at me, but did not speak and went away, but Maggie took hold of my hand and asked me to go with her.  Wasn’t it strange, Tom, that she should come back after all these years?  I saw her as plain as I do you.”

Tom was frightened.  Swallowing a lump in his throat, and hiding his agitation as best he could, he said gently,—­

“Jim, you are ill.  Lie down on the bed again and I’ll call Mrs. Pitcairn.”

“I’m afraid there is something the matter with me,” muttered the younger lad, lying down, his face flushed and his eyes staring.  He said something which showed his mind was wandering and he had become flighty.

Tom hastily donned his clothing and hurried downstairs to the farmer’s good wife, who lost no time in coming to the room of the boys.  By this time Jim had lost all knowledge of his surroundings.  He was muttering and saying all sorts of strange things, speaking of his father, of his sister Maggie, and even of his mother, who died when he was a very small boy.

Mrs. Pitcairn had no children of her own, but she had had great experience in the sick-room.  She saw, almost at a glance, that Jim Travers was suffering from a violent and dangerous fever.  She prepared him a bitter but soothing draught of herbs, and told her husband a physician must be brought without delay.

Farmer Pitcairn felt a strong affection for the two lads, whose singular coming beneath his roof has been told.  He was as much concerned as his wife, and, harnessing his horse, drove off at a swift pace for the family doctor, who appeared on the scene a couple of hours later.

“He is ill, very ill,” said the physician; “his fever is of a typhus character, though not strictly that.  There has been considerable of it this spring and summer in New York.”

“Is it contagious?” asked the farmer.

“Somewhat; though it seems to be more of the nature of an epidemic; that is, it travels through the air, appearing without special reason at one place, and then at another.  We have had three cases in the neighborhood the past fortnight.”