“I s’pose so,” Captain Josh replied.  “But git a big hustle on.  Ye’ve got something more important than a scow to save to-night.”

CHAPTER XXXI

BETTER THAN A FAIRY TALE

News of the accident on the river soon spread throughout the parish.  For a time various kinds of reports were in circulation, until it was learned that Rod was the only one who had received any injury.  It was told how Captain Josh had carried him up to the rectory, while the doctor went ahead to tell the Royals what had happened.

While the neighbours talked, Rod was lying in his little bed in the grip of a raging fever.  He knew nothing of what was going on around him, nor how anxious ones watched him night and day.  It was Miss Arabella who came to Mrs. Royal’s assistance in this time of need to help with the household affairs.  Her tongue had lost none of its sharpness for those she disliked, but for her friends she was most loyal.  She would have done almost anything for Rod, and she was not slow in expressing her opinion of Tom Dunker and “his whole tribe” for causing so much trouble.

Captain Josh almost camped in the rectory kitchen.  When not there, he was wandering about the door-yard right in front of Rod’s window.  He ate and slept at the Anchorage, but that was about all.

“It’s my fault that the boy is sick,” he told his wife, “and it’s up to me to be on hand in case of need.  Jimmy kin look after things around here while I’m away.”

Numerous were the visitors who came to the rectory to enquire about the sick boy.  Tom Dunker was one of them, and he found the captain on guard at the back-door.

“How’s Rod to-day, cap’n?” he asked.

“No better,” was the gruff reply.  “Had a bad night.”

“I’m real sorry, cap’n, I surely am,” Tom blubbered.  “To think that he did it all fer my Sammy.”

“How is yer kid?” the captain questioned.

“He’s better, thank the Lord.  The doctor got there jist in time.  But fer you and Rod he’d be dead now.”

“Cut that out, Tom.  I’m not used to sich stuff.”

“But I can’t help it, cap’n,” the visitor sniffled.  “I can’t sleep at nights fer thinkin’ of it all.  I shan’t fergit it in a hurry, oh, no.”

“Big fool,” the captain muttered to himself as he watched Tom shuffle away.  “It takes a mighty hard blow to knock any sense into a head sich as his.”

As the days passed, Rod became more restless, and kept calling for Anna Royanna.  It was hard for the anxious watchers to listen to his piteous pleadings.  The doctor’s face grew grave during one of his frequent visits as he watched the raving boy.

“Do you suppose she’d come?” he asked Parson Dan, who had followed him into the room.

“Would it do any good, doctor?”

“It might.  One can never tell.  Anyway, I think that Miss Royanna should be told how sick he is.  She is very fond of the boy.  You should send word to his mother as well.”