Alfred could see old Mrs. Wagner at an upstairs window waving a book at Kenney Shoup urging to the rescue. He could hear voices as if in the distance. He felt a lowering of his body. He felt himself rushing through s.p.a.ce. He made an effort to look up, and then all was blank.

He had a numb feeling in his whole body. "Stan" back, stan" back, gin him air, wash thet tobakker juice off his face, hit luks like blud,"

were the first words he caught. His eyes were wide open.

"Pour water on his head; Lor" don"t pour hit down his bosum, you"ll ruin Lib"s worked waist. Open the gate an" we"ll carry him hum an" fetch a doctur, ef thar"s no bones broke he may be hurt innerdly."

Alfred raised himself up. He looked up into the faces about him.

"Where"s Bindley?" were the first words he uttered.

"Oh, I"m all right," Alfred a.s.sured him, "we"ll do it all right tomorrow, won"t we Bindley?"

Bindley nodded his head, doubtfully. Alfred attempted to walk but would have fallen had not helping hands been stretched out, easing him down until he rested on all fours. He commanded all to release him: "Let me alone, I"m all right. Come on home with me, Bindley." Painfully, slowly he started, crawling toward the opened gate, over the spot where he had collected the ammunition that disbanded the torch-light parade; nor did he turn aside for anything. Not unlike a four-footed animal he made his way to the middle of the street. He attempted to arise. Again weakness, or pain, bore him down. Hands that were willing to a.s.sist him before he crawled through the cow pasture, were now held aloof.

Lin, as she saw him fall in the dust, said: "Well, ef he ain"t a sight on airth. k.u.m on James Todd, help him hum; an" you boys strip him while I heat a kittle uf water, till we git him so the doctur kin handle him."

Alfred staggered to his feet again, Bindley and Charley Brashear supporting him on either side. Thus, the limping procession slowly moved homeward, the young ones and a few grown-up ones bringing up the rear.

These latter were re-telling the story of the accident for the twentieth time, usually concluding with: "Bindley is a fool; he had further to fall than Alfred; he didn"t have to fall, he could have just flopped Alfred over and turned him so he would have lit on his feet and let him go. No, dam if he didn"t hold on "til he petered out and down they both come like two bags of salt. Alfred hit full length, it"s a wonder it hadn"t busted him. Bindley lit sort of half standing, but he got right up and limped a little and it was all over with him, but tother one was knocked colder than a wedge."

Alfred had been feverish, hot. The great amount of water poured over him to revive him had run down his body, and the many pads in the maiden Aunt"s garment absorbed the water. Alfred complained of feeling cold.

Someone whispered behind him: "That"s a bad sign. When that Jones boy got throwed off a horse, n.o.body thought he wus hurt much but he turned cold just afore he died."

Aaron Todd stood at his gate with a cynical smile spreading over the small expanse of face not hidden by whiskers. He viewed the plight of the boy with evident pleasure. As Alfred, with the a.s.sistance of his companions, entered the gate leading to his home, Todd elevated his nose, and turning about as though to enter his house, sneeringly muttered: "Dad-burn him; he got a dose of his own medicine. Ho, ho, ho; chickens comes home to roost, don"t they?"

Lin led the way, as she commanded. "k.u.m on in through the kitchen, it won"t du fur ye tu track over the front room carpet."

With bowed head, leaning on his companions, Alfred limped to the kitchen door. Bindley and Charley disrobed him. Placing a big, tin vessel in the middle of the kitchen floor, they soused Alfred into it.

There was not a bath room, private or public, in Brownsville in those days. Wash tubs were used in winter, the creek and river in summer. Once there came an oldish, high-toned lady from Richmond. She lodged with Isaac Vance at the Marshall House. He bought a new carpet and other fine furnishings for her room. It was an unusually warm summer. One day Vance noticed the colored porter carrying a tub to the lady"s room: "Yer, yer, where yer goin" with thet tub?" demanded the proprietor of the hotel.

"I"se jes carryin" it up tu Mrs. So and So"s room," answered the colored man. "What"s she goin" to do with thet tub this hot weather" inquired the landlord. "I reckon she"s gwine to wash herself; she sed she"s gwine to take a bath, I ges dat"s washin" herself." "Huh!" snorted Vance, "not in this house in this weather. Ef it wus winter I wouldn"t mind it, but I won"t have her floppin" aroun" up thar like a dam ole goose, splashin"

water all over thet new carpet. Take thet tub back to the cellar, an"

you go up an" tell her ef she needs a wash to go to the crik like I do."

Alfred was put to bed. The doctor, after careful examination, declared no bones were broken, there were bad bruises and might be internal injuries. However, it would require several days to fully determine, meanwhile the patient must be kept very quiet.

Lin advised the doctor: "He lit mos" settin"; ef he"d hed a littul further tu fall he"d lit flat on his settin" down att.i.tudes."

A bottle of liniment was ordered, and Alfred rubbed often with the preparation. John Barnhardt and Cousin Charley volunteered to sit up with Alfred the first night. Alfred regained his good humor, laughed and jested over the termination of the trapeze act until all agreed he was in no danger whatever. "Why, he"s jes carryin" on same es he allus does; hit nevur fazed him," Lin a.s.sured the mother.

However, when the doctor called the following morning and Lin confidentially advised him that the boy was all right and he needn"t lay abed another minute, the doctor dissented, insisting that the patient remain quiet, at least another twenty-four hours.

Jim Mann agreed to sit up the next night. The father requested Jim to get someone to sit up with him for company. It was getting late, Lin was dozing, Alfred urging her to go to bed. There was a knock on the door; both felt sure it was Jim. Lin opened the door; there stood Jack Beckley and in about the same condition as the day before.

Lin hesitated to admit him. Jack explained that Jim had invited him to sit up with Alfred. He said: "Jim and Dave Adams had a quarrel and Jim threw a pot of white paint on Adams, covering him from head to foot. Jim don"t know whether he will be arrested or not; he does not want to be arrested and locked up at night when he can"t give bail, so he sent me to look after Alfred."

Lin, when Jack"s attention was elsewhere, whispered to Alfred: "Don"t close a eye tunite, sleep tumorrer; ye can"t tell what a whusky drinkin"

man"ll du, thar"s no dependence in "em."

Jack was a most attentive nurse, in the early hours of the night at least. He hovered over the bed at the slightest move of the patient. He insisted on using the liniment almost constantly, declaring he would rub all the soreness out of Alfred"s bruises before morning. Alfred, half asleep, remembered Jack saying something about looking for more liniment.

Jack left the house ere any of the family arose. Alfred was loud in his praise of Jack"s kindness and declared him the best hand in the sick room he had ever seen. The mother was sorry he went off without breakfast. The father said he would hand him a piece of money when he met him.

Alfred insisted that he had entirely recovered; Jack had rubbed all the soreness out of his hurts and he would not lie longer in bed. The father and mother commanded he lie until the doctor a.s.sured them danger had pa.s.sed. The doctor called, and Alfred a.s.sured him he was all well and wanted to get up and go to work that very day. The doctor said: "Well, you ought to know how you feel. Have you any soreness in your joints or muscles?"

"No, sir; Jack Beckley rubbed all the soreness out of me last night."

"Turn over, let me see if there is any evidence of bruises." The doctor seemed deeply interested. Alfred could not see his face but he seemed to be critically examining him. He would tap various places on the bruised part of Alfred"s anatomy. "Does that hurt? Does that pain you?" would be the question after each tap, to which Alfred would invariably answer: "No, sir; no, sir."

After studying a few moments the doctor pa.s.sed into another part of the house; he was evidently conferring with the mother. Returning he again took Alfred"s temperature, examining the tongue even more carefully than previously. The doctor remarked, as if to himself: "It"s curious. Did you sleep; have you no pain?" Again he turned Alfred over and gazed long at the parts of the body supposed to be bruised.

Alfred began to get interested: "What"s the matter, Doc; have you found any bones broken?"

"No, no, nothing of that kind. But the bruises; have you no soreness."

Alfred a.s.sured him that he had not.

"I will be back in an hour," was the conclusion of the doctor"s instructions to Lin.

When Lin entered the room Alfred"s first anxious query was: "What"s the matter with the doctor, he wants to make you sick whether you are or not. I"m going to get out of this bed this day; I"ll not lay here any longer."

Here the mother entered cautioning Alfred to remain entirely quiet. "I"m going over to see grandmother; she is not well. I will bring your father home with me; the doctor will return by that time and we will know what to do for you."

Later Mrs. Wagner came, a good-natured, motherly, old German woman, a near neighbor. Among her neighbors, she was esteemed as one whose knowledge was invaluable in the sick room. She insisted upon examining Alfred"s condition. Although he insisted he was all right the old lady was permitted to examine his bruises. She left the room, returning soon with a large, hot poultice, applying it. Alfred grew rapidly worse.

The doctor soon returned. At every pressure of his fingers he found a new sore spot. "Does that hurt?" "Yes, sir," would be the answer from Alfred. Warm teas were administered, cold towels were placed on his head, and hot poultices on other parts of his anatomy. Alfred feebly acknowledged he was feeling very badly.

The father and mother came and with them the grandmother. When alone, the father advised Alfred that his body was a solid ma.s.s of bruises, that the flesh had turned black and blue. Alfred heard Lin whisper something about "mortification hed set in an" the doctor feared blood pizen."

The family were at dinner--Alfred had been placed upon a diet of squab broth, none of the flesh, just the broth--Alfred quietly arose and, with the aid of the big looking gla.s.s, (mirrors had not been discovered as yet, in Brownsville), and a contortion feat such as he had never attempted previously, he scanned the bruised parts. Lin"s worst fears seemed confirmed; all his person reflected in the looking gla.s.s was black as ink, as he expressed it.

Good Mrs. Wagner, with the doctor"s permission, continued applying the hot poultices. Alfred"s misery increased near night when the nurses advised him to calm himself as the bruised blood was rapidly disappearing. Alfred urged the good woman on by declaring the poultices were getting cold, although they had been applied but a moment or so.

Uncle Ned came to sit up. He greatly increased Alfred"s nervousness by his attempts at consolation. He showed Alfred the error of his ways, a.s.suring him he might have been killed outright and that his foolish ambitions to become an actor would probably lay him up for weeks, that it would cost his father a lot of money and possibly leave Alfred with his health impaired for a year to come.

Alfred, to get relief, implored the uncle to bring in more poultices. He kept the good uncle so busy his lecture was greatly interrupted.

In answer to the doctor"s first question: "How do you feel this morning?" Alfred replied: "Very weak; I had no sleep last night."

The doctor examined the patient carefully. "Does that hurt?" "No, sir,"

answered the sufferer. "Well, you"re coming around all right; the blood is circulating and the bruises are much better, your flesh is a.s.suming its natural color."

"Doctor, I think that liniment had something to do with my trouble, don"t you? It nearly burned me up and the turpentine in it smelled so I could hardly stand it. I told Jack when he was rubbing me it felt like he was raising blisters."

The doctor interrupted the patient by hastily correcting him as to there being any turpentine in the liniment.

"I know there was, I"ve worked with turpentine too long not to know the smell of it," persisted Alfred.

Lin also declared the whole house smelled so of turpentine she was compelled to change the bed clothes. "Ye kan"t tell what a man thet drinks licker like water mought take intu his hed to rub ontu a body. I wanted tu hist him when he fust k.u.m, but no, Jim Mann sent him an" he mus" stay."