It may have
been, it is just possible that it may have been, against the projecting
wall of the boat-house, as he turned the corner in his fright and
hurry. If so, that, no doubt, caused his fall and his stumble into the
water. The woman--she had children of her own: that great girl whom you
saw scraping potatoes was one, and she had two others still
younger--washed the wound, and tried to bring Charley round. But she
could not awaken him to full consciousness. His mind appeared to be
wandering, and ere another day had passed he was in strong delirium.
Whether it was the blow, or the terrible fright which had preceded it,
or--and this was most probable--both combined, Charles Channing was
attacked with brain fever. The woman nursed him through it; she applied
her own simple remedies. She cut off his hair, and kept wet linen
constantly to his head; and hot bricks, wrapped round with wet steaming
flannels, to his feet; and she gave him a certain herb tea to drink,
which, in her firm belief and experience, had never yet failed to
subdue fever. Perhaps Charley did as well without a doctor as he would
have done with one. By the time they reached their destination the
malady was subsiding; but the young patient was so prostrated and weak
that all he could do was to lie quite still, scarcely opening his eyes,
scarcely moving his hands.
When he became able to talk, they were beginning to move up stream
again, as the woman called it.
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