At last an idea struck him, and he turned to Mike and told him to go down to his old cabin, and stay there while he sent the boy back to him.
When Harry came up, with an anxious face, Jim took him between his knees.
"Little feller," said he, "I need comfortin'.

It's a comfort to have ye here in my arms, an' I don't never want to have you go 'way from me.
Your pa is awful sick, and perhaps he ain't never goin' to be no better.
The rain and the ride, I'm afeared, was too many fur him; but I've did the best I could, and I meant well to both on ye, an' now I can't do no more, and there ain't no doctor here, an' there ain't no minister.

Ye've allers been a pretty good boy, hain't ye?
And don't ye s'pose ye can go out here a little ways behind a tree and pray?
I'll hold on to the dog; an' it seems to me, if I was the Lord, I sh'd pay 'tention to what a little feller like you was sayin'.

There ain't nobody here but you to do it now, ye know.

I can nuss your pa and fix his vittles, and set up with 'im nights, but I can't pray.