You know I never heard yet what happened that day in the boat.

How did it all happen ?" Whereupon Roger, rousing himself still more, began to go over the events of that memorable day, which at that distance of time seemed to loom out in his mind more terrible than at the time.
His guardian, deeply interested in the narrative, drew him out into a full and particular account of all that passed: the picnic on the island, the sudden storm, the drive before the wind, the awful roar of the surf on the shore, what each one said and thought and prepared for, and then of the crowning excitement of the rescue, the struggle in the water, and the drowning sensations.
When all was told the boy's head fell exhausted on the pillow, his chest heaved, and he lay half muttering to himself, half moaning, a pitiful spectacle of weakness and exhaustion.
When, an hour later, Rosalind glided in, her father walked with finger to his lips to meet her.
"Make no noise," said he, "the dear lad is sleeping.

Don't disturb him whatever you do." That was a bad night in the sick-room.

The fever rose higher and higher.

Roger tossed and moaned ceaselessly all night, and for the first time wandered in his talk.