CHAPTER THREE.
CONVALESCENT.
The first face I saw when I came to myself was that of my father.

He was bending over me and looking very anxious.

I think he had been crying.
"Better, Tom ?" he said softly, as if afraid of making a noise and frightening me back into unconsciousness--everything seeming to be strangely still around me! "Oh, I'm all right," I answered joyfully, much pleased at seeing him.
"Why, how did you come here ?" and I tried to get up from the sofa on which I discovered that I Was lying.

But it was only an attempt, for I fell back again in a heap, feeling pain all over me.

It seemed just as if I had been broken into little pieces and somebody was now separating the bits! "Bress de Lor', him 'peak again!" I heard Jake ejaculate, and then I noticed his black face behind dad's, while there was another gentleman there too.