CHAPTER XXI

JERRY SEEKS AID

Jerry was up in an instant and soon lit a lantern. By the glimmer of it he saw that Bob was indeed a very sick youth. The lad’s face was flushed, his hands were cold and clammy and his face and head were hot with a burning fever. His eyes had an unnaturally bright look, his breath came fast, and in short gasps.

“Why Bob!” exclaimed Ned. “What is the matter?”

“It came on me suddenly,” said the unfortunate lad, sitting down on the ground in the tent. “I was going to eat some more of the mangoes when, all at once, I was seized with a fit of trembling.”

As he spoke a series of tremors shook his body, and he seemed about to fall over. Jerry caught him.

“Quick, Ned!” he exclaimed. “Help me get Bob to bed. Then we’ll see what we can do.”

They undressed Bob, who continued to shake and shiver for he had a chill alternating with his fever. Then, while Jerry and Ned were worrying over the matter and pondering what to do, the poor lad’s temperature suddenly went up and he was in a higher fever.

“We’ve got to do something to bring that down,” remarked Jerry. “What did they give you when you were sick, Ned?” and Jerry looked at his chum.

“It’s so long since I was sick I’ve forgotten,” was the answer. “Have we any medicine at all?”

“Mother made me bring some quinine along, and a few other things, like witch hazel and sticking plaster, but I don’t believe any of them are good for fevers. I’ll look in the box.”

Jerry proceeded to investigate the small case of simple remedies his mother had packed, but which had never been opened. The chums were seldom ill, and when they were they usually let nature adjust itself. But they realized that something must be done for Bob.

“‘Spirits of nitre,’” read Ned from the label of one of the bottles. “Say, Jerry, this is the stuff for fevers. I remember my mother used to use it when I was a little chap. Let’s give him some.”

Jerry read the label on the bottle. The nitre, according to the directions, was good for fevers and they decided to give Bob a larger dose than was called for, as they had an idea the stuff was for children, and that a full grown youth would need more.

Anxiously they waited for the remedy to have some effect. Every now and then they would place their hands on Bob’s head or wrist to note the warmth of his body. To their worriment he seemed to be getting hotter instead of cooler. The fever indeed was rising fast and poor Bob was in a bad way.

“Doesn’t seem to be strong enough,” said Jerry after three hours of dreary watching. They had dressed and sat in the tent which was dimly lighted by a lantern.

“Let’s give him some more,” Ned suggested.

Another dose was administered, though Bob fought against taking it. The youth was hardly conscious of what he was doing. He lay with closed eyes, his face red and flushed from the fever, and his breath coming in short, labored gasps.

Suddenly the sick boy raised himself up on the cot where he had been placed.

“There he is!” he exclaimed.

“Who?” asked Jerry, thinking Bob saw some one.

“That alligator! He has the big snake and they are both being chased by the sea cow! Where’s my gun?”

“Out of his head,” whispered Ned, as he gently pressed Bob back on the bed. “What shall we do?”

Jerry did not know what to say. This was a new complication, for their journeys heretofore had been free from the worry of serious illness.

“My, but he’s hot!” went on Ned, feeling of Bob’s hand. “We ought to have an ice bag for him.”

“No ice here, but I’ve just thought of something we can do.”

“What?”

“Dip cloths in water and put ’em on him. That’ll help some.”

“Good idea.”

They dipped several large handkerchiefs into the lake, wrung them out, and laid them on Bob’s forehead, neck and chest. It was a crude expedient but it was the best they could do. In the hot climate the water evaporated quickly and the cloths were made cooler from this cause than they otherwise would have been. Bob seemed a little easier, though he continued to moan and murmur in his delirium.

It was a long, weary night and, when the gray dawn began to show, Ned and Jerry were two very much alarmed youths.

“If the professor would only come back!” exclaimed Ned. “He’d know what to do for Bob. He always carries medicine with him. I wish he would come.”

“Maybe he left some of his medicines in the boat.”

“If he did I wouldn’t risk using them. We might give Bob the wrong thing.”

“That’s so. I wonder if anything could have happened to Mr. Snodgrass?”

“I hope not,” responded Ned. “Still he ought to be back by this time.”

“Give me some ice water!” suddenly called Bob, sitting up on the cot.

“I wish we had some,” said Jerry in a low voice as he gently pushed his chum’s head back on the pillow. “He’s on fire,” he added, turning to Ned.

“Give him some more nitre.”

The medicine was administered with considerable difficulty for, as the fever progressed Bob fought against taking it, as the stuff was not very pleasant. Still Ned and Jerry knew it was the only thing they had, and they fairly forced Bob to swallow it.

The day was worse than the night, though at times the patient dozed and was quiet. The two youths listened for every sound that might indicate the return of the professor but he did not come. It grew hotter and hotter and then it began to rain.

With the storm came a cloud of mosquitoes that made life miserable for the boys. It was stifling to stay in the tent, yet that was their only refuge. They had mosquito netting, and this kept out the most of the pests, but Ned and Jerry had to make frequent trips to the lake for fresh water, and on these occasions the insects pitched on them with great violence.

Bob grew worse, and the two watchers were much alarmed. They did not know what to do. They only had a little of the nitre left and it did not seem to be doing any good. The truth was Bob needed a much stronger remedy than that which the boys had.

All day long the rain fell and the next night was one of the worst the boys had ever put in. They took turns sitting up with Bob who continually cried for ice water when there was none to be had. Ned and Jerry lived on cold victuals. As for Bob he only sipped a little water now and then.

“Do you think he’ll die?” asked Ned in gloomy accents, as Jerry awoke to take his turn at watching.

“No! Of course not. What makes you think that?”

“Because he doesn’t seem to get any better.”

“He can’t get better at once. I think it was that yellow fruit he ate which has made him sick. You and I didn’t take any and we’re all right.”

“Then Bob is poisoned.”

“I’m afraid so. Still this may be the worst of it. As long as he has gotten along so far, with nothing more than a high fever, I’m sure he’ll pull through.”

But the fever was bad enough. Bob began to weaken under the attack. The second day he could not raise himself in bed. He reclined there with closed eyes and his breathing was more labored.

“Why doesn’t the professor come!” exclaimed Ned.

“I tell you what I believe!” exclaimed Jerry. “Mr. Snodgrass is being detained by those negroes!”

“Do you think so?”

“I do. I believe they had a plot to get possession of all our things. We scared off those who came to the camp but the others have Mr. Snodgrass a captive, I’m sure.”

“What are we going to do? If Bob doesn’t get some other medicine soon--he’ll die.”

“I know what I’m going to do!” said Jerry in determined tones.

“What?”

“I’m going to find the professor!”

“How can you?”

“I’m going to follow that little stream,” and Jerry pointed to the one up which the scientist had journeyed in the canoe with the negroes.

“But you have no boat. The _Dartaway_ draws too much to take up that creek.”

“I know it. I’m going to walk. I see there is a sort of path along the edge of the stream. I’m going to see where it leads to. I may not find the professor, but I’ll try and find some one who can help us. Maybe I can run across a band of Indians and get some of their remedies. If only Ottiby was here he’d be able to give Bob something to make him well. Will you be afraid to stay here alone with Bob, Ned?”

“No, of course not. But hurry back. There’s no telling what may happen.”

“I’ll bring the professor back with me, or some medicine for Bob,” said Jerry, as he prepared for his journey.