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Seton, Ernest Thompson, 1860-1946

"Rolf in the Woods"

"
"I'll take it in and heat it." He carried it off, thinking, "If
Quonab won't let me give the bark extract, I'll make him give
it." In the gloom of the kitchen he had no difficulty in adding
to the tea, quite unseen, a quarter of the extract; when heated,
he brought it again, and the Indian himself gave the dose.
As bedtime drew near, and she heard the red man say he would
sleep there, the little one said feebly, "Mother, mother," then
whispered in her mother's ear, "I want Rolf."
Rolf spread his blanket by the cot and slept lightly. Once or
twice he rose to look at Annette. She was moving in her sleep,
but did not awake. He saw to it that the mosquito bar was in
place, and slept till morning.
There was no question that the child was better. The renewed
interest in food was the first good symptom, and the partridge
served the end of its creation. The snakeroot and the quinine
did noble work, and thenceforth her recovery was rapid. It was
natural for her mother to wish the child back indoors. It was a
matter of course that she should go. It was accepted as an
unavoidable evil that they should always have those brown
crawlers about the bed.


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