The water and a bandage were brought; and Amos Bartlett was raised up, taken into the house, and placed on a couch. By this time he was regaining his senses, and he slowly opened his eyes. “Oh!” he murmured, and looked around him. “My wife and Jennie, where are they?” “We are safe, Amos,” answered his wife; “but you have been hurt.” And the tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh, how I wish we had all gone to Taku!” “Yes, perhaps it would have been best. Oh, my head and my back! I feel as if I should never be able to walk again!” “O papa, do not say that!” burst out Jennie. “Does your back hurt you very much?” “It feels numb, as if it was paralyzed.” Amos Bartlett gave a groan he could not suppress. “The weight of the--the tree was more than I--I--could stand!” He gave a gasp, and then fainted away. More alarmed than ever, Mrs. Bartlett begged Gilbert to go for the doctor she had mentioned; and, receiving directions as to where the medical man lived, the young lieutenant hurried off, through a lane to the rear of the warehouse. As he ran along, he heard several shells whistling through the air; but none came down in that immediate vicinity. Reaching the doctor’s residence, his message was quickly delivered; and Dr. Fairchild returned with him to Amos Bartlett’s home. It was found that the tea-merchant had again recovered consciousness; but he was now in a fever, and talked wildly. “This is a bad case,” whispered the doctor to Gilbert. “He may be paralyzed, and that blow on the head may affect his brain. I will do my best for him, but you know as well as I that his age is greatly against him.” “Yes, do your best by all means,” answered the young officer. “I hope he recovers entirely, for the sake of his wife and daughter.” Gilbert remained with the family for an hour longer; and during that time the Chinese servant came sneaking back, and began to put the house in order. “Welly muchee flightened me,” said the servant to Gilbert. “Shung Sing flink whole house clom down on head.” “Well, you are frank about it,” was Gilbert’s comment. “Don’t you run away again! Your mistress needs you.” And the Chinaman promised to stay, but Gilbert knew that his word amounted to nothing. Shung Sing was honest and a hard worker; but he thought more of his own skin than of anything else in the world, and was prepared to run at the least alarm.