There was a warm breeze blowing, and his clothes soon dried, and once again he felt like a human being. A new trouble arose. He found his limbs so weak that he could not stand. His flesh was hot and dry, his mouth parched, and his eyes were like burning coals. He had fever. The fact was appalling enough at ordinary times, but how much more so under the circumstances? He dare not seek a house, even if he could crawl as far, for he knew that fever meant delirium, and in his delirium he might betray himself and so injure the cause he loved so well. He had not lived in the mountains without knowing the value of herbs, so he looked around to find those natural medicines which at home had been used by the Indians and most of the white folks of the Green Mountains. He wanted agrimony, but did not see any; but he did find yarrow in abundance. Now, the leaves and flowers of the common yarrow, or the _achillea milefolium_ of botanists, are an excellent thing in fevers, producing perspiration and cleansing the blood at the same time; but Eben knew that it should be macerated in boiling water. Boiling water was out of the question, and, in fact, there seemed to be no water save sea water near, so he gathered a quantity of the leaves and chewed them. The taste was bitter and aromatic, but refreshing to the fever-stricken boy. After a time he felt a nausea, and stopped eating. He turned over on his back and fell asleep. When he awoke the sun was high in the heavens and he fancied he had slept four or five hours; in reality he had slept nearly thirty hours. His body was covered with a cold perspiration and his mouth seemed less parched. As he raised himself to look around he saw that he was not alone. A man, evidently poor, if judged by his dress, stood some distance away, watching him closely. "So you did wake, eh? I reckon'd that you were going to sleep till Gabriel blew his trump." "Have I slept long?" asked Eben. "Well, now, I can't say 'zactly, for I reckon you had been asleep a long time when I found you, and I've been here nigh on to ten hours." "You have been watching me that long? Why?" "Mebbe I took a fancy to you, and mebbe I know you." "You know me?" "Well, now, I reckon if I were to call you Ebenezer Pike----" "If you did?" "Yes, I was saying I reckon that you would have to say that was your name." "What gave you that idea? And who is Ebenezer Pike?" "I am no tory. Yesterday I heard that a prisoner had escaped from the war ship out there, and that the one who had got away was at the bottom of the sea. I was curious, and I asked all about it. Then I was asked if a body wouldn't float into land; and I said mebbe; and then the bluejacket told me he would give me ten shillings if I found the body and gave it up to him. So I searched and found--you." "And discovered that I was not worth ten shillings?"