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He took a deep breath, and began to take out the s materials They had used all his made flies, and if he ot ready

"Can I help?" Willie didn’t wait for permission, but scooted around the fire, to sit beside him Without comment, he pushed the small wooden box of birds’ feathers toward the boy, and picked a fishhook from the piece of cork that held the only to admire a completed Silver Doctor or Broo Willie soon tired of the exacting work, though, and laid down his half-done Green Whisker, asking nu, the forest, the Red Indians they were going to see

"No," Jamie said in answer to one such "I’ve never seen a scalp in the village They’re verra kindly folk, for the most part Do one soe for it" He shlanders in that regard"

"Grandun statement choked off abruptly Ja fiercely on the half-ht accounted for

"Like rabbits?" Jamie let both irony and slance in his direction

"Scottish fae, aye" Jamie plucked a wren’s down feather froainst the shank of his hook "We think children a blessing"

The bright color was fading frohter

"I see Have you got a lot of children yourself, Mr Fraser?"

Jareat many," he said, eyes fixed on the mottled leaves

"I’lanced up to see Willie gone red again, one hand crushing the half-tied fly

"Think what?" he said, puzzled

Willie took a deep breath

"Well--the…the…sickness; the measles I didn’t see any children, but I didn’t think when I said that…I mean…that maybe you had soly "My daughter’s grown; she’ll be living far away in Boston this long while"

"Oh" Willie let out his breath, tremendously relieved "That’s all?"

The fallen down-featherits presence in the shadows Jaently froround

"No, I’ve a son, too," he said, eyes on the hook that had somehow embedded its barb in his thu h he’s away fro, Ian was glassy-eyed and hot to the touch He sat up on his pallet to greet ly, his eyes unfocused I didn’t have the slightest doubt, but looked in his nostic Koplik’s spots shohite against the dark pink h the skin of his neck was still fair and childlike under his hair, it showed a harht," I said, resigned "You’ve got it You’d best come up to the house so I can take care of youto die, then?" he asked He seemed only mildly interested, his attention concentrated on so that I was right "Feeling pretty bad, though, are you?"

"My head hurts a bit," he said I could see that it did; his broere drawn together, and he squinted at even so diht as that provided by , too, I thought as I watched him make his unsteady way down the ladder froood eight inches taller than I, and outweighed me by at least thirty pounds

It was nofroot hiet out of bed, but I waved hi Ian heavily on a stool "I canon the trundle bed; it was already made up with sheets, quilt, and pillow I peeled Ian out of his breeks and stockings, and tucked him up at once He was flushed and clammy-cheeked, and looked much sicker than he had done in the di was dark and arolancing as I did so at Lord John

"I’d meant this for you," I said "But if you could stand to wait…"

"By all ive it to the lad," he said, with a dish?"

I thought of suggesting that if he really wanted to be helpful, he could walk to the privy rather than use the chamber pot--which I would have to empty--but I could see that he wasn’t yet in any condition to be wandering round outside at night by hi Williaht was his re parent--to be eaten by bears, let alone take pneumonia

So I merely shook my head politely, and knelt by the trundle to adh to make faces and co Still, the headache was obviously very bad; the line between his broas fixed and sharp as though it had been carved there with a knife