He tumbled back into his
punt, and pushed off vigorously. I watched him land, and disappear in
the direction of the village.
Half an hour passed, but Jimmy did not return. No one felt sufficiently
energetic to go after him. We had only just strength enough to sit still
and feebly abuse him. At the end of an hour we were all feeling very
much better. At the end of an hour and a half we were glad he had not
returned when he ought to have, and were only curious as to what had
become of him.
In the evening, strolling through the village, we saw him sitting by the
open door of his mother's cottage, with a shawl wrapped round him. He
was looking worn and ill.
"Why, Jimmy," I said, "what's the matter? Why didn't you come back this
morning?"
"I couldn't, sir," Jimmy answered, "I was so queer. Mother made me go to
bed."
"You seemed all right in the morning," I said; "what's made you queer?"
"What Mr. Jones give me, sir: it upset me awful."
A light broke in upon me.
"What did you say, Jimmy, when you got to Mr. Jones's shop?" I asked.
"I told 'im what you said, sir, that 'e was to give me something to
counteract the effects of vegetable poisoning. And that it was to be
very strong, and enough for four."
"And what did he say?"
"'E said that was only your nonsense, sir, and that I'd better have
enough for one to begin with; and then 'e asked me if I'd been eating
green apples again.
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