morning air, silent and awe-stricken. "I saw an Indian * sweat-house ' near the river-bank after we had encamped last night. We'll fumigate it, and g^ve your father a thorough steaming, children. Don't be frightened. He's caught the mountain fever. Luckily, I have on hand a lot of crude brimstone. I gathered it near Hell Gate."
"But we mustn't use the sweat-house without the consent of the Indians," said Scotty. "Yonder comes a lot of them on horseback now. I'll see them and make terms."
The terms having been arranged satisfactorily, the Little Doctor proceeded to make preparations for the reception of her patient.
When the inner surface of the dugout had reached a white heat, the fire was permitted to die, and the place was cleansed of coals and ashes. It was then tested by a thermometer; and when cooled to the proper temperature, the Captain, now almost incoherent from fever, was wrapped in blankets and placed, feet foremost, within its depths, where he lay with his head enveloped with cold, wet towels, leaving only a small aperture at the mouth of the "infernal pit," as he called it, for air. Thus situated, and perspiring at every pore, he fell asleep.
A delicious, restful languor followed his awakening, and he was aroused, against his protest, to be removed by willing attendants to a closed tent, where he was packed in cold, wet sheets, and left to rest for another hour or more.
"His heart has good action, and he'll come out all right; but we can't break camp to-day," said the Little Doctor.
By evening the Captain found his fever conquered. But xhe was not strong enough to ride back to his brother's trading-post for the amicable interview he had planned; so, like most of our ships that pass in the night," his opportunity was gone; and as time wore on, his good resolutions vanished also.
