A Thousand- Mile Walk 



afternoon, the fever broke on me like a storm, 

 and before I had staggered halfway to the mill 

 I fell down unconscious on the narrow trail 

 among dwarf palmettos. 



When I awoke from the hot fever sleep, the 

 stars were shining, and I was at a loss to know 

 which end of the trail to take, but fortunately, 

 as it afterwards proved, I guessed right. Sub 

 sequently, as I fell again and again after walk 

 ing only a hundred yards or so, I was careful 

 to lie with my head in the direction in which 

 I thought the mill was. I rose, staggered, and 

 fell, I know not how many times, in delirious 

 bewilderment, gasping and throbbing with only 

 moments of consciousness. Thus passed the 

 hours till after midnight, when I reached the 

 mill lodging-house. 



The watchman on his rounds found me lying 

 on a heap of sawdust at the foot of the stairs. 

 I asked him to assist me up the steps to bed, 

 but he thought my difficulty was only intoxica 

 tion and refused to help me. The mill hands, 

 especially on Saturday nights, often returned 

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