JIMCRACK AND THE JUMBIES. 169 



intuitively perceptive of my wishes, and desirous of 

 serving me by day and by night. 



He was greatly concerned about my health, and, 

 finding him expert in nursing and a master in the art 

 of simples and native remedies for fever, I resigned 

 myself unreservedly into his charge. The quinine 

 the mate had given me as I left the vessel now came 

 into use, but his strong reliance was in a decoction of 

 herbs, administered every few hours, which broke the 

 fever and eventually cured me. Finding some wild 

 limes in the woods, he made me drink freely of an 

 infusion, and rubbed me down every night with rum 

 and lime leaves, finally bringing me out well, and 

 rapidly regaining my strength, at the end of a week. 



That was a week of happy surprises, and the first 

 one cleared up a mystery. We were conversing in 

 my doorway one day about dusk, when I heard a 

 flutter of wings and a chatter of parrot voices, which 

 told me that Polly Psittacus had returned from a pro- 

 tracted visit somewhere with his mate. I thought he 

 would, of course, fly directly to me and tell me all 

 about his trip, as usual with him after a long absence ; 

 but instead, to my great astonishment, he landed on 

 Friday's shoulder with a loud shriek of " Ned, Ned, 

 hullo Ned ! " ignoring me entirely. 



Friday was more than astonished, he was terrified. 

 " Goodness, massa, wha' dis a bud come from ? " he 

 ejaculated. " 'Clar to gracious if it ain't old ' Jim- 

 crack,' who useter lib wiv us at ' Betsy's Hope ' fo' 

 mo'n twenty year." 



Polly was so delighted that he seemed unable to 

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