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 ro§e, 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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