CHAPTER XVL
HECTOR HINTS AT A DISCOVERY.

HE next day after Hector’s visit, Willie went
to see how he was, and found him better.

“JT certainly am better,” he said, “and what.’s
more, I’ve got a strange feeling it was that drink
of water you gave me yesterday that has done it.
I’m coming up to have some more of it in the
evening, if you ‘ll give it me.”

“As much of it as you can drink, Hector, any-
how,” said Willie. “You won't drink my cow
dry.” :

“T wonder if it could be the water,” said Hector,
musingly.

“My father says people used to think it cured
them. That was some hundreds of years ago; but
if it did so then, I don’t see why it shouldn’t now.
My mother is certainly better, but whether that
began since we found the well, I can’t be very
sure. For Tibbie—she is -always drinking at it,
she says it does her a world of good.”

“T’ve read somewhere,” said the shoemaker,
“that wherever there’s a hurt there’s a help; and