"So there I was alone with my boy, for hardly a man of Jan's company
was left and not many of the whole ridgment, while what there was of
them was mostly sick. 'Twas lucky that I had money, or I can't think
what I should have done. But the worst was that my boy remained just
the same as he was. I showed mun to the doctors, and they took blood
from mun once and wanted to take more, but I wouldn't have that, for
I'd a-seen what they was with their lancets if they was let alone; and
at last they telled me that his mind was gone and wouldn't never come
back. But he grew stronger in his body after a bit, and I was able to
take mun abroad; and though he liked the sound of the drums he was a
bit frightened at the sight of a red coat, for fear that it should be a
sarjint, and if it was a sarjint he would run like a rabbit. So I was
obliged to move away as soon as I could; but go where I would there was
no peace, for he'd a-lost his speech except some few sounds, and I
couldn't let mun run with other children, for they always make sport of
such poor things as he. So for a long time we wandered from place to
place, getting little but hard words, though the boy was happy enough,
I believe; for living in the air as we did he took up with every bird
and every beast that he could find, and they seem to know mun for a
friend. Many was the young one that he took and made so tame as could
be.
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