Geordie's grief and rage were beyond even his Scotch control. He spoke
few words, but these were of such concentrated vehemence that no one
felt the need of Abe's assistance in vocabulary.
Poor Billy! We carried him to Mrs. Mavor's home; put him in a warm bath,
rolled him in blankets, and gave him little sips of hot water, then of
hot milk and coffee; as I had seen a clever doctor in the hospital treat
a similar case of nerve and heart depression. But the already weakened
system could not recover from the awful shock of the exposure following
the debauch; and on Sunday afternoon we saw that his heart was failing
fast. All day the miners had been dropping in to inquire after him, for
Billy had been a great favourite in other days, and the attention of the
town had been admiringly centred upon his fight of these last weeks. It
was with no ordinary sorrow that the news of his condition was received.
As Mrs. Mavor sang to him, his large coarse hands moved in time to the
music, but he did not open his eyes till he heard Mr.
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