THE WEST SHORE. 115 At last, however, I grew bo exhausted with my long, unbroken run, that I almost ceased to think, and bent all my energies to the task of keeping up phys ical locomotion. Heart and brain were throbbing painfully, every vein in my body seemed flowing with molten metal, and my breath was coming in quick, short gasps. Dark shadows seemed to settle before my eyes, and when I tried to scan the trail ahead, trees and rocks were mingled in one quivering, indis tinguishable mass. At last, came the moment when the limit of physical endurance was reached, and I sank to the ground. Whether it was seconds, or minutes, that elapsed before I lifted my head and drew a free breath, I can not say. When I did so, I glanced instinctively up the trail. About a hundred yards ahead, was the narrow pass around the jutting crag, where poor Mor ris had lost his life. I gazed at it now, in my help lessness, with a certain vindictiveness of feeling, re flecting that it was the fatal spot whence had sprung the seedling shoot af all this entanglement Gradually, as my vision cleared, lesser objects be came visible, and suddenly a wild thrill ran through me, as I made out the outlines of a man's figure, qui etly seated on a rock, a few steps from the pass. True, I had no assurance that the figure was that of Roy Mason, but my heart told me it was-it must be. Struggling to my feet, scarcely able to stand, but buoyed up by the most intense nervous excitement I have ever experienced, I endeavored to run toward him, shouting, hoarsely, " Morris! Morris! " and ges ticulating to attract his attention. Even in that ex citing moment, I had sufficient presence of mind to remember that the cabin was in close proximity, and it would be unsafe to shout his own name upon the rarified mountain air. To my joy, ho turned at the first sound of my voice, and rose to his feet in a slow, wondering way, as if struck with astonishment at my queer conduct At the same instant I sank again to my knees, unable to take another step. Rut I beck oned him wildly, and frantically shouted: "Come here! In heaven's name, come here!" lift RtArtpd toward me instantly, but had scarcely taken three steps, when around the crag came another form bounding into view. It was Uayara. Jiynean sank, for I knew that Rayard never started down the trail except in the capacity of advance guard for his mUh For one brief instant the noble, mtelli- gent animal paused, with his eyes fixed on the unex ,vi flmirA tnrn him. then, with a cry of almost human joy, he sprang forward and leaped frantically about his long-lost master, making use, 1 think, of the entire canine vocabulary of barks, whines, kin and tail wags, to give expression to the joy that over whelmed him. Again I shouted to Mason in a frenzy of anxiety, and strove to rise to my feet; but ho was on his knees now, with his arms around the old dog's neck, and did not hear me. Then, in a moment more, two other forms came into view around the crag. I saw Edith Mason pause, and stand, for one instant, as if turned to stone; then, without a word or gesture, sho fell to the ground. Seeing, that, despite all my of forts, the worst had cone, .and I could do no more, the intenso strain of nervous excitement that hail up- held me thus far, suddenly snapped asunder, and I gave myself up to an interval of welcome, restful ob livion. I wish to say hero parenthetically, as it were that never before nor since that day havo I been guilty of the unmanly weakness of swooning; and to add, in self justification, that it was more the stupor induced by extreme physical exhaustion, than laxity or nerv ous force. When consciousness returned, I found Roy Mason bending over mo, dribbling water in my eyes and down my neck, from an old oyster can that tho poor fellow had picked up on tho bank ol tho stream. .1 sat up and grasped both his hands in mine, but all I could say was, " Where is sho? " Ho sprang up at tho words, and nodded in tho di rection of tho cabin. " Do all you can for her, Rlako," ho said, huskily, as he turned away, " I'm off for a doctor." He bounded away down tho trail, I calling afUr him: " There's a doctor in Yum Yum now. Ask at tho post office, and they'll tell you where to find him." Then I mado my way, in rather a stifMegged man ner, to tho cabin, whero I found Edith Mwon lying on my led, still and white, in a swoon so doath-liko that I thought it was dwith until I lent over and felt a faint-ob, so faintl-littlo flutter in tho region of tho heart Poor Hack Martha was working dejxir. ately to restore tho flitting life-lrcath, and iguomUll my questions and auggpstions as utterly as a stono imago might have done. Martha was not, at any time, much given to speech. All that I had ever heard from her lips was an occasional monosyllable, in reply to a direct question. Now, however, I found that I could not frame a question so directly as to elicit a reply. Only ono cipresition of h Ming did sho vouchsafe me, and that sho did ly straightening up her Amazonian figaro once, and filing hr great, roll ing, Hack eyes on me, with an eiprnisiun that mado mo feel liko a dr rtrctM murderer. I shrank away, and stood around ouUido tho cabin, in a miamblo state of mind, until Matm and the doctor arrived. After that came another half hour of suijxw, while tho physician mado his examination and tried hU re-