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-