Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-04-23
CHAPTER VII.

De dH HltOlefdDte torment. bul Ddu ~;
this may be it can be nothing in com
parison with the pains l suffered from
the same cause as l recovered my
senses. My brain seemed to he n cavern
into which each moment. with Il rhyth-
mical regularity which added the pangs
of anticipation TO those of reality, the
sea rushed. booming and laundering
EARRING every nerve and Strainlng the
walls to bursting and making each mo
ment of consciousness a vivid agony
And this lasted long-how long 1 cam
not say But 1t had subsidized some
what when | first opened my yes and
duly. not daring to move my head,
looked up.
l was lying on my back. About a
foot from my eyes were rough beams
of wood disclosed by IL smoky yellow
light, which flickered on the knotholes
and rude joists. The light swayed to
and fro regularly. and this adding To
my pain | closed my eyes with a moan.
Then some one came to me, II l heard
voices which sounded a long way off
and promptly fell again into Il deep
sleep. troubled still. but less painfully,
by the same rhythmical shocks, the
same dull crashinss in my brain.
When l awoke again, l had sense To
know what caused this and where |
was-in a berth on board ship. The
noise which had so troubled me was
the wave beating against her forelock,
The beams so close to my face formed
the deck; The smoky light came from
the ships lantern swinging on Il hook.
l tried to turn. Some one came again,
and with gentle hands arranged my pill
low and presently began to feed me
will, a spoon. When 1 had swallowed
a few mouthfuls. L gained strength to
turn.
Who was this feeding me? The light
WAC sf hnp. Vnn NJ ntn - IA
a short while 1 took her for Petronilla.
my thoughts going back at one bound
TO Cotton and skipping all that hap
pened since 1 left home. But as
grew stronger l grew clearer, and re-
calling bit by bit what had happened in
the beat 1 recognized Mistress Anne.
tried TO murlnur thanks. but she laid
q DOL finger on my lips and shook
her head. smiling on me. You must
not talk. she murmured. you are
getting We'll. Now go to sleep again"
shut my eyes at once as a child
might. Another interval of unconscious
ness, painless this time, followed. and
again awoke l was lying ON my side
now. and without moving could see the
whole of the tiny cabin. The lantern
stiti hung and smoked. But the light
was steady now, and I heard no splash
ing without nor the dull ~groaning and
creaking of the timbers within. There
a quiet which seemed bliss to
me. n l lay wrapped in IL. my
thoughts growing clearer and clearer
each moment.
On q sea chest at the farther end of
the cnbin were sitting two people en-
gagged in talk. The one, a oma i
recognized Immediately. The gray eyes
full of command. the handsome fca-
lures. the reddish brown hair and grac-
Gus figure left me in no doubt, even
for r. moment that r 1Nnlyo1 r, Ny;%,1..
h sharer of her seat was
q tall thin man. with a thoughtful face
and dreamy. rather melancholy eyes.
One of her hands rested on his knee.
and her lips as she talked were close
to his ear. A little aside, sitting on
the lowest step Of The ladder which
led TO the deck, her head leaning
against the timbers and a cloak about
her. was mistress Anne.
tried to speak n after more than
m effort found my voice. where am
II" whispered. My head ached sadly.
n l fancied. though I was too languid
to raise my hand to 1t, that it was
nandaged: Ny mind was so far clear
that 1 remembered Master Clarence
and his pursuit and the fight in the
boats and knew that we ought to be
on our way to prison. Who. then. was
the mild. comely gentleman whose
length of limb made the cabin seem
smaller than 1t was? Not a jailer sure
iy? Yet who else?
per, but faint as my voice was thev
all heard me and looked up. "Anne!S
h elder lady cried sharply.
by her tone to direct the other to nj.
tend to me. Yet was she herself the
nrst 70 rise and come and lay her HAND
on my 6row. Al. the fever is gomez
sne SAID. speaking apparently to the
gentleman who kept his seat, ..His
mead IL quite cool. He will do well now
! am sure. Do you know me?" she
continued. leaning owe me.
/ looked up into her eyes and READ
only kindness. Yes" I mutterad Ru1
n effort of looking was so painful thai
closed my eyes again. with a sigh,
nevertheless my memory OF the e
wnlcn nad gone before my illness grew
thing which should have been at my
Where is-where is my sword -
] made shift to whisper.
She laughed. ..Show 1t to him Anne .
said. What a never die Il il,
There. master knight Grant we did
not forget to bring 1t of the field. YOU
you sscapes: / saw Hs' that there nno ws, d nd
question OF a prison. Her laugh was
gay. her voice full of content.
mat Is q long story" she
kindly. Are you well enough to hea,
1T You think you are: Then take
a Philip striking you on the head
with. an oar as Q got up? No? We'll
ieswas q cOwardly stroke. but II sfnnI
him In little stead, for we had driffed
IN the excitement OF the race. under III.
stern Of the ship which . remembe,
eeei1g q little before. There wer.
Engii.n seaInen on her. n when the.