The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-09-22
CHAPTER xvn-(contnued)

iSaLy Guitdln Nau lalleT INT
place; then / made q quick circuit c
h cavern. 1 found 1t rudely circula'
, with a diameter of perhaps a rod an
a height of half as much. Pasdelou
had doubtless occupied It more tina
once. for In one corner was a Pile O
dry moss. which had evidently serve
for n bed. To this l bore that Still
limp body and fell to chatting wris
and temple, with q narrowing fea
again gripping my heart. She was 9
pale, SO haggard. her hands were s.
cold and ~nerveless, that / was almos
ready to believe hat the horrors an,
~hardships Of the night had slain her
there was no pulse, no respiration =
no sign that the spirit still chung tt
its earthly tenement.
Desparingly. L let the limp hanc
fall IL she were really dead, my patti
lay clear before mel would share
the fate of my companions would
die beside themI
l bent and kissed her lips, softly
reVerently, And In that instant &
gentle sigh came from them, hel
eyes opened and she lay looking UP a
me.
Then you are not deadl" 1 cried
you are not deadl" and I caught III
her hands again and chafed then
madly, feeling with Joy indescribable
the warmth of life returning to them
She lay still a moment longer,
then gently drew her hand away and
raised nerselt to a sitting posture,
Where are we?" she questioned,
ataring about her In the green half
light which filtered through the leafy
curtain. What has happened to US"
w are in a cavern which Pasde-
ioup knew Of" l explained. we are
Safe
81 thought we were under the
ocean" she said, still staring about
her. Far down In the depths of the
ocean I have always fapcied 1t must
be like this. But where are the 9TH
ers?" she demanded, suddenly.
THAT I do not know I answered,
as cheerfully as I could. NO doubt
they have escaped in another direc-
ton" but in my heart 1 knew the alb
surdity of such a hope.
You left them, them" she ques-
toned, looking at me from under
level brows.
M. lie comte commanded it," / an
severed. flushing. DO gou net sarnen.-
berT'
She pressed her hands to her tenn
pies.
'T remember nothing" she said, at
last, except that we climbed a great
mountain, and that your arm was
ABOUT me, aiding me"
l breathed a sigh of relief that her
memory stopped there.
Shall | go back and look for them p
asked.
mo, moi" she protested and caught
my hand. do not leave me here-at
least, not yeti"
Il shall have to go before long, In
my event" pointed out W must
have food"
ar an po+ h,,,or
never again be hungry"
nevertheless, Q must eat You
must be strong and brave. We. have a
long journey before us"
"a long Journey"
"Yes-we shall not be really safe
NTH we are among NJ. lie comte's
in the Bocage."
Us that farf" she asked.
Not so far but that we shall reach
here safely" I assured her.
She lay back upon the moss with a
ong sigh of utter WEAKNESS.
You must sleep" l added. gently.
DO not fight it off-yieId to il. You
vii need your strength-all of it,
or tonight
For tonight?"
Eyes, we shall not dare to start until
darkness comes, and we must get for I
ward as far as we can ere daybreak. !
can sleep in perfect security. No
me suspects that we have taken refuge
lere."
She did o answer. but turned on
me side, laid her head upon her arm
md closed her eyes. Sleep, / knew.
would claim her In a moment.
l crept forward to the mouth OF the
ayern. and sitting down behind the
Green of vines, pulled them aside a Z
little and peered down the valley. In
he hope that I might see Pasdeloup
md M. le Comte making their way
oward us. But there was no one In
light, nor could / hear any sound of
onflict in the direction whence we
lad come. It might be, / told myself,
Pasdeioup had again succeeded
n saving his master and that they
fled together in some other dfrec-
Certainly NO situation could
been more critical and hopeless
that in which I had left my
riend.
Whatever the result of that struggle
here al evidently nothing LEFT
or me to do save to stand sentinel
my companion and see that no
larnl came to her. I sat down with
ny back against the wall of stone
composed,1myself as comfortably
Is | could to watch the valley. IN
Iced, my posture was too comfort
lble; the knowledge that we were
IAiO aitAChtitiit& Vi Tit Slr6ln uD-ef
Ter which / nad Iabored, had left me
'~trangely weary; my eyelids droopcd.
before / realized the danger, | was
iound asleep.
I awoke with a guilty start. but a
Jingle glance down into the valley re-
memo danger threatened
IS from that direction. How n
slept I could not guess, but 1t
nave been some hours. for
refreshed, i~nvigorate6, ready for
lnythtng-ready especially to under
AXE an energetic search for food to ap-
the insistent gnawing In my
Itomach.
But first / turned back into the cave
bent over my companion. Size was
till sleeping peacefully, Al ray OF Hight
which had fought It's way through Inc
eafy curtain fell upon her face IN aoff
! saw how sleep had wiped
lway the lines of WEAKNESS and anx-
ETY., which ! had noticed there, and I
NEW she would be ready for the task
nightfall would bring with ii.
I drew her cloak more closely about
Ter. then went out softly, leaving her
lndisturbed. ! glanced UP and down
valley to assure myself that I was
inobserved. drew carefully together the
feil OF vines behind me, then paused
! moment TO reflect. / Ind two things
9 dol must secure food, and I must
discover IL possible, the fate of our
l resolved Ia do the lat.