Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1913-07-18
CHAPTER Discontinued.

Hand already, earlier In the day,
had made a path for himself up the
bteep bank through the underbrush,
and now Agatha went with him to
the edge Of the thicket. She watched
and listened until the faint rustling
of his footsteps ceased, then turned
back to the camp on the beach. She
went to the fire and stirred up Its
Goals once more before returning to
4an,es. He was sleeping. but his
flushed face and unnatural breathing
were signs of i'll. Now and then he
moved restlessly, or seemed to try to
speak, but no coherent words came.
She sat down to watch by him.
After Agatha and James had been
brought ashore by the capable MI.
Hand, It had needed only time to
bring Agatha back to consciousness.
Both she and James had practically
tainted from exhaustion, and James
had been nearly drowned, at the last
minute. Agatha had been left on the
rocks to come to herself as she would
while Hand had rubbed and pun
meled James until the blood flowed
lagain. It had flowed too freely, in
ldeed, at some time during his ordeal;
lend tiny trickles Of blood showed on
hts lips. Agatha, dazed and aching.
WAS trying to crawl up to the sand
when Hand came back to her, run
ming lightly over the slippery rocks.
They had come in on the flowing tide,
which had aided them greatly: and
Mcw Hand helped her the short dis
lance t. the cove and mercifully let
her lie, while he went back to his
work for James.
Later he had got a little bucket.
used for bailing out the rowboat, and
dashed hurriedly into the thicket
hbove after some tinkling cowbells
him, Agatha supposed he had tied one
lof the cows to a tree. since he re-
turned threv or four times to fill the
pail What a wonderful life-giver
milk was! She had drunk her fill
and had tried to feed 1t to James,
who at first tasted eagerly. but had
on the whole. taken very little. He
was only parUy awake. but he shiv-
Aeed and weakly murmured that he
was cold. Agatha quickly grew
stl onger; and she and Hand set to
work to prepare the fire and the bed.
Almost while they were at this labor,
khe sun had gone down.
Sitting by Jim's couch, Agatha grew
sleepy and cold. but. there were no
pver Jim. and a. Agatha herself felt
No cold more xeenly she tucked 1t
Eloser about him. Alone as she was
now. in solitude with this man who
had saved her from the waters, with
I1arkness and the night again coming
isn. her spirit skrank; not SO much
from fear. as from that premonitiou
pf the future which now and then
nssails the human heart. :.
A. she knelt by Jim's side, cover.
Ing his feet with the coat and heaping
the fir boughs over him. she paused
10 1ock at his unconscious face She
knew now th2t he did not belong to
We crew OF the Jeanne DArc; but
Be his outward circumstances she
mew nothing mere. Thirty she
guessed him to be. thereby coming
within four years of the truth. Ills
phort paustache concealed his mouth,
and his eyes were closed. 1t was
almost like looking at the mask of
j face. The rough beard of a week.
trowth made q deep shadow over the
lower part of his face; and yet. be-
Mind the mask. she thought she could
~ some token Of real man, not
without his attributes of divinity. In
HE ordeal of the night before he had
blown the highest order Of patience.
endurance and courage, together with
, sweetness Of temper that was ttsslf