Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-04-16
CHAPTER Discontinued.


Hand already, earlier In the day,
had made a path for himself up the
steep bank through the underbrush,
and now Agatha went with him TIC
the edge OF the thicket. She watched
and listened until the faint rustIing
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
james. He was sleeping, but his
aiushed face and unnatural breathing
were signs OF ILL., Now and then he
moved restlessly, or seemed to try to
lspeak, but no coherent words came.
she sat down to watch by him.
After Agatha and James had been
lbrought ashore by the capable Mr..
Hand. 1t had needed only time to
bring Agatha back to consciousness.
Both she and James had practically
fairted from exhaustion, and James
had been nearly drowned, at the last
pxinute. Agatha had been left on the
wocks to come to herself as she would,
" hIle Hand had rubbed and pun
rmeled James until the blood flowed
again. It had flowed too freely, In
deed, at some time during his ordeal;
and tiny trickles of blood showed on
his 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
now Hand helped her the short dis
.tance to 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
above after some tinkling cowbells
Though she was too tired to question
him, Agatha supposed he had tied one
of the cows to a tree since he re-
turned three or four times to fill the
pail. What a wonderful life-giver
milk was! She had drunk her fill
and had tried to feed It to James,
who at first tasted eagerly. but had
on the whole, taken very little. He
was only partly awake, but he shiv-
cred and weakly murmured that he
was cold. Agatha quickly grew
ST. onger; and she and Hand set to
work to prepare the fire and the bed.
Almost while they were at this labor,
the sun had gone down.
Sitting by Jim's couch, Agatha grew
sleepy and cold, bot there were no
more coverings. Hands coat was
over jim, and as Agatha herself felt
the cold more keenly she tucked it
closer about him. Alone as she was
now, in solitude with this man who
had saved her from the waters, with
darkness and the night again coming
on. her spirit shrank; not so much
from fear as from that premonition
OF the future which now and then
Rssails the human heart
AS she knelt by Jim's side, cover
ing his feet with the coat and heaping
the fir boughs over him, she paused
10 look at his unconscious face. She !
knew now that he did noc belong to
the crew OF the Jeanne Dare; but !
of his outward circumstances she |
knew nothing more. Thirty she
guessed him to be, thereby coming
within four years of the truth. His
short mustache concealed his mouth, |
and his eyes were closed. 1t was
almost like looking at the mask of
4 face. The rough beard of a weeks |
growth made deep shadow over the |
lower part of his face; and yet, be-
hind the mask, she thought she could |
see some token of a real man. not
without his attributes of divinity. In
the ordeal of the night before he had /
shown the highest order of patience, /
endurance and courage. together with /
sweetness of temper that was itself