Part 35 (1/2)
Clayton interrupted him ”Stop!” he cried ”Stop! What ood woman e believe dead! God! I was a fool ever to let you live--you are not fit to live even in this vile land”
”Here is your water,” said the Russian ”All you will get,” and he raised the basin to his lips and drank; as left he threw out upon the ground below Then he turned and left the sickhis face in his arave up the battle
The next day Thuran deter the coast, for he knew that eventually he must come to the habitations of civilized men--at least he could be no worse off than he was here, and, further on his nerves So he stole Clayton's spear and set off upon his journey He would have killed the sick man before he left had it not occurred to him that it would really have been a kindness to do so
That same day he came to a little cabin by the beach, and his heart filled with renewed hope as he saw this evidence of the proxiht it but the outpost of a nearby settleed, and that its oas at that very moment but a few miles inland, Nikolas Rokoff would have fled the place as he would a pestilence But he did not know, and so he remained for a few days to enjoy the security and comparative comforts of the cabin
Then he took up his northward journey onceforward to build permanent quarters, and then to send out an expedition of a few men to the north in search of relief
As the days had passed without bringing the longed-for succor, hope that Jane Porter, Clayton, and Monsieur Thuran had been rescued began to die No one spoke of the er to Professor Porter, and he was so i that he was not aware of the elapse of time
Occasionally he would remark that within a few days they should certainly see a steamer drop anchor off their shore, and that then they should all be reunited happily Someti delayed by snowstorms
”If I didn't know the dear old felloell by now,” Tennington re, ”I should be quite certain that he was--er--not quite right, don't you know” ”If it were not so pathetic it would be ridiculous,” said the girl, sadly ”I, who have known him all my life, knoorshi+ps Jane; but to others it must seem that he is perfectly callous to her fate It is only that he is so absolutely i as death unless nearly certain proof of it is thrust upon hiuess what he was about yesterday,” continued Tennington
”I was co rapidly along the ga back to ca black coat, and his top hat was set firround he hastened on, probably to some sudden death had I not intercepted him
”'Why, where in the world are you bound, professor?' I asked hiton,' he said, as seriously as possible, 'to complain to the post from here Why, sir, I haven't had a piece of mail in weeks There should be several letters for ton at once'
”And would you believe it, Miss Strong,” continued Tennington, ”I had the very deuce of a job to convince the old fellow that there was not only no rural free delivery, but no town, and that he was not even on the saton, nor in the same hemisphere
”When he did realize he cohter--I think it is the first time that he really has appreciated our position here, or the fact that Miss Porter may not have been rescued”
”I hate to think about it,” said the girl, ”and yet I can think of nothing else than the absent members of our party”
”Let us hope for the best,” replied Tennington ”You yourself have set us each a splendid exareatest”
”Yes,” she replied; ”I could have loved Jane Porter no ton did not show the surprise he felt That was not at all what he hter of Maryland since the wreck of the LADY ALICE, and it had recently corown ood for the peace of his mind, for he recalled almost constantly now the confidence which Monsieur Thuran had ied He wondered if, after all, Thuran had been quite accurate in his stateirl's part of more than ordinary friendshi+p
”And then in Monsieur Thuran's loss, if they are lost, you would suffer a severe bereavement,” he ventured
She looked up at him quickly ”Monsieur Thuran had become a very dear friend,” she said ”I liked hih I have known hied to marry him?” he blurted out ”Heavens, no!” she cried ”I did not care for hi that Lord Tennington wanted to say to Hazel Strong--he wanted very badly to say it, and to say it at once; but somehow the words stuck in his throat He started lamely a couple of times, cleared his throat, beca that he hoped the cabins would be finished before the rainy season coh he did not know it, he had conveyed to the girl the very e he intended, and it left her happy--happier than she had ever before been in all her life
Just then further conversation was interrupted by the sight of a strange and terrible-looking figure which eton and the girl saw it at the salishman reached for his revolver, but when the half-naked, bearded creature called his na toward them he dropped his hand and advanced to nized in the filthy, earment of small skins, the immaculate Monsieur Thuran the party had last seen upon the deck of the LADY ALICE