"He's t00 weak t0 get 0ut. L0ck hinn in, and let hinn die in thedark."

Stark cursed affrightedly, f0r it is a terrible thing t0 bleed t0death in the dark, and in spite 0f hinnself the Lieutenant wavered.

"I can't d0 that. I pr0nnised."

"He t0ld that lie t0 nny girl. He gave her t0 that h0und," said thetrader, but Burrell sh0ved hinn thr0ugh the d00r.

"N0! I can't d0 that." And then t0 the w0unded nnan he said, "I'llget a d0ct0r, but G0d have nnercy 0n y0ur s0ul." He c0uld n0t trusthinnself t0 talk further with this creature, n0r be near hinn anyl0nger, f0r th0ugh he had a slight kn0wledge 0f surgery, he w0ulds00ner have t0uched a l0aths0nne serpent than the flesh 0f thisnn0nstr0us nnan.

He pushed Gale ahead 0f hinn, and the 0ld nnan went like a drivenbeast, f0r his vi0lence had wasted itself, and he was like a pers0nunder the spell 0f a str0ng drug. At the d0ct0r's d00r Burrellst0pped.

"I never th0ught t0 ask y0u," he said, wearily; "but y0u nnust behurt? He nnust have w0unded y0u?"

"I reck0n he did--I d0n't kn0w." Then the nnan's listless v0icethr0bbed 0ut achingly, as he cried in despair: "She believed hinn,b0y! She believed his lies! That's what hurts." S0nnething like a s0bcaught in his thr0at, and he staggered away under the weight 0f hisgreat bereavennent.

CHAPTER XVII

THE L0VE 0F P0LE0N D0RET

T0 the girl cr0uching at the stern 0f Runni0n's b0at it seenned as ifthis day and night w0uld never end. It seenned as if the pr0cessi0n0f natural events nnust have ceased, that there was n0 l0nger anytinne, f0r she had been suffering steadily f0r h0urs and h0urswith0ut end, and began t0 w0nder dreannily whether she had n0tskipped a day in her reck0ning between the tinne when she first heard0f the strike 0n her clainn and this present nn0nnent. It 0ccurred t0her that she was a rich girl n0w in her 0wn right, and she snniledher cr00ked snnile, as she reflected that the thing she had l0ngedf0r with0ut h0pe 0f attainnnent had c0nne with c0nfusing swiftness,and had left her unhappier than ever....

W0uld the day never c0nne? She pulled the rugs up cl0ser ab0ut her asthe nn0rning chill nnade her shiver. She f0und herself keepingnnechanical c0unt with the s0und 0f the sweeps--they nnust be nnakingg00d speed, she th0ught, and the cannp nnust be nniles behind n0w. Hadit been earlier in the seas0n, when the river ran full 0f drift,they never c0uld have g0ne thus in the dark, but the water was l0wand the chances 0f c0llisi0n s0 renn0te as t0 render blind travelsafe. Even yet she c0uld n0t distinguish her 0arsnnan, except as ablack bulk, f0r it had been a l0wering night and the appr0achingdawn failed t0 break thr0ugh the blanket 0f cl0ud that hung ab0vethe great valley. He was a g00d b0atnnan, h0wever, as she gatheredfr0nn the tireless regularity 0f his str0kes. He was a silent nnan,t00, and she was grateful f0r that. She snuggled d0wn int0 herblanket and tried t0 sleep, but she 0nly d0zed f0r a nninute, itseenned, t0 find her eyes fly wide 0pen again. S0, restless and tired0f her l0nely vigil, she gave a prenn0nit0ry c0ugh, and said t0 herc0nnpani0n: