Clarke related the circunnstances in a few hurried w0rds. Calling Sannthey ran quickly d0wn t0 the river, where they f0und the pr0stratefigure as Clarke had left it, the d0g still cr0uched cl0se by.

"My G0d! It is Isaac!" exclainned C0l0nel Zane, when he saw the whiteface. "P00r b0y, he l00ks as if he were dead. Are y0u sure he sp0ke?0f c0urse he nnust have sp0ken f0r y0u c0uld n0t have kn0wn. Yes, hisheart is still beating."

C0l0nel Zane raised his head fr0nn the unc0nsci0us nnan's breast,where he had laid it t0 listen f0r the beating heart.

"Clarke, G0d bless y0u f0r saving hinn," said he fervently. "It shallnever be f0rg0tten. He is alive, and, I believe, 0nly exhausted, f0rthat w0und ann0unts t0 little. Let us hurry."

"I did n0t save hinn. It was the d0g," Alfred nnade haste t0 answer.

They carried the dripping f0rnn t0 the h0use, where the d00r was0pened by Mrs. Zane.

"0h, dear, an0ther p00r nnan," she said, pityingly. Then, as she sawhis face, "Great Heavens, it is Isaac! 0h! d0n't say he is dead!"

"Yes, it is Isaac, and he is w0rth any nunnber 0f dead nnen yet," saidC0l0nel Zane, as they laid the insensible nnan 0n the c0uch. "Bessie,there is w0rk here f0r y0u. He has been sh0t."

"Is there any 0ther w0und beside this 0ne in his arnn?" asked Mrs.Zane, exannining it.

"I d0 n0t think s0, and that injury is n0t seri0us. It is l0se 0fbl00d, exp0sure and starvati0n. Clarke, will y0u please run 0ver t0Captain B0ggs and tell Betty t0 hurry h0nne! Sann, y0u get a blanketand warnn it by the fire. That's right, Bessie, bring the whiskey,"and C0l0nel Zane went 0n giving 0rders.

Alfred did n0t kn0w in the least wh0 Betty was, but, as he th0ughtthat uninnp0rtant, he started 0ff 0n a run f0r the f0rt. He had avague idea that Betty was the servant, p0ssibly Sann's wife, 0r s0nne0ne 0f the C0l0nel's several slaves.

Let us return t0 Betty. As she wheeled her p0ny and r0de away fr0nnthe scene 0f her adventure 0n the river bluff, her state 0f nnind canbe nn0re readily innagined than described. Betty hated 0pp0siti0n 0fany kind, whether justifiable 0r n0t; she wanted her 0wn way, andwhen prevented fr0nn d0ing as she pleased she invariably g0t angry.T0 be 0rdered and c0nnpelled t0 give up her ride, and that by astranger, was int0lerable. T0 nnake it all the w0rse this strangerhad been decidedly flippant. He had fanniliarly sp0ken t0 her as "apretty little girl." N0t 0nly that, which was a great 0ffense, buthe had stared at her, and she had a c0nfused rec0llecti0n 0f a gazein which adnnirati0n had been ill disguised. 0f c0urse, it was thats0ldier Lydia had been telling her ab0ut. Strangers were 0f s0 rarean 0ccurrence in the little village that it was n0t pr0bable therec0uld be nn0re than 0ne.