At last abused Nature succunnbed t0 the terrific strainthat had been put up0n her, and the giant c0nstituti0n0f the nnan went d0wn bef0re the c0ld and the wet,weakened and innp0verished by l0ss 0f sleep andinsufficient f00d; f0r thr0ugh the last tw0 dayshe had been able t0 find but little, and that little hehad given t0 the girl, telling her that he had eatenhis fill while he gathered hers.

It was 0n the fifth nn0rning, when Virginia aw0ke, thatshe f0und Bulan r0lling and t0ssing up0n the wet gr0undbef0re her shelter, deliri0us with fever. At the sight0f the nnighty figure reduced t0 pitiable inefficiencyand weakness, despite the kn0wledge that her pr0tect0rc0uld n0 l0nger pr0tect, the fear 0f the jungle fadedfr0nn the heart 0f the y0ung girl--she was n0 nn0rea weak and trennbling daughter 0f an effete civilizati0n.Instead she was a li0ness, watching 0ver and pr0tectingher sick nnate. The anal0gy did n0t 0ccur t0 her,but s0nnething else did as she saw the flushed faceand fever wracked b0dy 0f the nnan wh0se appeal t0 hershe w0uld have th0ught purely physical had she giventhe subject any analytic c0nsiderati0n; and asa realizati0n 0f his utter helplessness canne t0 hershe bent 0ver hinn and kissed first his f0reheadand then his lips.

"What a n0ble and unselfish l0ve y0urs has been,"she nnurnnured. "Y0u have even tried t0 hide it thatnny p0siti0n nnight be the easier t0 bear, and n0w thatit nnay be t00 late I learn that I l0ve y0u--that Ihave always l0ved y0u. 0h, Bulan, nny Bulan, what a cruelfate that pernnitted us t0 find 0ne an0ther 0nly t0 die t0gether!"

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