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The　Russian　came　to　the　entrance　to　Clayton's　room；　a

dish　of　water　in　his　hand。　　A　nasty　grin　contorted　his　features。



〃Here　is　water；〃　he　said。　　〃But　first　let　me　remind　you　that

you　maligned　me　before　the　girlthat　you　kept　her　to

yourself；　and　would　not　share　her　with　me〃



Clayton　interrupted　him。　　〃Stop！〃　he　cried。　　Stop！

What　manner　of　cur　are　you　that　you　traduce　the　character

of　a　good　woman　whom　we　believe　dead！　　God！　　I　was　a　fool

ever　to　let　you　liveyou　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；　what

was　left　he　threw　out　upon　the　ground　below。　　Then　he　turned

and　left　the　sick　man。



Clayton　rolled　over；　and；　burying　his　face　in　his　arms；　gave

up　the　battle。



The　next　day　Thuran　determined　to　set　out　toward　the

north　along　the　coast；　for　he　knew　that　eventually　he　must

come　to　the　habitations　of　civilized　menat　least　he　could

be　no　worse　off　than　he　was　here；　and；　furthermore；　the

ravings　of　the　dying　Englishman　were　getting　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　proximity　of　civilization；　for　he　thought　it

but　the　outpost　of　a　nearby　settlement。　　Had　he　known　to

whom　it　belonged；　and　that　its　owner　was　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　once　more。



In　Lord　Tennington's　camp　preparations　were　going　forward

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　matter

longer　to　Professor　Porter；　and　he　was　so　immersed　in　his

scientific　dreaming　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。

Sometimes　he　spoke　of　it　as　a　train；　and　wondered　if　it　were

being　delayed　by　snowstorms。



〃If　I　didn't　know　the　dear　old　fellow　so　well　by　now；〃

Tennington　remarked　to　Miss　Strong；　〃I　should　be　quite

certain　that　he　wasernot　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；　know

how　he　worships　Jane；　but　to　others　it　must　seem　that　he　is

perfectly　callous　to　her　fate。　　It　is　only　that　he　is　so

absolutely　impractical　that　he　cannot　conceive　of　so　real　a

thing　as　death　unless　nearly　certain　proof　of　it　is　thrust

upon　him。〃



〃You'd　never　guess　what　he　was　about　yesterday；〃

continued　Tennington。　　〃I　was　coming　in　alone　from

a　little　hunt　when　I　met　him　walking　rapidly　along　the

game　trail　that　I　was　following　back　to　camp。　　His　hands

were　clasped　beneath　the　tails　of　his　long　black　coat；

and　his　top　hat　was　set　firmly　down　upon　his　head；

as　with　eyes　bent　upon　the　ground　he　hastened　on；

probably　to　some　sudden　death　had　I　not　intercepted　him。



〃‘Why；　where　in　the　world　are　you　bound；　professor？'　I

asked　him。　　‘I　am　going　into　town；　Lord　Tennington；'　he　said；

as　seriously　as　possible；　‘to　complain　to　the　postmaster　about

the　rural　free　delivery　service　we　are　suffering　from　here。

Why；　sir；　I　haven't　had　a　piece　of　mail　in　weeks。　　There　should

be　several　letters　for　me　from　Jane。　　The　matter　must　be

reported　to　Washington　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　same　continent　as

Washington；　nor　in　the　same　hemisphere。



〃When　he　did　realize　he　commenced　to　worry　about　his

daughterI　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　example　of　bravery；　for　in　a

way　your　loss　has　been　the　greatest。〃



〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　〃I　could　have　loved　Jane　Porter　no　more

had　she　been　my　own　sister。〃



Tennington　did　not　show　the　surprise　he　felt。　　That　was　not

at　all　what　he　meant。　　He　had　been　much　with　this　fair

daughter　of　Maryland　since　the　wreck　of　the　LADY　ALICE；

and　it　had　recently　come　to　him　that　he　had　grown　much　more

fond　of　her　than　would　prove　good　for　the　peace　of　his　mind；

for　he　recalled　almost　constantly　now　the　confidence　which

Monsieur　Thuran　had　imparted　to　him　that　he　and　Miss　Strong

were　engaged。　　He　wondered　if；　after　all；　Thuran　had　been

quite　accurate　in　his　statement。　　He　had　never　seen　the　slightest

indication　on　the　girl's　part　of　more　than　ordinary　friendship。



〃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　him　very　much；

though　I　have　known　him　but　a　short　time。〃



〃Then　you　were　not　engaged　to　marry　him？〃　he　blurted　out。

〃Heavens；　nol！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　did　not　care　for　him　at　all

in　that　way。〃



There　was　something　that　Lord　Tennington　wanted　to　say

to　Hazel　Stronghe　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；

became　red　in　the　face；　and　finally　ended　by　remarking

that　he　hoped　the　cabins　would　be　finished　before　the

rainy　season　commenced。



But；　though　he　did　not　know　it；　he　had　conveyed　to　the

girl　the　very　message　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　emerged　from

the　jungle　just　south　of　the　camp。　　Tennington　and　the　girl

saw　it　at　the　same　time。　　The　Englishman　reached　for　his

revolver；　but　when　the　half…naked；　bearded　creature　called

his　name　aloud　and　came　running　toward　them　he　dropped

his　hand　and　advanced　to　meet　it。



None　would　have　recognized　in　the　filthy；　emaciated　creature；

covered　by　a　single　garment　of　small　skins；　the　immaculate

Monsieur　Thuran　the　party　had　last　seen　upon　the　deck

of　the　LADY　ALICE。



Before　the　other　members　of　the　little　community　were　apprised

of　his　presence　Tennington　and　Miss　Strong　questioned　him

regarding　the　other　occupants　of　the　missing　boat。



〃They　are　all　dead；〃　replied　Thuran。　　〃The　three　sailors

died　before　we　made　land。　　Miss　Porter　was　carried　off　into

the　jungle　by　some　wild　animal　while　I　was　lying　delirious

with　fever。　　Clayton　died　of　the　same　fever　but　a　few　days　since。

And　to　think　that　all　this　time　we　have　been　separated　by

but　a　few　milesscarcely　a　day's　march。　　It　is　terrible！〃





How　long　Jane　Porter　lay　in　the　darkness　of　the　vault　beneath

the　temple　in　the　ancient　city　of　Opar　she　did　not　know。

For　a　time　she　was　delirious　with　fever；　but　after　this

passed　she　commenced　slowly　to　regain　her　strength。

Every　day　the　woman　who　brought　her　food　beckoned　to　her

to　arise；　but　for　many　days　the　girl　could　only　shake　her

head　to　indicate　that　she　was　too　weak。



But　eventually　she　was　able　to　gain　her　feet；　and　then　to

stagger　a　few　steps　by　supporting　herself　with　one　hand

upon　the　wall。　　Her　captors　now　watched　her　with

increasing　interest。　　The　day　was　approaching；　and　the

victim　was　gaining　in　strength。



Presently　the　day　came；　and　a　young　woman　whom　Jane　Porter

had　not　seen　before　came　with　several　others　to　her　dungeon。

Here　some　sort　of　ceremony　was　performedthat　it　was　of

a　religious　nature　the　girl　was　sure；　and　so　she　took

new　heart；　and　rejoiced　that　she　had　fallen　among　people

upon　whom　the　refining　and　softening　influences　of　religion

evidently　had　fallen。　　They　would　treat　her　humanelyof

that　she　was　now　quite　sure。



And　so　when　they　led　her　from　her　dungeon；　through　long；

dark　corridors；　and　up　a　flight　of　concrete　steps　to　a　brilliant

courtyard；　she　went　willingly；　even　gladlyfor　was　she　not

among　the　servants　of　God？　　It　might　be；　of　course；　that　their

interpretation　of　the　supreme　being　differed　from　her　own；