Page:A Wild-Goose Chase - Balmer - 1915.djvu/235

Rh "Oh, Koehler! She came? Where? Where's the—the ship?"

"She's not on the ship, Eric. She's with us now; she's near here."

The wounded man struggled to rise. The surgeon half helped, half hindered him.

"I'm all right, Koehler," he insisted. "That didn't hurt me." He struggled till they let him stand, then he staggered and Koehler supported him.

"Go back to camp for a sledge," the doctor directed Geoff. "You'd better say nothing to your sister till we get him nearer camp; there's no use bringing her 'way out here."

The instruction seemed to bring to Hedon better realisation of the girl's nearness. "What?" he asked; then collected himself. "Yes. Don't—don't—that is, do as he says. But wait a minute."

Geoff hesitated, standing before Hedon, who was now held up between Koehler and Brunton. His recollection of Eric had been only a boy's impression formed four years before; now he knew that he never had known