Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/217

Rh with his hands over his face, and his head sunk between his knees. Surmising who it was, Holden was soon alongside, and saw that it was in truth his shipmate. He quickly laid his hand on the drooping shoulder, and shook him gently, but with the intent of rousing him from the lethargy into which he saw the man had fallen. "Why are you here, Knute?'; he asked. "What is the matter?' But to this inquiry there was no reply, yet a slight movement. The man looked up, but the look was as of death itself, hopeless and lifeless, of one soon to be a corpse. Even with his fresh sense of hope, Holden shuddered, but said cheerfully, "Come, come, Knute, let me take you to the house.' "It's no use," answered his mate, with a groan; he cared only to die.

"You are not going to die yet," replied Holden; "I still have strength and you have a little. I will take hold of you, and when I say 'ready' you must get up." So taking hold he sung out in sailor fashion, "Ready, heoho; now she goes," and sure enough had him on his feet, and began hitching him along toward his home, helping himself by taking hold of the bushes at the pathside. But after a little Knute moaned, "Let me down," and suddenly collapsed and fell like lead. Holden could assist no more, but said, "Knute, you must not give up; keep up heart and hope, my man, just for my sake. What shall I do if I am left entirely alone on this savage island? Can't you bear up for me if not for yourself? Besides, we do not know how soon we may be rescued; we can not tell when we may go; it may be to-morrow."

With these words he left his comrade and returned as quickly as possible to his master's hut, and fortunately found that he had been seen by no one, the hut being still empty.

The natives seemed to have been occupied with cere-