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308 you. I sha'n't chain you. Roam about as you please, and try to find your way out of your prison."

She moved from him a few steps and walked on examining the rocky wall. Then she realized how faint and weak she was. She attributed this to the chloroform. Her indignation rose.

"You have made me sick with that horrible stuff—and you call yourself a gentleman! Oh! Mr. Trant, how dared you—how could you do so mean a thing?"

"Yes, it was a mean thing. I own it, and I am ashamed of it. But I wish to tell you this. I did not take one little advantage of your helplessness beyond carrying you here in my arms. I might have kissed you, and I was tempted to do it, but I didn't. I kept my promise."

She made no answer. "Elsie," he said, "I was afraid that I should never bring you to. You were so long insensible that I was afraid. I tried to make you swallow some brandy. Take some now."

He held out the cup of his flask to her. She felt need of the restorative, but stopped as she stretched out her hand.

"How do I know that you have not drugged it?"

"I swear to you that I have not. And if it comes to that, are you going to starve yourself, and die of thirst? Everything I give you might be drugged."

"That is true," she said, "and I shall need my strength." She drank the brandy. "What time is it?" she asked suddenly. He looked at his watch. "It is exactly mid-day."

"And they were to start back at eleven. But they won't leave the Fall. They'll miss me and they will hunt for me. They'll coo-ee, and they'll hear me answering back." She began to send out long ineffectual coo-ees.

"You may save your breath," he said. "It would be simply impossible to hear you through the thickness of the mountain. And they will naturally suppose that we have gone on towards the camp."

Elsie gave a faint groan, "Oh! Frank," she cried helplessly; "Oh! Ina—Horace!"