A Silver Brand — page 188: what you’re looking at

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180 A SILVER BRAND. hands, while White knelt down and put his ear to the — motionless breast. “He is not dead. There is a flutter of the heart, Iam sure. If we had a little spirits. Here, one of you run back and get some, and bring a lantern, too—we may want to look for the tracks.” When the cordial and light arrived they were still at work over the senseless man, and were still positive that there was a feeble beating of the heart. Penelope, still chafing at his wrist, suddenly dropped it as if she had been stricken by a blow. ‘The bright gleam of the lantern had fallen upon it, and she saw plainly the mark—the dreaded, fatal mark that had become so ineffa- cibly imprinted on her memory. She sank down upon her knees staring wildly into the pallid face, then sprang forward, crying out, sharply: ~ “You must save him. Send for a doctor somewhere. He must be saved at any cost.” ~ “Of course we will save him, marm, if it can be done,” returned White, rather resentfully. ‘‘Wedon’t need to be told of that. Come, men, let’s pick him up and carry him over to the house. The women folks can_ tell better than we what to do and we’ll send over to the shore for a doc- tor. It’s a mystery what’s going to happen next. But I’ll make it my business to hunt down the rascals that have made all this trouble for our peaceable island. I swear to that, right here over poor Nat!” _ And bearing the unresisting figure tenderly in their — brawny arms, the little procession turned homeward, Pe- _nelope following behind, scarcely able to realize that she was not walking ina dream from whose paralyzing horror she should shortly wake, and find herself in her peaceful chamber at Rock House, with Lina lying near in the placid sleep of innocence and health. | She only spoke when they made a pause at White’s cottage. “Not here,” she Tanieniratods : “take him to his own ‘home. To live or die, it will be Detter for him to waken there.” “But who will take care of fies ” queried White, dubi- ously. “T will,” returned Penelope, calmly; “I will not leave him while he needs care.” Accordingly the request was granted. They laid him gently upon his own bed, and administered what simple : rostoratives were at hand, The breathing grew stronger, | es €omicbooks.com