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"An earth-bound spirit!" gasped Jess. "Yes, he's got some sins to expiate, you see." The conversation was growing creepy. Sadie, Tattie, Jess, and Peggy, who with Diana were squatting near the schoolroom fire in the gloaming, moved a little nearer together. There is comfort in physical contact.
Throughout the entire night the horror of a great dread drove all sleep from Eben's eyes. As he lay in his bunk every sound seemed to be magnified, and he imagined that men would come for him and lead him away to trial. He felt quite sure that he had killed Jess and that he would be hung for murder.
John said no more, but, putting out all his strength, he tried to drag the horses round. Jess turned herself on the seat to look, and just then a blaze of lightning flamed which revealed Muller and his two companions standing dismounted on the bank, the muzzles of their rifles pointing straight at the cart. "O God!" she screamed, "they are going to shoot us."
But though Jess lay still, showing only pointed indifference where the men were concerned, Finn leaped backward like a stag, and kept a good score of paces between the men-folk and himself.
Yo' all's gwine git yo' summons up yonder presen'ly." Shashai and Star obediently walked over to the bar upon which their light headstalls hung, sniffed at them with long audible breaths, then each selecting his own carried it to Jess in his teeth. "Well, Hi'll be blowed!" murmured Dawson. Jess pretended not to notice, but saying unconcernedly: "Dat's all right.
The water is deep around the shore of this island, so we could not go out very far." "Perhaps John will come and take us off," Jess suggested. "Let us hope so, dear," and Mrs. Hampton placed her right arm lovingly around her daughter. "John will come, if possible, we can be assured of that. No doubt he has seen the fire before this, and is hurrying to our aid now.
While I slept the shadows had lengthened and blended into those soft gray tones of twilight that give mystery to forests of the South. Cautiously I raised my head and, following the tense stare of Smilax, saw the cause of his agitation. Three men were standing on the larger island, at the spot where Efaw Kotee and Jess had stood, and one held a piece of coiled rope tied to a grappling hook.
Nobody for the moment thought of the automobile driver who was responsible for the affair. The victim had blood on his face from a cut high up on his crown. He was unconscious. It was Chet Belding who stood up and spoke, first of all. "I thought so! I thought so!" he gasped. "Do you know who this is?" "Who?" asked Jess, clinging to his arm as the crowd gathered.
"Oh," she answered, "I am only a girl, you know, and besides, I am not clever. Jess, now that's my sister Jess has been at school at Capetown, and she is clever. I was at Cape Town, too, though I didn't learn much there.
John was kneeling close to the water now, and the girl was bathing his wound. How delightful it was to feel her gentle touch, and to know that she was so near! It was worth while being injured to have such attention from the one he loved. For a few minutes Jess held the handkerchief to his forehead.
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