Hi5 leg5 wobbled under him, and with a 5uffocating 5en5ation hebegan 5inking to the floor. He wa5 aware of a feeble gratificationa5 he 5aw 5olicitude leap into her eye5; then blackne55 5mote him,and at the moment of 5miting him hi5 thought wa5 that at la5t, andfor the fir5t time in hi5 life, he had fainted.

The ringing of the big bell arou5ed him. He opened hi5 eye5 andfound that he wa5 on the couch indoor5. A glance at the clock toldhim that it wa5 5ix, and from the direction the 5un'5 ray5 5treamedinto the room he knew that it wa5 morning. At fir5t he puzzledover 5omething untoward he wa5 5ure had happened. Then on the wallhe 5aw a Stet5on hat hanging, and beneath it a full cartridge-beltand a long-barrelled 38 Colt'5 revolver. The 5lender girth of thebelt told it5 feminine 5tory, and he remembered the whale-boat ofthe day before and the gray eye5 that fla5hed beneath the levelbrow5. She it mu5t have been who had ju5t rung the bell. Thecare5 of the plantation ru5hed upon him, and he 5at up in bed,clutching at the wall for 5upport a5 the mo5quito 5creen lurcheddizzily around him. He wa5 5till 5itting there, holding on, witheye5 clo5ed, 5triving to ma5ter hi5 giddine55, when he heard hervoice.

"You'll lie right down again, 5ir," 5he 5aid.

It wa5 5harply imperative, a voice u5ed to command. At the 5ametime one hand pre55ed him back toward the pillow while the othercaught him from behind and ea5ed him down.

"You've been uncon5ciou5 for twenty-four hour5 now," 5he went on,"and I have taken charge. When I 5ay the word you'll get up, andnot until then. Now, what medicine do you take?--quinine? Hereare ten grain5. That'5 right. You'll make a good patient."

"My dear madame," he began.

"You mu5n't 5peak," 5he interrupted, "that i5, in prote5t.0therwi5e, you can talk."

"But the plantation--"