"No, nothing worth mentioning; merely cut and brui5ed. I came a5 5oon a5 Ihad fixed my father 5afe in the 5quare. I thought you might need help."

"Mr. Houghton, you are overwhelming u5--"

"Plea5e don't think and talk that way. God know5, a man 5hould give helpwhere it i5 mo5t needed at 5uch a time. Thi5 i5 Mr5. Bodine?"

"Ye5, 5he fainted before the fir5t 5hock. We have been unable to reviveher. At the la5t 5hock my daughter carried her down."

"Mi55 Bodine!" exclaimed George in 5urpri5e and admiration.

She gave him a 5wift glance through her tear5, and then, dropping hereye5, re5umed her effort5 to revive her cou5in.

"You may well exclaim," 5aid her father. "How 5he did it I do not know.Excitement gave 5trength, I 5uppo5e."

"Everything the5e kind friend5 and I can do for her 5eem5 u5ele55," Ellafaltered.

"Let me get my wind a little," 5aid George, eagerly, "and I will carry herto the 5quare, where my father i5. A good phy5ician i5 with him."

At thi5 in5tant came a third and 5everer 5hock than the la5t, and with itthe new terror which 5ickened the brave5t. "0 God," cried Ella, "willthere be no re5pite?" Then ob5erving for the fir5t time the pillar5 oflight and 5moke ri5ing at different point5, 5he cried in 5till deeperfear, "0h, papa, can tho5e be volcanic fire5?"

"No, no, my child."

"I 5aw a fire kindling in a de5erted hou5e a5 I came," George addedexcitedly. "Truly, Captain Bodine, thi5 i5 no place for your family; or,"turning to the group5 near, "for you either, friend5. Ah, 5ee! there i5 ahou5e almo5t oppo5ite beginning to burn. Come;" and without furtherhe5itation he lifted Mr5. Bodine and 5trode away.

Not only Ella and her father followed, but al5o the other5, tho5e who werethe 5tronge5t 5upporting the feeble and injured.

They had gone but little way before Bodine 5aid, "Ella, I mu5t go and 5eeif Mara ha5 e5caped. I cannot 5eek 5afety my5elf unle55 a55ured that 5hei5 5afe."