e debt
in full? Why had he stepped between him and certain death? But for his
ready promptitude Maurice Sellon would now be almost as sad a relic of
humanity as that upon which they had gazed but a few hours back. But
the solemn eyes of the stars looking down upon him, the very grandeur of
the mountain solitude, seemed to chide him for such thoughts. What was
the puny fate of a few human beings compared with the immensity of ages
upon which those stars had looked down--the roll of centuries during
which those silent mountains had stood there ever the same?

A perceptible lightening suffused the velvety vault above. The horned
moon rose higher over the drear sea of peaks. The crags stood forth
silvery in the new-born light--and then, as his glance wandered
downwards, Renshaw felt every drop of blood flow back to his heart.

Far below shone a tiny glimmer--the glimmer of a mere spark. But withal
so powerful that it pierced the darkness of the far depths as the flash
of a ray of fire.

He stood as one turned to stone, holding his very breath. He rubbed his
eyes, and looked again. There it was still. Again he averted his gaze,
and again he looked. The distant spark was glittering more brilliantly
than ever. It seemed to gain in size and power as he looked. It held
him spellbound with its green incandescence flashing forth from the
darkness down there in the far depths.

He tore out the white lining of his soft hat, and bending down, nailed
it to the ground with his pocket knife. Then he walked away a few yards
and looked again. The spark had disappeared.

Feverishly he returned to the mark which he had set, now almost fearing
to look. He need not have feared. There shone the "Eye"--more dazzling
than ever.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maurice Sellon, sleeping the dreamless slumber of a thoroughly exhausted
man, started up with a smothered imprecation, as a hand gently shook him
by the shoulder. But his deadened faculties sprang into quick life at
the low impressive voice.

"At last! Come and look. The `Eye' is shining like a star."

CHAPTER THIRTY.

"LIKE A STAR."

"Like a star!"

The two men stood gazing in silence not untinged with awe, upon this
wonderful, this beautiful phenomenon. For how many ages--for how many
generations of the human race had that marvellous Eye shone forth in the
gloom of its untrodden solitude. The heart of the