el. "They say it is so before death."

"Nonsense, nonsense, lad! I came back just in time to save you, and now
we have been saved, too, from a horrible death. After a bit we shall be
stronger, and shall be able to see which way to begin tunnelling our way
out to life again. Cheer up; we have got through the worst, and as soon
as we are free we'll join hands and work together, so that we can show
them at home that we have not come out in vain. How are you now?"

A low rumbling utterance was the reply, and Dallas leaned towards him,
feeling startled.

"Don't you hear me?" he cried. "Why don't you answer?"

"Dear old Dal--to begin dreaming of him now," came in a low muttering.

"No, no; I tell you that it is all true."

"All right, uncle," croaked Abel. "Not an hour longer than it takes to
scrape together enough. Ha, ha, ha! and I thought you so hard and
brutal to me. Eh? But you're not. It was a dreadful take in. I say!"

"Yes, yes, old fellow. What?"

"Don't say a word to dear old Dal. Let him stop and take care of aunt,
and let them think I've shuffled out of the trouble. I'll show them
when I come back."

"Bel, old fellow," cried Dallas, seizing his cousin's hand, "what is it?
Don't talk in that wild way."

"That's right, uncle," croaked Abel. "We two used to laugh about you
and call you the Hard Nut. So you are; but there's the sweet white
kernel inside, and I swear I'll never lie down to sleep again without
saying a word first for you. I say, one word," cried the poor fellow,
grasping his cousin's hand hard: "you'll do something for old Dal,
uncle? I'll pay you again. I don't want to see him roughing it as I
shall out there for the gold--yes, for the gold--the rich red gold. Ah,
that's cool and nice."

For in his horror and alarm Dallas had laid a hand upon his cousin's
temples, to find them burning: but the poor fellow yielded to the gentle
pressure, and slowly subsided on to the rough couch they had made, and
there he lay muttering for a time, but starting at intervals to cough,
as if his injured throat troubled him with a choking sensation, till his
ravings grew less frequent, and he sank into a deep sleep.

"This is worse than all!" groaned Dallas. "Had I not enough to bear?
His head is as if it were on fire. Fever--fever from his injury and the
shock of all he has gone through. I thought he was talking wildly
towards the last."

As he spoke he was conscious of a sharp throb