the glowing embers right and left, drowned it
out with water. The signal-fire was extinguished!

Pale and trembling, Grace stood rooted to the ground, trying to
understand. Who had done this? Why had he done it? Of course, only one
person could have done it. Was this the explanation of Armitage's long
absence the previous night? Why had he scattered and drowned out their
signal-fire?

Her face flushed with anger. Her apprehension gave place to indignation.
By what right had he presumed to take this step? If he were willing to
sacrifice himself, what right had he to sacrifice her?

Turning on her steps, she hastened down the hill and soon reached their
encampment. He was there to greet her, standing with folded arms,
silent, as if he knew where she had been and was awaiting the first
outburst of her reproaches and anger.

CHAPTER XVI.

"The fire is out!" she cried, as she came within speaking distance.

"I know," he answered stolidly. His face was expressionless, not a
muscle moved. An observer might have mistaken him for a figure cast in
bronze.

"How did it go out?" demanded Grace, trying to control herself.

Still he made no answer.

"How did it go out?" she repeated. "Did you put it out?"

Armitage nodded. Then, with a defiant toss of his head, he said:

"Yes--I put it out."

Grace stared at him in utter astonishment, scarcely able to believe her
ears. She was so overwrought with indignation that everything seemed to
swim before her eyes. She felt weak and faint. Fearing that she would
fall, she leaned against a tree for support.

"You put it out! You put it out!" she gasped. "Why--tell me why."

He shrugged his shoulders, and for a moment made no answer. Then, with
eyes averted from hers, he said in a low tone:

"What's the use of letting it burn any longer? Nobody will see it if it
burns till doomsday. It might burn on forever, till there was no more
wood left on the island to feed it with, and still you'd be here eating
your heart out waiting for help that would never come. It was labor
thrown away."

Unable to control herself any longer, Grace burst out passionately,
almost hysterically.

"So that is it? Because it was hard work, you sacrifice me! Because you
prefer this idle, savage existence to the hard life you used to lead,
you do not wish to get away. I must spend here my youth, the rest of my
days because this sort of life pleases you. And you don't hesitate to
destroy my only