your breath? It's just as if a man got hold of you by the
throat. Why, if I'd stopped in that a minute I should never have got up
again."

"But--but, that man?" whispered Don.

"What, old Ramsden? Phew! I'd forgot all about him. He's quiet
enough."

"Jem, he must be dying."

"I won't say, `good job, too,' 'cause it wouldn't be nice," said Jem,
with a chuckle. "What shall us do?"

"Do?" cried Don. "We must help him."

"What, get him out? If we do, he'll be down on us."

"We can't help that, Jem. We must not leave a fellow-creature to die,"
replied Don; and hurrying forward, he gave a glance toward the mouth of
the cave, to satisfy himself that the good-natured boatswain was not
there, and then, holding his breath, he stooped down and raised Ramsden
into a sitting posture, Jem coming forward at once to help him.

"Goes ag'in the grain, Mas' Don," he muttered; "but I s'pose we must."

"Must? Yes! Now, what shall we do?"

"Dunno," said Jem; "s'pose fresh air'd be best for him."

"Let's get him to the mouth, then," said Don.

"But the boatswain 'll see us, and we shall be took."

"I can't help that, Jem; the man will die here."

"Well, we don't want him. He's a hennymee."

"Jem!"

"Oh, all right, Mas' Don. I'll do as you say, but as I says, and I says
it again, it goes ag'in the grain."

They each took one hand and placed their arms beneath those of the
prostrate man; and, little as they stooped, they inhaled sufficient of
the powerful gas to make them wince and cough; but, rising upright,
taking a full breath and starting off, they dragged Ramsden backwards as
rapidly as they could to where the fresh air blew into the mouth of the
cave, and there they laid the man down.

But before doing so, Don went upon his knees, and placing his face close
to the rocky floor, inhaled the air several times.

"It seems all right here," he said. "Try it, Jem."

"Oh! I'll try it," said Jem, grumpily; "only I don't see why we should
take so much trouble about such a thing as this."

"Yes; it's all right," he said, after puffing and blowing down by the
ground. "Rum, arn't it, that the air should be bad yonder and not close
in here!"

"The cave goes downward," said Don; "and the foul air lies in the
bottom, just as it does in a well. Do you think he's dead?"

"Him dead!" said Jem, contemptuously; "I don't believe you could kill a
thing like that. Here, let's roll up one of these here blanket things