le he was rowing us here, and we were too much excited to
notice it. Now I understand the meaning of that groan in the mine.
Oh, what are we to do?"

"I am afraid we can do nothing," Mrs. Hampton replied. "The fire has
destroyed the boat, so we cannot cross the lake. The only thing to do
is to leave you here with Eben while I go for assistance."

"Perhaps John will soon be here," Jess suggested. "He must be very
anxious about us."

"But he won't know where to find us."

"He will come to the island, anyway, and will search everywhere for us.
Perhaps we shall be able to see him and call to him. Suppose we wait
for a while. You cannot walk to the river."

"I can do more than you imagine," was the quiet reply. "But it is just
as well to wait awhile. In the meantime we must get this poor boy
under shelter. Let us carry him into the mine."

As carefully and tenderly as possible the two lifted the unconscious
lad and bore him into the opening of the mine, where they laid him down
upon the ground. With his head on her lap, Jess wiped away the
moisture from the red swollen face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as
she watched him, and noted how his hair had been burnt away, and his
features distorted with pain.

"You poor boy!" she murmured. "You did it all for us, and we can do
nothing for you now."

"We must do something," Mrs. Hampton declared. "I cannot wait here and
let the boy die without making an effort to save his life. I can go to
the other side of the lake, anyway, and be at the landing when anyone
comes. John will surely be there soon. I hope nothing has happened to
him."

At these words an expression of fear appeared in the girl's eyes as she
turned them upon her mother's face.

"Perhaps he tried to reach us and was caught by the fire!" Her heart
beat fast, and her face became very white.

"You need not worry, dear," Mrs. Hampton comforted. "John has common
sense, and would not run any useless risk."

"But he would run any risk for us, I am certain," Jess declared. "He
would not think of himself when he knew that we were in danger. He
would go through anything for us."

"I know that, dear," and Mrs. Hampton looked lovingly into the girl's
sparkling eyes. "But perhaps he did not know of the fire in time.
Most likely he was very busy about the place, and had little idea that
we were in danger. I shall go now, for there is no time to lose. You
watch by the poor boy. I don't like t