XXV

Aladdin came to consciousness in the early morning. He was about as sick
as a man can be this side of actual dissolution, and the pain in his
broken leg was as sharp as a scream. He lay groaning and doubled in
the filthy half-inch of water into which he had fallen. About him was
darkness, but overhead a glimmer of light showed a jagged and cruel
hole in the planking of the stable floor. Very slowly, for his agony was
unspeakable, he came to a realization of what had happened. He called
for help, and his voice was thick and unresonant, like the voice of a
drunken man. His horse heard him and neighed. Now and again he lapsed
into semi-unconsciousness, and time passed without track. Hours passed,
when suddenly the glimmer above him brightened, and he heard light
footsteps and the cackling of hens. He called for help. Instantly there
was silence. It continued a long time. Then he heard a voice like soft
music, and the voice said, "Who's there?"

A shadow came between him and the light, and a fair face that was
darkened looked down upon him.

"For God's sake take care," he said. "Those boards are rotten."

"You 're a Yankee, aren't you?" said the voice, sweetly.

"Yes," said Aladdin, "and I'm badly hurt."

The voice laughed.

"Hurt, are you?" it said.

"I think I've broken my leg," said Aladdin. "Can you get some one to
help me out of this?"

"Reckon you're all right down there," said the voice.

Aladdin revolved the brutality of it in his mind.

"Do you mean to say that you're not going to help me?" he said.

"Help you? Why should I?"

Aladdin groaned, and could have killed himself for groaning.

"If you don't help me," he said, and his voice broke, for he was
suffering tortures, "I'll die before long."

A perfectly cool and cruel "Well?" came back to him.

"You won't help me?"

"No."

Anger surged in his heart, but he spoke with measured sarcasm.

"Then," he said, "will you at least do me the favor of getting from
between me and God's light? If I die, I may go to hell, but I prefer not
to see devils this side of it, thank you."

The girl went away, but presently came back. She lowered something to
him on a string. "I got it out of one of your holsters," she said.

Aladdin's fingers closed on the butt of a revolver.

"It may save you a certain amount of hunger and pain," she said. "When
you are dead, we will give it to one of our men, and your horse too.
He's a beauty."

"I hope to God