ion like sharp steel glittering in his eyes.
Were these the same eyes? Was this youth with his black head of hair in
her lap the creature with whom men did not trifle, whose hand knew how
to deal death? Where had the man melted away to in this boy? For as she
looked at him, he might have been no older than nineteen to-day. Not
even at their first meeting--that night when his freakish spirit was
uppermost--had he looked so young. This change their hours upon the
island had wrought, filling his face with innocence.

By and by they made their nooning. In the afternoon she would have
explored the nearer woods with him, or walked up the stream. But since
this was to be their camp during several days, he made it more complete.
He fashioned a rough bench and a table; around their tent he built a
tall wind-break for better shelter in case of storm; and for the fire he
gathered and cut much wood, and piled it up. So they were provided for,
and so for six days and nights they stayed, finding no day or night long
enough.

Once his hedge of boughs did them good service, for they had an
afternoon of furious storm. The wind rocked the pines and ransacked the
island, the sun went out, the black clouds rattled, and white bolts of
lightning fell close by. The shower broke through the pine branches and
poured upon the tent. But he had removed everything inside from where it
could touch the canvas and so lead the water through, and the rain ran
off into the ditch he had dug round the tent. While they sat within,
looking out upon the bounding floods and the white lightning, she saw
him glance at her apprehensively, and at once she answered his glance.

"I am not afraid," she said. "If a flame should consume us together now,
what would it matter?"

And so they sat watching the storm till it was over, he with his face
changed by her to a boy's, and she leavened with him.

When at last they were compelled to leave the island, or see no more of
the mountains, it was not a final parting. They would come back for the
last night before their journey ended. Furthermore, they promised each
other like two children to come here every year upon their wedding day,
and like two children they believed that this would be possible. But
in after years they did come, more than once, to keep their wedding day
upon the island, and upon each new visit were able to say to each other,
"Better than our dreams."

For thirty days by the light of the sun and th