enemy's ground for a few minutes," he said.
"Your men have left me no use in my limbs."

Mark gently let him down; and, faint with pain, the cold sweat breaking
out in great drops all over his brow, Ralph said feebly, smiling the
while:

"Not straight yet, Master Eden. I am in your debt now."

Then a deathly feeling of sickness came over him; trees, rocks, and
sunny sky were dim, and glided before his eyes till all was darkness,
for how long he could not tell.

When he opened his eyes again the sickly feeling still troubled him, but
he could not understand why. It was like awakening from some troubled
dream, and full consciousness came back slowly. Then, by degrees, he
grasped the fact that his head was resting on a tuft of heath, and
bracken fronds shaded him from the sun. His wrists throbbed with
sharp-shooting pains, which ran right up beyond his elbows. There were
pains, too, about his knees and ankles, and there was something else
which he could not make out, till he looked towards his feet, to see
that some one was seated a little below him on the sharp slope, with
back half-turned to him, and his bare legs across his lap, chafing the
ankles gently, first one and then the other, over and over again.

Ralph was quite conscious now, but he did not speak. He lay back there,
making no movement, no sign; but a curiously dark look came into his
eyes, and his lips quivered a little, grew firm again, and were softened
by a smile, while a strange glowing sensation set in about his heart.

Five minutes must have elapsed before Mark Eden turned his head, started
as he saw that Ralph's eyes were watching him, and his quiet intent gaze
gave place to a frown; his face became scarlet, and he hastily placed
his patient's legs upon the ground.

"How long have you been watching me?" he said hotly.

"Only a minute or so. Did I faint?"

"I suppose so," said Mark roughly. "Just like a great girl."

"Yes: very weak of me," said Ralph quietly.

"Yes, very," said Mark. "The brutes tied you too tightly. Try if you
can walk now. Get down by the river, and bathe them a bit."

He stood up and thrust his hands behind him, looking at his young enemy
scornfully; but the scarlet flush was in his face still, and would make
him look as if he were ashamed of what he had been caught doing.

Ralph sat up, and struggled painfully to his feet, turning hot and faint
again; but he made a brave effort to be firm, and took a step o