"Wake up! Wake up!" he cried. "For God's sake, wake up!"
With a roar of surprise and apprehension Dan leaped to his feet, and seized the rifle lying close at hand. He looked about as if expecting to see a blood-thirsty enemy almost on top of them. Then his eyes rested upon his comrade's tossed hair and excited face.
"What's wrong, pardner?" he demanded. "What's up this time? Did ye see that sarpint crawlin' among the trees ag'in? P'int me out the spot, an' I'll riddle the place with bullets. Mebbe one will ketch 'im on the fly, an' if it does he'll git to hell quicker than he imagined."
"No, no, not that beast this time," Grey replied. "But I saw her, yes, her, my Madeline, stretching out her hands, and calling to me for help! There she is, look!" and he clutched Dan by the arm and pointed excitedly among the trees. "There she is! Let me go to her! My God! I never saw her look so beautiful, but she's in the midst of serpents, and they're dragging her down to death. Look! look!"
Dan's eyes followed the direction of the finger, and he carefully scanned the forest for some distance around. Then he turned toward his comrade, while an anxious expression crossed his bronzed face.
"What's wrong with ye, laddie?" he questioned. "Are ye goin' daft? I see nuthin' over thar."
Grey placed his hand to his forehead, while a deep sigh escaped his lips.
"Neither do I, now," he responded. "But I did a minute ago. Oh, it was so clear, and terrible. Perhaps my brain is turning. Lack of sleep, and the events of the two past weeks have been enough to unsettle anyone."
"Indeed yer right thar, pardner," responded the trapper. "Few could have stood it. They'd have buckled under long since this."
"But I can't get that dream and vision out of my mind, Dan. I fear there's something wrong with Madeline."