"I am afraid! I am afraid! Give me your hand!"
"Don't fear. I am with you."
And he grasped her palm which this time was heated as if on fire; not knowing what to do he began to cover that poor, emaciated hand with kisses.
"Don't be afraid, Nell! don't be afraid!"
After which he gave her water with honey to drink, which by that time had cooled. This time Nell drank eagerly and clung to the hand with the utensil when he tried to take it away from her lips. The cool drink seemed to soothe her.
Silence ensued. But after the lapse of half an hour Nell again sat up on the bedding and in her wide-open eyes could be seen terrible fright.
"Stas!"
"What is it, dear?"
"Why," she asked in a broken voice, "do Gebhr and Chamis walk around the tree and peer at me?"
To Stas in an instant it seemed as if thousands of ants were crawling over him.