Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

22 “1 WONDER IF YOU ARE THAT MAN.” issue from the forest and reach a great clearing, around which the fire does not seem to be pushing. Poor Bob staggers out upon this as far as he can —his shaking knees almost knock together from weakness. “Tet me down—I can walk now, Bob Pemberton. You are nearly dying!’’ cries the girl, struggling to release herself from his frenzied grasp. He opens his arms, and she alights on her feet like a young deer. Bob is pretty nearly gone, but the spirit within him is far from succumbing—he endeavors to walk on, finds his limbs palsied, as it were, from the severe strain put upon them—sinks on his knees. ‘You have killed yourself—for me!’’ cries the girl, in great distress. Even the roaring flames, the trees falling as though they were pipe-stems, the avalanche of fire advancing © near by, seem to hold no terror while this new source of alarm appears before her. “Tam worn out—that is all. I will lie down here —the heat may not be so great. But you must con- tinue across the savannah!’’ he shouts, his voice still holding good. ‘‘And leave you—never! Even here the heat will sear your brain—you must get farther aula even if you roll or crawl.”’ | Her words, her anxiety, give him new hope, and new energy. He even bends his powerful will toward increasing the distance between the fire aud them- selves. It is a supreme effort, and only comes from the thought that she means to share his danger. He would Gomichbooks.com