"Who ever thought Una would be such
a brick?" Pem nibbled the words between
her chattering teeth. " She's shivering
--yes! and frightened and trying to cry
--but the brick in her won't allow it!"

There was no doubt that the uncle of@
her blood was a brick, too, for he fought
the groans reverberating behind his
clenched teeth, like a bee in a bottle,
only breaking out now and again in a
yearning prayer for the coming of his
son.

"If he were only here--here I" he
moaned; it was evident that the youthful
daredevil who liked excitement, but
"knew where to stop", was a tower of
strength to the less balanced father.

Pem was longing uncontrollably for his
appearance, also--for the rower whom she
had robbed of his oars, while the sufferer
seemed to find his only relief in talking
about him.

"My son and I have been in bad scrapes
before among--mountains," he panted,
[[282]]

p281 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p282w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p283

v?