As he did so, out of the silence rode a single
horseman. He was mounted upon the sorrel, and
Pat wondered at this. But as the man drew near
and Pat saw a blood-smeared, ghastly face, he
wondered still more. For there was something
familiar about this lone rider, and he took a step
toward him. Presently he saw him gain the outer
edge of the circle, and then a strange thing happened.
He saw the young man begin to weave in
his saddle, saw two of the others suddenly leap
for him -- saw them reach him just in time to save
him from tumbling limply to the ground. Then
he noted another queer thing. He saw the young
man's left arm dangle oddly from the shoulder;
saw the young man himself grasp it, wincing with
excruciating pain, and saw him turn wide eyes
suddenly toward him. Then he heard the man
speak.

"Look -- look him over!" he cried, and his voice
was a curious mixture of distress and restrained
excitement. "I -- I don't want him -- him to go
back -- to go back -- hurt -- hurt in -- in--"

And now Pat saw the strangest thing of all.
He saw the young man slowly close his eyes and
sink back into the arms of the others as one dead.
He saw the others exchange troubled glances and
lay the insensible form down tenderly on the
sand. It was all very unusual, something new
in his life; and, not knowing what else to do, yet
somehow feeling that he should do something, be
it never so little, he lowered his head and sounded
a trembling nicker into the silence.

[[209]]

p208 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p209w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p210

v?