So profound was the impression upon Key and his human passion that it at first seemed an ironical and eternal ending of his quest.It was with difficulty that he reasoned that the catastrophe occurred before Alice's flight,and that even Collinson might have had time to escape.He slowly skirted the edge of the chasm,and made his way back through the empty woods behind the old mill-site towards the place where he had dismounted.His horse seemed to have strayed into the shadows of this covert;but as he approached him,he was amazed to see that it was not his own,and that a woman's scarf was lying over its side saddle.A wild idea seized him,and found expression in an impulsive cry:--"Alice!"
The woods echoed it;there was an interval of silence,and then a faint response.But it was HER voice.He ran eagerly forward in that direction,and called again;the response was nearer this time,and then the tall ferns parted,and her lithe,graceful figure came running,stumbling,and limping towards him like a wounded fawn.Her face was pale and agitated,the tendrils of her light hair were straying over her shoulder,and one of the sleeves of her school-gown was stained with blood and dust.He caught the white and trembling hands that were thrust out to him eagerly.
"It is YOU!"she gasped."I prayed for some one to come,but I did not dream it would be YOU.And then I heard YOUR voice--and Ithought it could be only a dream until you called a second time.""But you are hurt,"he exclaimed passionately."You have met with some accident!""No,no!"she said eagerly."Not I--but a poor,poor man I found lying on the edge of the cliff.I could not help him much,I did not care to leave him.No one WOULD come!I have been with him alone,all the morning!Come quick,he may be dying."He passed his arm around her waist unconsciously;she permitted it as unconsciously,as he half supported her figure while they hurried forward.
"He had been crushed by something,and was just hanging over the ledge,and could not move nor speak,"she went on quickly."Idragged him away to a tree,it took me hours to move him,he was so heavy,--and I got him some water from the stream and bathed his face,and blooded all my sleeve.""But what were you doing here?"he asked quickly.
A faint blush crossed the pallor of her delicate cheek.She looked away quickly."I--was going to find my brother at Bald Top,"she replied at last hurriedly."But don't ask me now--only come quick,do.""Is the wounded man conscious?Did you speak with him?Does he know who you are?"asked Key uneasily.
"No!he only moaned a little and opened his eyes when I dragged him.I don't think he even knew what had happened."They hurried on again.The wood lightened suddenly."Here!"she said in a half whisper,and stepped timidly into the open light.
Only a few feet from the fatal ledge,against the roots of a buckeye,with HER shawl thrown over him,lay the wounded man.
Key started back.It was Collinson!
His head and shoulders seemed uninjured;but as Key lifted the shawl,he saw that the long,lank figure appeared to melt away below the waist into a mass of shapeless and dirty rags.Key hurriedly replaced the shawl,and,bending over him,listened to his hurried respiration and the beating of his heart.Then he pressed a drinking-flask to his lips.The spirit seemed to revive him;he slowly opened his eyes.They fell upon Key with quick recognition.But the look changed;one could see that he was trying to rise,but that no movement of the limbs accompanied that effort of will,and his old patient,resigned look returned.Key shuddered.There was some injury to the spine.The man was paralyzed.
"I can't get up,Mr.Key,"he said in a faint but untroubled voice,"nor seem to move my arms,but you'll just allow that I've shook hands with ye--all the same.""How did this happen?"said Key anxiously.
"Thet's wot gets me!Sometimes I reckon I know,and sometimes Idon't.Lyin'thar on thet ledge all last night,and only jest able to look down into the old valley,sometimes it seemed to me ez if Ifell over and got caught in the rocks trying to save my wife;but then when I kem to think sensible,and know my wife wasn't there at all,I get mystified.Sometimes I think I got ter thinkin'of my wife only when this yer young gal thet's bin like an angel to me kem here and dragged me off the ledge,for you see she don't belong here,and hez dropped on to me like a sperrit.""Then you were not in the house when the shock came?"said Key.