316 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



She gradually recovered from the swoon, and, half rising, 

 stared vaguely about her for an instant — ^but her first words 

 were — 



" Is he alive)?" This was spOken in a suffocatfcg voice, 

 while her lips trembled. 



" He still lives, and I hope is not mortally hurt !" 



" God be thanked, and let humanity rejoice !" she said 

 solemnly, and with a start she sprang to her feet. " You are 

 hurt, young man — I see Hood upon you !" 



. I had been too much excited to think of my own wound, 

 although I now felt that the pain had been considerable — 

 however, it proved to be, upon examination, but slight, and 

 gave me of itself but little trouble afterwards. It was merely a 

 flesh wound in the thigh of the same leg that had been injured 

 in the storm, and, as is frequently the case, rather accelerated 

 the cure of that injury. The vital functions, thus extraordi- 

 narily aroused, it is well kriowu, do often throw off the old as 

 well as the new disease, by the one great effort thus concen- 

 trated upon the local seat of the disturbance. Be this as it 

 may, I did not suffer from lameness much after this — although 

 I had a great amount of exertion devolved upon me by this 

 sudden catastrophe. 



The woman, after assisting me in dressing my wound, said 

 to me gravely — 



" Now, young man, much depends upon you ! You are not 

 a great deal hurt — as God would have it — while I am griev- 

 ously — and my poor William must probably remain long in 

 this stupor !" 



She was carefully examining him without disturbing my 

 dressings, further than to saturate them with water. 



" I can hope," she said, as she rose from the examination 

 and drew a long breath — " I can hope that your opinion of 

 the wound may prove correct — for his pulse, though slow, is 

 strong enough yet — ^but it must be a long time before he 

 recovers his faculties. His brain is so immense and so dis- 



