"New experience. Never carried girl before. Experience worth repeating. Like 'em old-fashioned--like Great-grandmother Saltonstall. Like 'em to faint." A few minutes later, "Where am I?" said Phyllis. "In my arms," said Herring phlegmatically, as if that was one of her habitual residing places. "Put me down, please." "I hear," said he, "and I obey with extreme reluctance. I made a bet with myself that I could carry you all the way. And now I shall never know. Feel better?" "Mm," she said, and "What a nuisance I've been all through! But it was pretty bad, some of it, wasn't it?" "Already you are beginning to take pleasure in remembering. What did I tell you? Don't be frightened. I am going to shout." He shouted in a voice of thunder, and before the echo came back to them another voice, loud and excited, rose in the forest. And they heard smashings and crashings, as a wild bull tearing through brittle bushes. And presently Sam Langham burst out of the thicket with a shower of twigs and pine-needles. His delight was not to be measured in words. He apostrophized himself. "Good old Sam!" he said. "He knew you weren't drowned in the brook. He knew it would be just like Herring to want to cross that swamp. As soon as I heard somebody say that it was impassable, I said: 'Where is the other side? That's the place to look for them.' But why didn't you make more noise?" "Oh," said Herring, "we were so busy talking and exploring and doing things that had never been done before that it never occurred to us to shout." "Herring," said Langham sternly, "you have the makings of a hero, but not, I am afraid, of a woodsman." "Well, we're safe enough now," said Herring. "Excuse me a moment----" "Excuse you! What?" "It's very silly--been sick you know--over-exertion--think better faint and get it over with." Langham knelt and lifted Herring's head. "You lift his feet," he said to Phyllis, "send the blood to his heart; bring him to." Herring began to come out of his faint. "This young man," said Langham, "may be something of an ass, but he's got sand." "He carried me a long way," said Phyllis, the tears racing down her cheeks; "and he's only just over typhoid, and he never stopped being cheerful and gallant, and he _isn't_ an ass!" Herring came to, but was not able to stand. He had kept up as long as he had to, and now there was no more strength in him. Phyllis accepted the loan of Langham's coat. "I'll stay with him," she said, "while you go for help." The moment Langham's back was turned she spread the coat over Herring. "_Please--don't!_" he said. "You be quiet," said she sharply. "How do you feel?" "Pretty well used up, thank you. Hope you'll 'scuse me for this collapse. Shan't happen again. Lucky thing you and I don't both collapse same moment." A faint moan was wrung from him. She touched his cheek with her hand. It was hot as fire. She was an old-fashioned girl, and the instinct of nursing was strong in her.