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Warreat weakness--these, joined with a singular lassitude, oppression of the lungs and stifling of the breath, were Allan Stern's sensations when conscious life returned

Pain there was as well His body felt sorely bruised and shaken His first thought, his intense yearning wonder for the girl's welfare and his sickening fear lest she be dead, ; to learn, if possible, what dae he had taken in flesh and bone

He tried toinert, as he now found hiht could he keep the breath of life in his shaken fraht in that place?

Yes, the light was real, and it was shining directly in his face

At first all that his disturbed, half-delirious vision could lare But in acresset Stern could now distinctly see the metal bands of the fire-basket in which it lay, as well as a supporting staff, about five feet long, that see nothing, filled with vague, half-insane hallucinations and onders, he tried to struggle upith a babbling cry: "Beatrice! Oh, Beatrice--where are you?"

To his intense astonishlare, laid itself upon his breast and pushed hiain

Above hihastly blue And as he struggled still he perceived by the unearthly light that a figure was bending over hiulped "Man! Man! Oh, my God! At last--a man!"

He tried to raise himself upon his elbow, for his whole soul was flooded with a sudden gratitude and love and joy in presence of that long-sought goal But instantly, as soon as his dazed senses could convey the terrible impression to his brain, his joy was curdled into blank astonishrin, strive as hehis unconsciousness, which had lasted he could not tell how long, he had been securely bound And noakening slowly, oncehis way up into consciousness, he found hi what people--hat purpose? After the long quest, the frightful hardships and the treroaned Stern, and in his sudden anguish, strained against the bonds, that drawn tight and fast, were already cutting painfully into his swollen, water sodden flesh