"Listen.

If you hear an answer nod your head." He drew a deep breath, turned his face as far as he could toward the shore, and shouted.
"Help--help--help!" Again and again the thrilling words burst from his throat, and as their echoes floated back to them from the forest, like a thousand mocking voices, Nathaniel grew hot with the sweat of horror.

If he could only have added his own voice to those cries, shrieked out the words with Neil--joined even unavailingly in this last fight for life, it would not have been so bad.

But he was helpless.

He watched the desperation grow in his companion's face as there came no response save the taunting echoes; even in the light of the stars he saw that face darken with its effort, the eyes fill with a mad light, and the throat strain against its choking thong.