I turned to look at her, and saw her eyes growing fierce. She
reached back for my rifle, and I arose.
"Come," I said, and so we started. We dared not use the horse in
stalking our game.
I could stand, I could walk a short way, but the weight of this great
rifle, sixteen pounds or more, which I had never felt before, now seemed
to crush me down. I saw that I was starved, that the sap was gone from
my muscles. I could stagger but a few yards before I was obliged to stop
and put down the rifle. She came and put her arm about me firmly, her
face frowning and eager. But a tall man can ill be aided by a woman of
her stature.
"Can you go?" she said.
"No," said I, "I cannot; but I must and I shall." I put away her arm
from me, but in turn she caught up the rifle. Even for this I was still
too proud. "No," said I, "I have always carried my own weapons thus
far."
"Come, then," she said, "this way"; and so caught the muzzle of the
heavy barrel and walked on, leaving me the stock to support for my share
of the weight. Thus we carried the great rifle between us, and so
stumbled on, until at length the sun grew too warm for me, and I
dropped, overcome with fatigue.
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