soul. But he knew how to fight for a life. He tore open her dress and
found that she was not crushed as he had feared. Then he ran for water.
When he returned, the Willow's eyes were open and she was gasping for
breath.

"The blessed saints be praised!" sobbed Pierrot, falling on his knees
at her side. "Nepeese, ma Nepeese!"

She smiled at him, and Pierrot drew her up to him, forgetting the water
he had run so hard to get.

Still later, when he got down on his knees and peered under the rock,
his face turned white and he said:

"Mon Dieu, if it had not been for that little hollow in the earth,
Nepeese--"

He shuddered, and said no more. But Nepeese, happy in her salvation,
made a movement with her hand and said, smiling at him:

"I would have been like--THAT." And she held her thumb and forefinger
close together.

"But where did Baree go, mon pere?" Nepeese cried.



CHAPTER 9

Impelled by the wild alarm of the Willow's terrible cries and the sight