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But it was of no avail; as I sat watching her, the moonlight marking out the

graceful curves of her slender young body, I saw her shiver.

"Isn't there something I can do?" I asked. "You can't lie there chilled through all

night. Can't you suggest something?"

She shook her head. "We must grin and bear it," she replied after a moment.

Nobbler came and lay down on the thwart beside me, his back against my leg,

and I sat staring in dumb misery at the girl, knowing in my heart of hearts that

she might die before morning came, for what with the shock and exposure, she

had already gone through enough to kill almost any woman. And as I gazed down

at her, so small and delicate and helpless, there was born slowly within my breast

a new emotion. It had never been there before; now it will never cease to be

there. It made me almost frantic in my desire to find some way to keep warm and

cooling lifeblood in her veins. I was cold myself, though I had almost forgotten it

until Nobbler moved and I felt a new sensation of cold along my leg against which

he had lain, and suddenly realized that in that one spot I had been warm. Like a

great light came the understanding of a means to warm the girl. Immediately I

knelt beside her to put my scheme into practice when suddenly I was

overwhelmed with embarrassment. Would she permit it, even if I could muster

the courage to suggest it? Then I saw her frame convulse, shudderingly, her

muscles reacting to her rapidly lowering temperature, and casting prudery to the

winds, I threw myself down beside her and took her in my arms, pressing her

body close to mine.

She drew away suddenly, voicing a little cry of fright, and tried to push me from

her.

Forgive me," I managed to stammer. "It is the only way. You will die of exposure

if you are not warmed, and Nobs and I are the only means we can command for

furnishing warmth." And I held her tightly while I called Nobs and bade him lie

down at her back. The girl didn't struggle any more when she learned my

purpose; but she gave two or three little gasps, and then began to cry softly,

burying her face on my arm, and thus she fell asleep.

The Land That Time Forgot