At his feet trickled a little stream of clear, sparkling water, coming from the crevasse above, the headquarters of a spring.  He fell upon his knees and plunged his hot face into the cool water, swallowing great gulps.

When he arose to his feet everything looked brighter, fairer, happier.  The scene, gorgeous a few moments before, was now more than that to his revived senses.  A desire to shout jubilantly came over him.  With an exultation that he could scarcely control he dashed on up the sand-strewn ledge toward the awning-like rock.

He found that a roomy cave ran back into the hill a dozen feet or more.  Its floor was covered with fine white sand, thrown up from the beach during the wind storms, and it was a most perfect shelter,—­this hole fifty feet above the placid waters.

Darkness was coming, so he ran back to the little rivulet.  In a broken cocoanut shell he secured some fresh water and began his journey to the other side of the ridge.  The sun was down to the level of the sea when he came from the rocks and within sight of the spot where he had left his fair companion.

She was not there!

A great trembling fear assailed him and he sank back with a groan of despair.  Then he heard his name called faintly and piteously.

“Here I am!” he cried.  “Where are you?” A glad cry arose from below, and he saw her coming rapidly from the small boulders near the water, some distance to the left.  He hurried to meet her.

“Oh, I thought you had left me to die up there,” she gasped as they drew near to each other.  “Mr. Ridgeway—­Hugh, I am so glad you have come.”

“You were asleep when I came back an hour ago.  See?  I have found water.  Drink!” With one hand he reached down and took hers, eagerly upstretched, drawing her to the rock on which he stood.  She gulped the contents of the shell with the haste of one half famished.

“How good!” she cried, with eyes sparkling as she took the empty shell from her moist lips.  “I was so thirsty that I tried to drink that bitter stuff down there.  How horrible it must be to die of thirst.  Can we find food, Hugh?  Is there nothing to eat?  I am so hungry, so hungry.”  The sparkle faded from her eyes and a look of pain filled them.

“I have found cocoanuts on the other side of the hill.  We can make them serve until I have a chance to look farther.  Come.  We must hurry, or the night will make it impossible for us to cross this hill and find the cave.”

“Cave?”

“A wonderful shelter for the night.  Can you walk that far?  It will not be difficult after we reach the top of this little mountain.”