pitiably querulous. He was half sitting up
in his bunk, and Gillispie had just handed
him a plate on which two cakes were swim-
ming in black molasses and pork gravy.
Henderson looked at it a moment; then
over his face came a look of utter despair.
He dropped his head in his arms and broke
into uncontrolled crying.

"Oh, my God, Gillispie," he sobbed, "I
shall die out here in this wretched hole! I
want my mother. Great God, Gillispie, am
I going to die without ever seeing my
mother?"

Gillispie, maddened at this anguish, which
he could in no way alleviate, sought comfort
by first lighting his pipe and then taking his
revolver out of his hip-pocket and playing
with it. Henderson continued to shake with
sobs, and Catherine, who had never before
in her life heard a man cry, leaned against
the door for a moment to gather courage.
Then she ran into the house quickly, laugh-
ing as she came. She took Henderson's
arms away from his face and laid him back
on the pillow, and she stooped over him
and kissed his forehead in the most matter-
of-fact way.