Quickly the luncheon-ground was deserted; fast the
blue and white flutter of muslins disappeared in the
enveloping woods; hastily the remainder of the packing went on
to get the hampers again in readiness to move. In the midst of
all this, who was to carry Daisy's chair?
"You say there is a house somewhere on the way," said Mr.
Randolph to the doctor. "If you will go forward with Daisy at
once, I will stay to look after those children in the boat.
They are coming now as fast as they can."
"Can you carry my gun?"
"Certainly. Doctor, I will take that office, if you will stay
behind till the boat gets to land."
"Thank you — it is better arranged the other way. The storm
will be upon us before the ladies get to the shore, I fear."
"Then they had better take the other route."
Mr. Randolph in haste despatched one of the men to recall the
fleeing members of the party, and bring them round by the
other road to the house. But before that, the doctor had put
Daisy in her chair, and with Logan at the other end of it, had
set off to reach shelter. It grew very dark; and it was
sultrily still in the woods. Not a leaf trembled on its stem.
The steps of the two chair-bearers sounded ominously in the
entire hush of everything.
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