Terror had dulled all
faculties save the one overmastering instinct of self-preservation.
Thorpe was about to speak, but Ajax caught his eye and with a gesture
silenced him. Once more the balloon began to fall----
* * * * *
We were thrown out upon the dunes. Some of us were badly bruised. When
we staggered to our feet, Angela said quickly--
"Why, where's Jim?"
Thorpe told her; let us give him credit for that. When he had
finished, he put out his hand, but she turned from him to Ajax.
"Come," she said.
She ran past us towards the beach, instinctively taking the right
direction. As she ran she called shrilly: "Jim--Jim!"
Ajax followed. For an instant Thorpe and I were alone, face to face.
"Why did he do it?" he asked.
"Because he thought that Angela had married the wrong man; but she--
didn't."
When I caught Ajax up, Angela was still ahead, running like a mad
creature.
"Jim never took off his boots," said Ajax.
"Nor his coat."
"All the same, the love of life is strong."
"We don't know how far he was from the water; the fall may have killed
him.
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