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I raised , and looked first at the still tuantic frame of the minister When we had made that frail raft no swimmer could have lived in that shock of waves; now there was a chance for all, and for the reatest I have ever seen in any ave her into his arms A minute later the boat went to pieces
Side by side Sparrow and I buffeted the sea He held the King's ward in one arh the onslaught of the breaking waves I could thank God for his strength, and trust her to it For the other three of us, ere all strong swih bruised and beat about, we held our own Each wave, overcome, left us nearer the islet,--a little while and our feet touched bottole with the tremendous surf and ere out of the maw of the sea, but out upon a desolate islet, a mere hand's-breadth of sand and shell in a lonely ocean, soues from the mainland of Accomac, and upon it neither food nor water We had the clothes upon our backs, and my lord and I had kept our swords I had a knife, and Diccon too was probably armed The flint and steel and tinder box within my pouch made up our store
The minister laid the woman whom he carried upon the pebbles, fell upon his knees, and lifted his rugged face to heaven I too knelt, and with my hand upon her heart said my own prayer in my oay My lord stood with unbent head, his eyes upon that still white face, but Diccon turned abruptly and strode off to a low ridge of sand, froht survey the entire island
In two ain "There's plenty of driftwood further up the beach," he announced, "and a reat bonfire that weout a enial breath the color came slowly back to ly Presently she turned under h pillowed her head upon her arm and went to sleep in that blessed warmth like a little child
We who had no mind for sleep sat there beside the fire and watched the sun sink behind the low black line of the mainland, now plainly visible in the cleared air It dyed the waves blood red, and shot out one long ray to crih in the blue Sea birds, a countless multitude, went to and fro with harsh cries from island to reen; they lay, a half moon of fantastic shapes, each parted fro us froues in width We turned and looked seaward Naught but leaping waves white-capped to the horizon