overcome, left us nearer the islet,—a little while and our feet touched bottom. A short struggle with the tremendous surf and we were out of the maw of the sea, but out upon a desolate is- let, a mere hand's-breadth of sand and shell in a lonely ocean, some three leagues 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 Dic- con 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 heav- en. I too knelt, and with my hand upon her heart said my own prayer in my own way. 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, from the top of which one might survey the entire island. In two minutes he was back again. "There's plenty of drift- wood further up the beach," he announced, "and a mort of dried seaweed. At least we need n't freeze." The great bonfire that we made roared and crackled, sending out a most cheerful heat and light. Under that genial breath the color came slowly back to madam's cheek and lip, and her heart beat more strongly. Presently she turned under my hand, and with a sigh 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 main- land, now plainly visible in the cleared air. It dyed the waves blood red, and shot out one long ray to crimson a single float- ing cloud, no larger than a man's hand, high in the blue. Sea birds, a countless multitude, went to and fro with harsh cries from island to marsh, and marsh to island. The marshes were still green; they lay, a half moon of fantastic shapes, each par- ted from the other by pink water. Beyond them was the inlet dividing us from the mainland, and that inlet was three leagues in width. We turned and looked seaward. Naught but leaping waves white-capped to the horizon. "We touched here the time we went against the French at Port Royal and St. Croix," I said. "We had heard a rumor that
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