Part 27 (1/2)

She felt as a tiny tired child feels when caught up and carried by itshi carried her before

It was a three-hness on the cliff and as he drew near he saw that they were saved, at least for the ties like steps and twenty feet up and well beyond tide mark ran a little plateau some ten or twelve feet broad

She saw it as well as he and filled with new strength she cried out to be set down

”Stay easy,” said Raft ”It's easier to carry the bundle with you on ht”

Then when he reached the steps:

”Done it b'God,” said he

He dropped the bundle and harpoon, and, lifting her, set her feet on the basalt steps

”Can you cli on the little plateau looked down on his and took his seat beside her They sat for a while without a word, the bare rocks and the grey sea before thereat rock out at sea, pierced and arched like the fra the sea beyond Gulls flew round it and their eternal cohtly, froht

Then he said: ”It won't be high water until gettin' on for dark We'd better stick here the night anyhow and get the low tide to-et to that next shoulder and see what's beyond, it's a matter of four o with you,” said she, ”I'er now”

”No, you stick here,” said he ”There's no call for two to go You'll want your strength for the ”

”Only for you I wouldn't be here,” said she

”Well,with you, but you ain't no weight--no ht you were as bad as that or I'd have lifted you miles back”

”Aren't you tired?” she asked

”Me--oh, no, not more than a bit stiff in the arm” He stretched his left arm out Then he looked at the bundle

”You don't want nothing to eat just yet?” asked he

”Not till you come back,” she answered ”I'll watch you from here”

He scrambled down, picked up the harpoon which he had left on the rocks and then looked up and nodded to her

”I'll keep in sight,” said he Then he started

She watched his great figure as it went, harpoon in hand, growing smaller and smaller, till, now, she could have covered it with her thuo slower and the great black cliffs to grow higher

At a dizzy height above her cor as they clanged and flew, shooting out into the sky and wheeling back again in an ai, now, steadily shoreward

The tide see in faster than usual She knew that this could not be so and that Raft was too wise to allow hi anxiety fed on her heart as she watched the tiny figure now approaching the out-jutting shoulder of cliff Then it disappeared