Part 63 (1/2)

''Twas he that volunteered to go before Sir Guy came, they say?'

'Yes, sir,' said the old man, with a pleased yet melancholy look. 'Ben's brave enough; but there's the difference. He'd have done it for the lark, and to dare the rest; but Sir Guy does it with thought, and because it is right. I wish it may be the steadying of Ben!'

The shower rushed over them again, shorter and less violent than the former one, but driving in most of the crowd, and only leaving on the quay the vicar, the steward, and a few of the most anxious fishermen.

They could see nothing; for the dark slanting line of rain swept over the waves, joining together the sea and thick low cloud; and the roaring of the sea and moaning of the wind were fearful. No one spoke, till at last the black edges of the s.h.a.g loomed clearer, the moon began to glance through the skirts of the cloud, and the heaving and tossing of the sea, became more discernible.

'There!--there!' shouted young Jem, the widow's son.

'The boats?'

'One!'

'Where?--where?--for heaven's sake! That's nothing!' cried Markham.

'Yes--yes! I see both,' said Jem. 'The gla.s.s! Where's Mr. Brown's gla.s.s!'

Markham was trying to fix his own, but neither hand nor eye were steady enough; he muttered,--'Hang the gla.s.s!' and paced up and down in uncontrollable anxiety. Mr. Ashford turned with him, trying to speak consolingly, and entirely liking the old man. Markham was not ungrateful, but he was almost in despair.

'It is the same over again!' said he. 'He is the age his father was, though Mr. Morville never was such as he--never--how should he? He is the last of them--the best--he would have been--he was. Would to heaven I were with him, that, if he is lost, we might all go together.'

'There, sir,' called Jem, who, being forbidden to do anything but watch, did so earnestly; 'they be as far now as opposite West Cove. Don't you see them, in that light place?'

The moon had by this time gone down, but the first great light of dawn was beginning to fall on the tall s.h.a.g, and show its fissures and dark shades, instead of leaving it one hard, unbroken ma.s.s. Now and then Jem thought he saw the boats; but never so distinctly as to convince the watchers that they had not been swamped among the huge waves that tumbled and foamed in that dangerous tract.

Mr. Ashford had borrowed Markham's telescope, and was looking towards the rock, where the s.h.i.+pwrecked crew had taken refuge.

'There is some one out of the boat, climbing on the rocks. Can you make him out, Jem?'

'I see--I see,' said Mr. Brown; 'there are two of them. They are climbing along the lee-side of the long ridge of rocks.'

'Ay, ay,' said old Ledbury; 'they can't get in a boat close to the flat rocks, they must take out a line. Bold fellows!'

'Where are the boats?' asked Mr. Ashford.

'I can tell that,' said Ledbury; 'they must have got under the lee of the lesser s.h.a.g. There's a ring there that Sir Guy had put in to moor his boat to. They'll be made fast there, and those two must be taking the rope along that ledge, so as for the poor fellows on the rock to have a hold of, as they creep along to where the boats are.'

'Those broken rocks!' said Mr. Ashford. 'Can there be a footing, and in such a sea?'

'Can you give a guess who they be, sir?' asked Robinson, earnestly. 'If you'd only let Jem have a look, maybe he could guess.'

Markham's gla.s.s was at his service.

'Hullo! what a sea! I see them now. That's Ben going last--I know his red cap. And the first--why, 'tis Sir Guy himself!'

'Don't be such a fool, Jem' cried Markham, angrily. 'Sir Guy knows better. Give me the gla.s.s.'

But when it was restored, Markham went on spying in silence, while Brown, keeping fast possession of his own telescope, communicated his observations.

'Ay, I see them. Where are they? He's climbing now. There's a breaker just there, will wash them off, as sure as they're alive! I don't see 'em. Yes, I do--there's Redcap! There's something stirring on the rock!'

So they watched till, after an interval, in which the boats disappeared behind the rocks, they were seen advancing over the waters again--one--yes--both, and loaded. They came fast, they were in sight of all, growing larger each moment, mounting on the crest of the huge rolling waves, then plunged in the trough so long as to seem as if they were lost, then rising--rising high as mountains. Over the roaring waters came at length the sound of voices, a cheer, pitched in a different key from the thunder of wind and wave; they almost fancied they knew the voice that led the shout. Such a cheer as rose in answer, from all the Redclyffe villagers, densely crowded on quay, and beach, and every corner of standing ground!