Part 24 (1/2)

”Not with them winds that get you here,” said he, ”they let out when you're least expecting it and we'd be on to the rocks and done for. I'm not saying if we had a boat crew we mightn't try, but we're under-handed. No, we'll have to hoof it if we go.”

”Hoof it--what is that?” asked she.

”Walk it,” replied Raft, ”and I'm thinking it's beyond you, you aren't fit for travelling rough, like me.”

”Aren't I?--I suppose I don't look strong, but I am, of course I'm not as strong as you, but I can keep on once I begin, and I have been through a good deal ever since that night we were wrecked, I don't think any journey we could make would be worse than that. And I was not prepared for all that as I am now for anything that may happen. Think of it, we had all been sitting at dinner, it was only a little while after dinner and I had my evening frock on.”

”Your evening which?”

”Dress. They were all rich people on board the yacht and they put on different clothes always for dinner. It seems stupid--well, I was down below and I suddenly felt that I must get on deck, so I put on these clothes and my oilskin and sou'wester, then, as I was coming upstairs the collision happened. I got on deck and it was quite dark until the electric light was put on, then I saw the stern of your s.h.i.+p with the name on it.”

She paused with a little shudder and seemed visualizing the terrible picture again.

”Heave ahead,” said Raft interestedly.

”Then I was thrown into a boat and forgot everything until I woke in the early morning alone with those two men. It was all just like that. I wasn't prepared for hards.h.i.+p as I am now, and I hadn't a companion like you. Those two men were no use.”

”How's that?” asked he.

”Well, they were always grumbling.”

”Swabs.”

”I didn't mind that so much, but they were no use, they wouldn't do things. I had to make them go and hunt for firewood, they might just as well have had no hands. Bompard, the oldest one wasn't so bad--”

”It was the other chap you done in,” said Raft. ”Well, I reckon you've been through it. Rum thing I saw you first when I was handling a topsail in that blow. The weather broke and I was holdin' on to the yard when I sighted you away to starboard with the sun on you. Old Ponting was close to me and he yelled out he'd seen you before and give you your name, the _Gaston de Paree_.”

”And we sighted you,” said she, ”I was down below when the steward came with a message that there was a s.h.i.+p in sight, I came up and there you were with the sun on you and the storm clouds behind, and do you know you frightened me.”

”How so?” asked Raft.

”I don't know. I felt there was going to be a disaster of some sort--it was almost like a warning.”

”Well, there's no saying,” said Raft. ”I've known a chap warned he was going to be drowned, and drowned he was sure enough. I was down below asleep and shot out of my bunk by the smash; then I was on the main deck, the chaps all round shouting for boats, and if you ask me how I got off I couldn't tell you. One minute a big light was blazing, then it was black as thunder. My mind seemed to go when the black came on, I'd no more thought than a blind puppy. Something saved me. That's all I know.”

”G.o.d saved you,” said the girl.

”Well, maybe He did,” said Raft; ”but what made Him let all the other chaps drown?”

”I don't know,” she replied, ”but He saved you just as He saved me. I know He looks after things. Look at those sea elephants and the gulls; He leads them about by instinct.”

”What's that?” asked Raft.

”Instinct,” said she, suddenly formulating the idea, ”is G.o.d's mind, it tells the birds and elephants where to get food and where to go and how to avoid danger; you and I have minds of our own, but our minds are nothing to the minds of the birds and animals. They are never wrong.

Look out there at those porpoises.”

”Them black fish,” said Raft, shading his eyes.