Part 14 (1/2)

I could not see the speaker's face from where I lay upon the floor, yet see in my weakened mind to put a nahts flying elsewhere

'Elzevir,' I said, 'where is Elzevir?' and sat up to look round, expecting to see hi the wreck more clearly now, and how he had saved me with that last shove forward on the beach But he was not to be seen, and so I guessed that his great strength had brought hione back to the beach

'Hush,' said one of the ain'; and then he added, speaking to his coht up my words about Elzevir?'

'No,' I struck in, ' of Elzevir Block I pray you tell ot up and stared at one another and at me, when I named Elzevir Block, and then I knew the one that spoke for Master Ratsey only greyer than he was

'Who are you?' he cried, 'who talk of Elzevir Block'

'Do you not know me, Master Ratsey?' and I looked full in his face 'I ao I pray you tell me where is Master Block?'

Master Ratsey looked as if he had seen a ghost, and was struck dumb at first: but then ran up and shook ain on my pillohile he poured out questions in a flood How had I fared, where had I been, whence had I co: 'Softly, kind friend, and I will answer; only tell me first, where is Master Elzevir?'

'Nay, that I cannot say,' he answered, 'for never a soul has set eyes on Elzevir since that su we put thee and him ashore at Newport'

'Oh, foolat his excuses; 'I a noas Elzevir that saved ht 'Twas he that landed with me'

There was a look of sad amaze that came on Ratsey's face when I said that; a look that woke in me an awful sured thee through the surf?'

'Ay, 'twas he landed with , as it were, tothat which I feared was not the truth There was a minute's silence, and then Ratsey spoke very softly: 'There was none landed with you; there was no soul saved from that shi+p alive save you'

His words fell, one by one, upon my ear as if they were drops of molten lead 'It is not true,' I cried; 'he pulled me up the beach himself, and it was he that pushed me forward to the rope'

'Ay, he saved thee, and then the under-tow got hold of him and swept hiht have known there never was a ht the surf on Moonfleet beach like that Yet had we knoas he, we could have done no ht to save you both We could have done no uish, to think that he had given up the safety he had won for himself, and laid down his life, there on the beach, for me; to think that he had died on the threshold of his hoain, nor ever hear his kindly voice

It is wearisorief, and beside that no words, even of the wisest man, can ever set it forth, nor even if ere able could our memory bear to tell it So I shall not speak more of that terrible blow, only to say that sorrow, so far froave it strength, and I rose up fro They tried to stop me, and even to hold me back, but for all I was so weak, I pushed the a blanket roundas I left the Why Not?, for 'twas in no other place but that I lay, and the wind, though still high, had abated There were light clouds crossing the heaven very swiftly, and between the paler before the dawn The stars were growing paler; but there was another star, that shone out froh I could not see the house, and told ht Yet even that light shone without lustre forbut of hi kind heart that was stilled for ever

'Tell I knew the way, so sure of old, from Why Not? to beach; for I took no heed to path or feet, but plunged along in thedusk, blind with sorrow and weariness of spirit There was a fire of driftwood burning at the back of the beach, and round it crouched a group ofto save what they ave them a wide berth and so passed in the darkness without a word, and cah to h, but with the falling wind the waves ca over in a taeep and regular thunderous beat all along the bay for zebe, but the beach was streith so ht could never coratings and hatch-covers, booms and pieces ofwater in-shore was covered with a floating mask of broken match-wood, and the waves, as they curled over, carried up and dashed down on the pebble planks and beams beyond number There were a dozen or more of men on the seaward side of the beach, with oilskins to keep the wet out, prowling up and down the pebbles to see what they could lay their hands on; and now and then they would run down al as they had risked theht-as they had risked their lives to save ours, as Elzevir had risked his life to save e

I sat down at the top of the beach, with elbows on knees, head between hands, and face set out to sea, not knohy I was there or what I sought, but only thinking that Elzevir was floating so skin of wreck-wood, and that I must be at hand to meet him when he came ashore He would surely come in time, for I had seen others come ashore that way For when the Bataviaman went on the beach, I stood as near her as our rescuers had stood to us last night, and there were some aboard who took the fatal leap froh the surf I was so near them I could mark their features and read the wild hope in their faces at the first, and then the under-tow took hold of them, and never one that saved his life that day And yet all came to beach at last, and I knew theainst hope 'twixt shi+p and shore; some naked and some clothed, some bruised and sorely beaten by the pebbles and the sea, and some sound and untouched-all came to beach at last

So I sat and waited for hi to stave, and the Langton ed to Moonfleet; and both that I hadtill it should co down by ht Now I had little heart to eat, but took what he gaveonce tasted was led by nature to eat all, and was much benefited thereby Yet I could not talk with Ratsey, nor answer any of his questions, though another ti 'twas no good sat by ain to rew the men left the fire at the back of the beach, and came down to the sea-front where the waves were continually casting up fresh spoil And there all worked with a will, not each one for his own hand, but all to make a co the flotsa outside the breakers I could seeup and down, and lifting as the wave cah I took Ratsey's glass and scanned all carefully enough, I couldbottounwale in the water 'Twas midday before the first body was cast up, when the sky was breaking a little, and a thin and watery sun trying to get through, and afterwards three other bodies followed They were part of the pinnace's crew, for all had the iron ring on the left wrist, as Ratsey toldof the branded 'Y', and they were taken up and put under sorave should bethat toldand saw a body rolled over in the surf, and knew it for the one I sought 'Twas nearestfor the white foam, nor for the under-tow, and laid hold of hiht, and run down into the surf to save my worthless life? Ratsey was atfoa the water fro down there, kissed hiot a body, others of the men came up, and stared to see me handle hier and had the iron ring upon my wrist, and a 'Y' burned upon my cheek, they stared the more; until the tale went round that I was he who had coht alive, and this poor body was my friend who had laid down his life for roup, and knew that he was telling them our names; and some that I had known ca because they saw my heart was full; and some bent down and looked in Elzevir's face, and touched his hands as if to greet him Sea and stones had been merciful with him, and he showed neither bruise nor wound, but his face wore a look of great peace, and his eyes and mouth were shut Even I, who knehere 'twas, could scarcely see the 'Y' mark on his cheek, for the paleness of death had taken out the colour of the scar, and left his face as sures in Moonfleet church His body was naked fro, and we could see the great broad chest and swelling muscles that had pulled him out of many a desperate pass, and only failed hio

They stood for a little while looking in silence at the old lander who had run his last cargo on Moonfleet beach, and then they laid his ar him in a sail, and carried him away I walked beside, and as we came down across the sea-roups of schoolchildrenwith the wreck They stood aside to let us go by, the boys pulling their caps and the girls dropping a curtsy, when they knew that it was a poor drowned body passing; and as I saw the children I thought I sawthem, and I was noin the old almshouse hall

Thus we came to the Why Not? and there set him down The inn had not been let, as I learned afterwards, since Maskew died; and they had put a fire in it last night for the first ti that so The door stood open, and they carried hi, and laid hi his face and body with the sail This done they all stood round a little while, aardly enough, as not knohat to do; and then slipped away one by one, because grief is a thing that only women kno to handle, and they wanted to be back on the beach to get what ht be fro, he saw that I would as lief be alone, and that he would come back before dark