Part 22 (1/2)

”'S no good. She's gone, sure,” he said.

”I don't think so.... Too soon to give up anyway,” and the Doctor worked on tirelessly. ”If she should come round----”

”She won't.”

”--She'll be starving. You might break up some hard-tack very small and warm it up in some weak rum and water,” and he went on with his rubbing.

And at last, when he had almost given up hope himself, he had his reward. The mate, poking in a head deprecatory of further waste of time and energy on so hopeless a job, stood staring amazedly. For the pinched dead look of the pitiful white face had given place to a faint presage of life, like the first flutter of dawn on the pallid darkness of the night. Death had visibly relaxed his chill grip. There was a tinge of colour in the parted lips, and the white teeth inside had come together.

”She lives,” said Wulfrey softly. ”Her heart is at work again. Warm up that rum and water,” and when it came he administered it cautiously in drops again, and this time they were visibly swallowed.

”Have the warm mash ready,” he said; and even as he spoke the blue-veined lids fluttered, but so feebly as hardly to lift the long dark lashes from the white cheeks. And through that narrowed window the recovered soul looked mistily out on life once more.

He gave her still a little more hot rum and water, and when the warm mashed biscuit came fed her slowly with that, and she swallowed it hungrily if unconsciously.

Then, well satisfied with his work, he piled more blankets on her and left her to herself.

He had had many a fight with death, but none closer than this. The s.n.a.t.c.hing of a life from the cold hand that was closing on it was always a cause for rejoicing with him. And this life, by reason of its comely tenement, had appealed to him in quite an unusual way.

Who she was, and what manner of woman, was still to be learned. For the moment it was enough that she had been within an ace of death and was alive again, and that she was unusually good to look upon.

XXV

When the Doctor had had a plunge overboard to restore the vitality he had expended on his patient, they sat down to eat, and the mate was inclined to enlarge somewhat exuberantly on the morning's work,--upon his own share in it especially.

”A wonderful fine piece of goods for any man to drag out of the water.

I'm doubting if you'd have seen her if you'd bin there, Doctor. Just happened to lift my eye that way, and the white of her caught it, and in I went. Not that I thought she could be living, you understand.

She felt like Death itself when I carried her ash.o.r.e in my arms----”

”She'll be distressed for lack of clothes when she's ready to get up.

But that won't be to-day anyway. Do you think you can light on any out yonder?”

”Lit on some last time I was there, but left 'em 'cause they were no use to us. That lot'll mebbe be gone, but there's plenty more for the finding. I'll see to it to-morrow.”

”She will be grateful to you, I'm sure.”

”She should, for if it hadn't bin for me she'd be tumbling about on yon spar still, and dead by this time, I'm thinking.”

”She couldn't have stood much more, that's certain. I was near losing hope myself at times.”

”Wouldn't have believed she'd ever come back if I hadn't seen it. It's being a doctor made ye keep on so.”

”One feels bound to keep on while there's a possible chance left. In this case one couldn't but feel that there was a chance, if only a small one. We've done a good day's work to-day.”

”Ay,” said the mate, and presently, ”I'm thinking I'll go out there today to get her some clothes. They'll need a lot of drying, you see.”

”Can you do it before dark?”