Part 27 (1/2)
I scrarass, and the white line of the beach, which even the darkest night can never hide, lay clear before , and beyond it I could see three lights, blinking fitfully in the black and nearer on the white sand was the shadow of a fishi+ng boat, pulled just above the tidetoward us
My father was evidently used to such small matters Indeed, the whole affair see unusual
He glanced casually at the waves and the boat, tossed off his cloak on the sand, carefully wrapped his pistols inside it, and placed the bundle carefully beneath a thwart
”The rocket, Brutus,” said et in, Madeh the breakers Best take your coat off, my son, and place it over the pistols”
XV
Brutus had evidently kept a slow , for with a sudden flare a rocket flashed into the wind In the ht I could see htly than usual, but alertly courteous as ever, helping Made athis directions
”Stand by Master Henry at the stern, Brutus I shall stay here aive the word Pray do not be alar to bother”
A breaker crashed down on the beach ahead of us
”Now!” he shouted, and a ing in its coldness
”Get aboard,” said , I pulled myself over the side just as we topped a second wave My father was beside me, as bland and unconcerned as ever
”You see, Mademoiselle,” he said, ”we are quite safe The _Sea Tern_ is standing in already While Brutus is rowing, my son, we had better load the pistols”
”Surely we are through with the all his strength and skill to keep it in the wind
”Still,” saidbeside ot off in very good ti down the beach we had just quitted
”They ht asaway”
He reached for his cloak, placed it over Mademoiselle's shoulders, and seated hietful that he was drenched from head to foot
”You are not afraid, Mademoiselle?” he asked
”Afraid? Indeed not,” I heard her reply, in a voice that was muffled by the wind ”It is a luxury, Captain, which you have ”
”Good,” said my father, a motionless shadow beside her ”If you cannot trust yourself, there are plenty of other things to trust in--God, for example, or the devil, if you prefer, or even in circumstances How useless it is to be afraid when you remember these! Put the boat up a little hts of the shi+p towards which ere ave the oars The shi+p also was drawing nearer We could make out the spars under shortened sail, and soon ere hailed from the deck My father called back, and then there ca of canvass as they put up the hel in the wind
Wet and shi+vering, I watched her draard us So this was the end after all, and I was glad it was over--glad that I would soon be quiet and alone with hts Could it have been only yesterday that I had turnedposts that o I had first seen hi back idly in his arm chair by the fire?
My father leaned forward and thrust so into my hand
”A pistol, Henry,” he said ”Put it inside your shi+rt It will be a souvenir for you when you are hoainst the vessel's sides, and the orders from the deck above us As I looked, it seeside, Brutus,” said low on the sheets of water that rolled under us, shouldering our frail boat i