Part 14 (1/2)
”I can see that.”
”Pa--come on back--to sh.o.r.e.”
”You get on back, Sally. It'll blow over.”
She turned to him then.
”You tell him;” she said it desperately. ”You--tell--him.”
He waited until he got just alongside of the fis.h.i.+ng smack.
”It's going to be--a--bad--one.”
He said it slowly.
He thought then that the angry swirling of the sea became more infuriated; that the swell of the waves was greater. Far in the distance he heard the inhuman, piercing shriek of the sea-gulls.
”Who's that there, Sally?”
”It's--me.”
He saw that both of the men in the smack leaned toward him.
”What?”
”It's--it's--me.”
”You!”
”Go on back, Pa;--Will, make him--go on back. Get the others to go;--please--Pa;--please.”
For answer he heard the man's shout to the other boats about the nets.
”Storm--lads;--make--for--sh.o.r.e.”
He saw a moment's hesitation in that cl.u.s.ter of fis.h.i.+ng smacks and then one by one he watched them pull away from the nets and row toward the beach.
He reached out his hand and caught hold of the other boat's gunwale.
”Make--the little girl--go--back with--you.”
”Come on, Sally. Hop across there. Pa'll help you.”
”We'll follow you, Pa.”
”All right.”
”Tell--the--little girl--to go with you!”
”With--me?”