The boat drew close to the whaler on the port side, and I saw, as iffrom the former, the faces of several men who at the sound of oars camerushing from the other side of the ship and leaned over the bulwarks. Itwas evident that they had expected arrival from the starboard. With somedifficulty the boat got close, for the sea was running wilder everymoment; and one by one the men began to climb the ladder and disappearover the bulwark. With the extraordinary action of sight and mind andmemory which was to me at present, I followed each and all of them atthe same time. They hurriedly rigged up a whip and began to raise fromthe boat parcels of great weight. In the doing of this one of them, thenegro, was officious and was always trying to examine each parcel as itcame on board; but he was ever and always repulsed. The others would notallow him to touch anything; at each rebuff he retired scowling. Allthis must, under ordinary conditions, have taken much time, but to myspirit-ruled eyes it all passed with wondrous rapidity....
I became conscious that things around me were growing less clear. Thefog seemed to be stealing over the sea, as I had seen it earlier in theevening, and to wrap up details from my sight. The great expanse of thesea and the ships upon it, and all the wonders of the deep became lostin the growing darkness. I found, quicker and quicker, my thoughts likemy eyes, centred on the deck of the ship. At a moment, when all otherswere engaged and did not notice him, I saw the great negro, his faceover-much distorted with an evil smile, steal towards the after hatchwayand disappear. With the growing of the fog and the dark, I was losingthe power to see through things opaque and material; and it came to meas an actual shock that the negro passed beyond my vision. With hisgoing, the fear in my heart grew and grew; till, in my frantic humanpassion, all that was ethereal around me faded and went out like a dyingflame....
The anguish of my soul, in my fear for my beloved, tore my true spiritout of its phantom existence back to stern working life....
I found myself, chilled and sick at heart, kneeling by the marble-cold,stiffening body of Gormala, on the lone rock under the cliff. The risingwind whistled by me in the crannies above, and the rising sea in angryrushes leaped at us by the black shining rocks. All was so dark aroundme that my eyes, accustomed to the power given in my vision of makingtheir own light, could not pierce the fog and the gloom. I tried to lookat my watch, but could only see the dial dimly; I could not distinguishthe figures on it and I feared to light a match lest such might betraymy presence. Fortunately my watch could strike the hours and minutes,and I found it was now half past one
o'clock. I still, therefore, hadthree-quarters of an hour, for I remembered the lesson of the whaler'schronometer. I knew there would be no time nor opportunity to bringGormala's body to the top of the cliff--at present; so I carried her upto the highest point of the underlying rock, which was well above highwater mark.
Reverently and with blessing I closed her dead eyes, which still lookedup at the sky with a sort of ghostly curiosity. Then I clambered upthe steep pathway and made my way as quickly as I could round to theother side of the Haven, to try if I could discover any trace of theblackmailers, or any indication of the water-cave in which their boatwas hidden. The cliffs here are wofully steep, and hang far over thesea; so that there is no possibility of lying on the cliff edge andpeering over. Round here also the stark steepness forbids the existenceof even the tiniest track; a hare could not find its way along thesebeetling cliffs. The only way of making search of this channel would beto follow round in a boat. The nearest point to procure one would be atthe little harbour beside the Bullers O'Buchan, and for this there wasnot time. I was in dire doubt as to what was best to do; and I longedwith a sickening force for the presence of Montgomery or some of ourparty who would know how to deal with such a situation. I was notanxious for the present moment; but I wanted to take all precautionsagainst the time which was coming. Well I knew that the vision I hadseen with the eyes of the dead Gormala was no mere phantasm of the mind;that it was no promise of what might be, but a grim picture of whatwould be. There was never a doubt in my mind as to its accuracy. Oh! ifI could have seen more of what was to happen; if I could have lingeredbut a few instants longer! For with the speed at which things hadpassed before my inner eye in that strange time, every second might havemeant the joy or sorrow of a lifetime. How I groaned with regret, andcursed my own precipitancy, that I could not wait and learn through themedium of the dead woman's spiritual eyes the truths that were to beborne in mind!
But it was of no use to fret; action of some sort would be necessary ifMarjory was to be saved. In one way I might help. Even alone I mightsave her, if I could get out to the whaler unknown to her crew. I knew Icould manage this, for anyhow I could swim; for a weapon which the watercould not render useless I had the dagger I had taken from DonBernardino. Should other weapons be necessary I might be able to layhands on them in the cabin next Marjory's, where the red-bearded man layasleep. I did not know whether it would be better to go in search ofsome of my comrades, or to wait the arrival of the Don, who was to beback within an hour of the time of leaving. I was still trying to makeup my mind when the difficulty was settled for me by the arrival of theSpaniard, accompanied by one of the young American naval officers.
When I told them of my vision I could see, even in the darkness whichprevailed, that neither of them was content to accept its accuracyin blind faith. I was at first impatient; but this wore away when Iremembered that neither of them had any knowledge of my experiences inthe way of Second Sight, or indeed of the phenomenon at all. Neither inSpain nor America does such a belief prevail; and I have no doubt thatto both of them came the idea that worry and anxiety had turned mybrain. Even when I told them how I meant to back my belief by swimmingout beyond the Dunbuy Rock in time to reach the ship before the boatwould arrive, they were not convinced. The method of reception of theidea by each was, however, characteristic of his race and nation. Tothe high-bred Spaniard, whose life had been ruled by laws of honour andof individual responsibility, no act done in the cause of chivalry couldbe other than worthy; he did not question the sanity of the keeping ofsuch a purpose. The practical American, however, though equally willingto make self-sacrifice, and to dare all things in the course of honourand duty, looked at my intention with regard to its result; was I takingthe step which would have the best result with regard to the girl whomwe were all trying to save. Whilst the Spaniard raised his hat and said:
"May God watch over your gallant enterprise, Senor; and hold your life,and that of her whom you love, in the hollow of His hand!" The Americansaid:
"Honest injun! old chap, is that the best you can do? If it's only a manand a life you want, count me in every time. I'm a swimmer, too; and I'ma youngster that don't count. So far as that goes, I'm on. But you'vegot to find the ship, you know! If she was there now, I should say 'riskit'; and I'd come with you if you liked. But there's the whole North Seaout there, with room for a hundred million of whalers without theirjostling. No, no! Come, I say, let us find another way round; where wecan help the girl all together!" He was a good young fellow, as wellas a fine one, and it was evident he meant well. But there was no usearguing; my mind was made up, and, after assuring him that I was inearnest, I told him that I was taking a couple of rockets with me whichI would try to keep dry so that should occasion serve I would makemanifest the whereabouts of the whaler. He already knew what to do withregard to signalling from shore, in case the boats of the whaler shouldbe seen.
When we had made what preparations we could for the work each of us hadin hand, the time came for my starting on my perilous enterprise. Asmy purpose became more definite, my companions, who I think doubted intheir hearts its sincerity, became somewhat more demonstrative. It wasone thing to have a vague intention of setting out on a wild journey ofthe kind, and even here common sense rebelled. But on the edge of thehigh cliff, in the dark, amid the fog which came boiling up from belowas the wind puffs drove it on shore; when below our feet the risingwaves broke against the rocks with an ominous sound, made into a roar bythe broken fastnesses of the cliffs, the whole thing must have seemed asan act of madness. When through a break in the fog-belt we could catcha glimpse of the dark water leaping far below into furious, scatteringlines of foam, to dare the terrors of such a sea at such a time was likegoing deliberately to certain death. My own heart quailed at moments;when I saw through the fog wreaths the narrow track, down which I mustagain descend to where Gormala's body lay, fading into a horrid gloom;or when the sound of breaking water drove up, muffled by the dark mist.My faith in the vision was strong, however, and by keeping my mindfixed on it I could shut out present terrors. I shook hands with my twofriends, and, taking courage from the strong grip of their hands, setmyself resolutely to my journey down the cliff. The last words the youngnavy man said to me were:
"Remember, if you do reach the whaler, that a gleam of light of any kindwill give us a hint of where you are. Once the men of the _Keystone_ seeit, they'll do the rest at sea; as we shall on land. Give us such alight when the time comes--if you have to fire the ship to get it!"
At the foot of the cliff path the prospect was almost terrifying. Therocks were so washed with the churning water, as the waves leaped atthem, that now and again only black tops could be seen rising out ofthe waste of white water; and a moment after, as the wave fell back,there would be a great mass of jagged rocks, all stark and grim, blackerthan their own blackness, with the water streaming down them, and greatrifts yawning between. Outside, the sea was a grim terror, a wildness ofrising waves and lines of foam, all shrouded in fog and gloom. Throughall came a myriad of disconcerting sounds, vague and fearsome, fromwhere the waves clashed or beat into the sounding caverns of Dunbuy.Nothing but the faith which I had in the vision of Marjory, which cameto me with the dead eyes of the western Seer, could have carried me outinto that dreadful gloom. All its possibilities of horror and dangerwoke to me at once, and for a moment appalled me.
But Faith is a conquering power; even the habit of believing, in which Ihad been taught, stood to me in this wild hour. No sceptic, no doubter,could have gone forth as I did into that unknown of gloom and fear.
I waited till a great wave was swept in close under my bare feet. Then,with a silent prayer, and an emboldening thought: 'For Marjory!' Ileaped into the coming water.
CHAPTER LI
IN THE SEA FOG
For a few minutes I was engaged in a wild struggle to get away from therocks, and not to be forced back by the shoreward rush and sweep of thewaves. I was buffeted by them, and half-choked by the boiling foam; butI kept blindly and desperately to my task, and presently knew that I hadonly to deal with the current and the natural rise and fall of therollers. Down on the water the air was full of noises, so that it washard to distinguish any individual sound; but the fog lay less dense onthe surface than above it, so that I could see a little better aroundme.
On the sea there is always more or less light; even in this time ofmidnight gloom, with moon and stars hidden by the fog, and with none ofthat phosphorescence which at times makes a luminous glow of its ownover the water, I could see things at an unexpected distance. More thanall, was I surprised as well as cheered to find that I could distinguishthe features of the land from the sea, better than I could from landdiscern anything at sea. When I looked back, the shore rose, a darkuneven line, unbroken save where the Haven of Dunbuy running inland madean angle against the sky. But beside me, the great Rock of Dunbuy rosegigantic and black; it was like a mountain towering over me. The tidewas running down so that when I had got out of the current runninginland behind the rock I was in comparatively calm water. There was nodownward current, but only a slow backwater, which insensibly took mecloser to the Rock. Keeping in this shelter, I swam on and out; I savedmyself as much as I could, for I knew of the terrible demand on mystrength which lay before me. It must have been about ten minutes,though it seemed infinitely longer, when I began to emerge from theshelter of the Rock and to find again the force of the outer current.The waves were wilder here too; not so wild as just in shore before theybroke, but they were considerably larger in their rise and fall. As Iswam on, I looked back now and then, and saw Dunbuy behind me toweringupward, though not so monstrously as when I had been under its lee. Thecurrent was beginning already to bear me downwards; so I changed mycourse, and got back to the sheltered water again. Thus I crept roundunder the lee of the Rock, till all at once I found myself in the angryrace, where the current beat on and off the cliff. It took me all mystrength and care to swim through this; when the force of the currentbegan to slacken, as I emerged from the race, I found myself panting andbreathless with the exertion.
But when I looked around me from this point, where the east opened tome, there was something which restored all my courage and hope, thoughit did not still the beating of my heart.
Close by, seemingly only a couple of hundred yards off to the northeast, lay a ship whose masts and spars stood out against the sky. Icould see her clearly, before a coming belt of fog bore down on her.
The apprehension lest I should miss her in the fog chilled me more thanthe sea water in which I was immersed; for all possibilities of evilbecame fears to me, now that the realisation of my vision was clear. Iwas glad of the darkness; it was a guarantee against discovery. I swamon quietly, and was rejoiced to find as I drew close that I was on theport side of the ship; well I remembered how in my vision the boatapproached to port, to the surprise of the men who were looking out forit on the other side. I found the rope ladder easily enough, and did nothave much difficulty in getting a foothold on it. Ascending cautiously,and watching every inch of the way, I climbed the bulwark and hid behinda water barrel close to the mast. From this security I looked out, andsaw the backs of several men ranged along the starboard bulwark. Theywere intent on their watching, and unsuspicious of my proximity; so Istole out and glided as silently as I could into the cabin's entrance.It was not new to me; I had a sense of complete security as to myknowledge. The eyes of Gormala's soul were keen!
In the cabin I recognised at once the smoky lamp and the rudepreparations for food. Thus emboldened, I came to the door, behind whichI knew Marjory lay. It was locked and bolted, and the key was gone. Islid back the bolt, but the lock baffled me. I was afraid to make theslightest noise, lest I should court discovery; so I passed on to thenext cabin where was her jailer. He lay just as, in the vision, I hadseen him; the chronometer was above him and the two heavy revolvers hungunderneath it. I slipped in quietly--there were not shoes to remove--andreaching over so that the water would not drip from my wet underclothingon his face, unhooked the two weapons. I belted them round my waist withthe strap on which they hung. Then I looked round for the key, but couldsee no sign of it. There was no time to lose, and it was neither timenor place to stand on ceremony; so I took the man by the throat with myleft hand, the dagger being in my right, and held with such a grip thatthe blood seemed to leap into his face in a second. He could utterno sound, but instinctively his hand went back and up to where therevolvers had hung. I whispered in a low tone:
"It's no use. Give me the key. I don't value your life a pin!" He waswell plucked, and he was manifestly used to tight places. He did notattempt to speak or parley; but whilst I had been whispering, his righthand had got hold of a knife. It was a bowie, and he was dexterous withit. With some kind of sharp wrench he threw it open; there was a clickas the back-spring worked. If I had not had my dagger ready it wouldhave been a bad time for me. But I was prepared; whilst he was makingthe movement to strike at me, I struck. The keen point of the Spanishdagger went right through the upturned wrist, and pinned his hand downto the wooden edge of the bunk. Whilst, however, he had been tryingto strike with his right hand, his left had clutched my left wrist. Hetried now to loose my grasp from his throat, whilst bending his chindown he made a furious effort to tear at my hand with his teeth.Never in my life did I more need my strength and weight. The man wasmanifestly a fighter, trained in many a wild 'rough-and-tumble', and hisnerves were like iron. I feared to let go the hilt of the dagger, lestin his violent struggling he should tear his wrist away and so free hishand. Having, however, got my right knee raised, I pressed down with ithis arm on the edge of the bunk and so freed my right hand. He continuedto struggle ferociously. I knew well it was life and death, not only forme, but for Marjory.
It was his life or mine; and he had to pay the penalty of his crime.
So intent was I on the struggle that I had not heard the approach of theboat with his comrades. It was only when I stood panting, with the limpthroat between my fingers which were white at the knuckles with thestrain, that the sound of voices and the tramp of feet on deck reachedmy intelligence. Then indeed I knew there was no time to lose. Isearched the dead man's pockets and found a key, which I tried in thelock of Marjory's cabin. When I opened the door she started up; the handin her bosom was whipped out with a flash, and in an instant a longsteel bonnet pin was ready to drive into her breast. My agonisedwhisper:
"Marjory, it is I!" only reached her mind in time to hold her hand. Shedid not speak; but never can I forget the look of joy that illumined herpoor, pale face. I put my finger on my lip, and held out my hand to her.She rose, with the obedience of a child, and came with me. I was justgoing out into the cabin, when I heard the creak of a heavy footstep onthe companion way. So I motioned her back, and, drawing the dagger frommy belt, stood ready. I knew who it was that was coming; yet I dared notuse the pistols, save as a last resource.
I stood behind the door. The negro did not expect anyone, or anyobstacle; he came on unthinkingly, save for whatever purpose of evil wasin his mind. He was armed, as were all the members of the blackmailgang. In a belt across his shoulder, slung Kentucky fashion, were twogreat seven shooters; and across his waist behind was a great bowieknife, with handle ready to grasp. Moreover, nigger-like, the handle ofa razor rose out of the breast pocket of his dark flannel shirt. He didnot, however, manifestly purpose using his weapons--at present at anyrate; there was not any sign of danger or opposition in front of him.His comrades were busy at present in embarking the treasure, and wouldbe for many an hour to come, in helping to work the ship clear intosafety. Every minute now the wind was rising, and the waves swelling tosuch proportions that the anchored ship rocked like a bell-buoy in astorm. In the cabin
I had to hold on, or I should have been shot frommy place into view. But the huge negro cared for none of these things.He was callous to everything, and there was such a wicked, devilishpurpose in his look that my heart hardened grimly in the antagonism ofman to man. Nay more, it was not a man that I loathed; I would havekilled this beast with less compunction than I would kill a rat or asnake. Never in my life did I behold such a wicked face. In feature andexpression there was every trace and potentiality of evil; and thesesuperimposed on a racial brutality which made my gorge rise. Well indeeddid I understand now the one terror which had in all her troubles cometo Marjory, and how these wretches had used it to mould her to theirends. I knew now why, sleeping or waking, she held that steel spikeagainst her heart. If--
The thought was too much for me. Even now, though I was beside her, shewas beset by her enemies. We were both still practically prisoners on ahostile ship, and even now this demon was intent on unspeakable wrong. Idid not pause; I did not shrink from the terrible task before me. With abound I was upon him, and I had struck at his heart; struck so truly andso terrible a blow, that the hilt of the dagger struck his ribs with athud like the blow of a cudgel. The blood seemed to leap out at me, evenas the blow fell. With spasmodic reaction he tumbled forwards; fellwithout a sound, and so quickly that had not I, fearing lest the noiseof his falling might betray me, caught him, he would have dropped like astricken bullock.