beach to where showed a great fissure in the cliff hard beside a
lofty tree; being come within this cleft I found it narrow
suddenly, and at the end a small cave very dry and excellent
suited to our purpose.  Moreover, close at hand was a little rill
that bubbled among mossy rocks, mighty pleasant to be heard.  And
hereabouts grew all manner of vines, sweet-smelling shrubs and
fern; of these I gathered goodly quantity and strowing them
within the cave therewith made a very passable bed; which done, I
went back where she lay a-drying her wet garments in the warm sun
as well as she might.

"Martin," says she, mighty doleful, "I have lost my comb and all
my hairpins."

"I will fashion you others."

"Aye, but the boat, Martin, our dear, brave boat!"

"To-morrow I will seek what remains of her."

"And our stores--all lost, Martin!"

"I can find more."

"Where?"

"Among the rocks and on the trees.  There should be no lack of
fruit and fish according to Adam."

"Nay but," sighed she, shaking woeful head, "even though we
contrive to live thus, yet here must we 'bide far from our kind
with small hopes of relief and destitute of all things to our
comfort."

"Why look now," says I, "here in my pocket is a tinder box, the
which is a very comfortable thing, here in my belt a good, stout,
knife, which is another comfortable thing, and yonder is a cave,
dry and airy, shall make you a goodly chamber; so take comfort
to-night, at least."  And drawing my knife I betook me to
whetting the blade on the sole of my damp shoe.  Glancing up at
last I found my companion regarding me with strange expression.

"Methinks you are greatly changed!" says she.

"How changed?"

"In the boat you did nought but cry out and rail 'gainst fortune,
but now, Martin--"

"Now," says I, "the sun is low and night cometh apace in these
latitudes, let me know you sheltered ere it be dark!" and
sheathing my knife I rose.  Then seeing what effort she made to
come to her knees, I reached her my hand aiding her up to her
feet.  So she takes a step and, stifling a cry of pain, would
have fallen but for my arm.

"O Martin," says she, with rueful shake of the head, "I fear I
cannot walk."

"Lean on me--"

"'Tis vain," says she, catching her breath, "I cannot set this
foot to ground."

"Have you any bones broke?"

"Nay, 'tis none so bad as that--"

"Where's your hurt?"

"My knee--my ankle!  And I'm direly bruised, Martin."

But you cannot sleep out here!"

"I needs must.  The sand is warm and soft to my bed."

"There is a better waiting you in the cave yonder."

"But--if I cannot walk, Martin--"

"Why then," says I, "why then you must suffer that I carry you."

"I fear I am--greatly heavy, Martin!"

"As to that--" says I, and lifting her as gently as I might,
began to bear her across the beach.  And after we had gone thus
some way she spoke:

"I fear me I am vastly heavy!"

"No!" says I, keeping my gaze before me.

"Yet you go very slowly."

"'Tis that I would not jostle you."

"And the sand is ill-going, belike, Martin?"

"Most true!" says I, pretending to stumble.

"Why then, I pray you take your time."  At this I ventured to
glance down at her, but saw no more than the curve of a cheek and
the tip of a little ear; and staring at this came very near
blundering into a rock.  So I bore her into the rocky cleft
already full of shadow, taking due heed in my going yet mighty
conscious of all the yielding softness of her none the less.

"Your clothes are very damp!" says I.

"They will be dry ere morning," she answered, her voice muffled.

"I had best light a fire then!"

"There is no need, 'tis very warm, I do think."

"'Tis good against wild beasts and the like," says I.

"Why then, as you will, Martin."

Reaching the little cave at last she would have had me set her
down; but I bade her lie still, and getting to my knees within
the cave I laid her upon her ferny bed, whereat she uttered a
little cry of pleasure.

"Why, Martin," says she, snugging down, here is wondrous soft bed
and fragrant."

"'Twill serve until I can contrive a better," quoth I, and coming
without the cave, stood looking down on her, while the night
deepened about us apace.

"And what of you, Martin?"

"I shall sleep here, beyond the fire."

"Do you think there be any wild beasts hereabouts?"

"God knoweth!" says I.  "Howbeit you may sleep secure and fear
nothing."

"I know that, O I know that!" says she gently.

"Do you lack for aught?"

"Only sleep, Martin."

"Why then, I'll set about making the fire."  So I fell to
gathering twigs and driftwood, of which there was no lack, and
taking out my tinder-box (albeit the tinder was still damp) soon
contrived to have the fire crackling right merrily.  This done
and with store of fuel to hand, I scooped me out a hollow in the
warm sand and lying therein found myself very well, the aches of
my many bruises notwithstanding.  The night air struck chill
through my damp garments, but now, stretched in the comfort of
the fire, there grew within me a great wonder at our miraculous
deliverance; and this led me to ponder upon our present
situation, cast thus destitute upon this lonely island where,
devoid of every comfort and necessity, we must needs live in
barbarous fashion as best we might until either Penfeather should
come to our relief or we be taken off by some chance vessel.  And
supposing (thinks I) that neither chance befall and we doomed to
drag out our days to their miserable end?  Here I must needs
bethink me of all the woeful tales I had heard of marooners or
poor, shipwrecked mariners who, by reason of wretchedness and
hardship, had run mad or become baser than the brutes.  And now,
I must needs take out and read Penfeather's crumpled letter, and
bethinking me how (in my wicked folly) I had cast overboard the
packet of instructions whereby we must at least have found all
those stores he made mention of, from cursing him I straightway
fell to bitter recriminations of my vain self.

"Are you asleep, Martin?"

"No!"  Here I heard her sigh, and a rustle as she turned on her
leafy couch.

"O Martin, surely God hath had us in His care to bring us safe
through so many dangers, and methinks His gentle hand will be
over us still."

"Have you no fear of what is to be?"

"None, Martin--not now.  But had I found myself alone here--hurt
and helpless in the dark--and really alone, O methinks I should
have died indeed, or lost my wits and perished so.  O truly,
truly, God is infinitely merciful!"

Thus (and all unknowing) she rebuked my ungrateful despondency. 
For (thinks I) if she, a woman accustomed to ease and comfort,
may thus front our desperate fortunes undismayed and with faith
unshaken, how much more should I, a man inured to suffering and
hardened by privation?  Thus, checking my gloomy foreboding, I
too breathed a prayer to God for His infinite mercies, and
thereafter fell to pondering how I might supply our more pressing
needs with such small means as I possessed; and so in a while,
dozed off to sleep.

I started up, knife in hand, to find the moon very big and
bright, flooding the world with a radiance wondrous to behold;
and blinking drowsily, I wondered what had waked me.  Now as I
gazed about me the place seemed all at once to take on an evil
look, what with its steepy sides a-bristle with tangled vines and
bushes and pierced here and there with black holes and fissures,
and I shivered.  The fire being low I, minded to replenish it,
was groping for my fuel when I started and remained peering up at
the cliff above, with ears on the stretch and every nerve a-
tingle.  The night was very calm and still, for the wind had died
away, and save for the distant murmur of the surf beyond the
reef, nought was to hear; then and all at once, from one of those
black holes in the rock above I heard a long-drawn, sighing
breath and therewith a faint scuffling.  Slowly and cautiously I
got to my feet and, with knife gripped ready, began to creep
thither; and now within one of these gloomy crevices in the rock-
face I saw a crouching shape that, as I drew nearer, sprang away
with a snort and clatter, and I saw this was a large goat.

And surely no poor wight ever more relieved than I as, sheathing
my knife, I wiped the sweat from me; and now to relief was added
a mighty satisfaction, for where was one goat would be others. 
Thus, my fears allayed, and bethinking me how savoury was a mess
of goat's-flesh, I fell a-watering at the mouth like the hungry
animal I was.

Having no more mind to sleep (and the moon so marvellous bright)
I wandered forth of these shadowy rocks and, being upon the
sands, stood to look about me.  Before me stretched the wide
ocean, a desolation of heaving waters that, rolling shorewards,
broke in splendour 'neath the moon; to my right lay a curve of
silver beach backed by cliffs and groves of stately palms; and to
my left and hard beside these bush-girt rocks was a great and
lofty tree.

Now observing this tree more closely, its mighty writhen branches
and gnarled roots, and how it stood close against the opening in
the cliff, an uneasy feeling possessed me that this tree and its
immediate surroundings were all familiar, almost as I had seen it
before, though I knew this could not be.  So stood I chin in
hand, staring about me and ever my unease grew; and then:

"So that night, Martin, the moon being high and bright, I came to
that stretch of silver sand where they lay together rigid and
pale, and though I had no tool but his dagger and a piece of
driftwood, I contrived to bury them 'neath the great pimento tree
that stood beside the rock-cleft, and both in the same grave."

It was, for all the world, as though Adam had repeated the words
in my ear, insomuch that I glanced round as almost expecting to
see him.  So then it was here Black Bartlemy had died at the
hands of the poor, tortured Spanish lady; and here they lay
buried, their bones mouldering together within a yard of me.  And
standing in this dismal spot I must needs mind Adam's narrative
and great was my pity for this poor Spanish lady.

In a while I got me back to the fire and, lying down, fain would
have slept, but my mind was full of Adam's story.  Howbeit after
some while, what with fatigue and the warmth of the fire, slumber
took me.

But in my sleep the dead arose and stood fronting each other
beneath a pallid moon, Bartlemy in all the bravery of velvet and
lace and flowing periwig, and the Spanish lady tall and proud and
deadly pale.  And now as she shrank from his evil touch, I saw
that her face was the face of Joan Brandon.  Sweating in dumb
anguish I watched Bartlemy grip her in cruel hands and bend her
backward across his knee, while she stared up at him with eyes of
horror, her lips moving in passionate entreaty.  But, as he bent
over her, was a flash of steel, and deep-smitten he staggered
back to the great tree and, leaning there, fell into a fit of
wild laughter so that the silver dagger-hilt that was shaped like
a woman seemed to dance and leap upon his quick-heaving breast;
then as he swayed there laughing his life out, he raised his face
to the pale moon, and I saw that the face of Black Bartlemy was
my own.


CHAPTER XXVI

WE COME UPON GRIM EVIDENCES OF ADAM PENFEATHER

Waking to a glory of sun, I found my companion looking down on me
all anxious-eyed where she knelt, her hand upon my shoulder.

"Why, Joan," says I drowsily, "my lady--"

"You are groaning, Martin, so I came to you."

"Groaning?" says I, flinching from her touch.  "'Twas nought!  An
ill fancy--a dream, no more.  But here is the sun well up and I
a-snoring--"

"Nay, you groaned and cried out, Martin.  And 'tis yet full
early."

"And you'll be mighty hungry and for that matter so am I!"  So
saying I rose and, without more ado, strode away across the sands
towards the reef.  Now as I went, I chanced upon a great turtle-
shell (to my joy!) and divers others marvellously shaped and
tinted, and chose such as might serve us for cups and the like. 
With these beneath my arm I clambered out upon the reef and (the
tide being out) saw many rocks, amongst which I had soon
collected good store of shell-fish as limpets, oysters, and
others much like to a periwinkle though larger.  Filling my
turtle-shell with these I took it 'neath my arm again and went
on, following the curve of the reef, clambering over these slimy
rocks, and found it no small labour what with my burden and the
heat of the sun; but I persevered, seeking some fragment of our
boat or the stores wherewith she had been so well laden.  Yet,
and search how I might, found nought to reward me.  Having thus
traversed the whole reef and explored the rocks beyond very
thoroughly, I cast me down beside the lagoon to bathe my hands
and face and rest myself awhile.  Presently, chancing to turn my
head, I saw a place of trees hard by, and started up, my
weariness clean forgotten.  For divers of these trees bore great
clusters of yellowish fruit, the which I knew for a sort of
plantain, very wholesome and of delicate savour.  So, casting out
my limpets and periwinkles, I hasted to pluck good store of this
fruit, and with my turtle-shell thus well laden, hastened back to
our refuge very well content.

My companion being absent I seated myself in the shade and began
opening the oysters with my knife as well as I might; in the
which occupation she presently found me, and grew very merry at
my clumsy efforts.  And now I noticed that she had wrought her
long hair into two braids very thick and glossy, also she had
somehow contrived to mend the rents in her gown and her torn
sleeve.

"Why, you have combed your hair!" says I wondering and speaking
my thought aloud.

"With my fingers, they must be my comb until you can make me a
better--alack, my poor hair!"

"Why then, you must have a comb so soon as I can contrive one. 
But now see the breakfast nature hath provided us withal!"

And who so full of pleased wonderment as she, particularly as
regarded the fruit which she pronounced delicious, but my shell-
fish she showed small liking for, though I found them eatable
enough.  Seeing her so pleased I told her I hoped to provide
better fare very soon, and recounted my adventure with the goat.

"But," says she, "how shall you go a-hunting and no firearms?"

"With a bow and arrows."

"Have you found these also?"

"No, I must make them.  I shall look out a sapling shaped to my
purpose and trim it with my knife.  For the cord of my bow I will
have leather strips cut from my jerkin."

"Aye, but your arrows, Martin, how shall you barb them without
iron?"

"True!" says I, somewhat hipped.  But in that moment my eye
lighted on a piece of driftwood I had gathered for fuel and,
reaching it, I laid it at her feet.  "There," says I, pointing to
the heads of divers rusty bolts that pierced it, "here is iron
enough to arm a score of arrows."

"But how shall you make them, Martin?"

"Heat the iron soft and hammer it into shape."

"But you have neither hammer nor anvil."

"Stones shall do."

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