where Czerny's boat drifted upon its prey--yet so drifted
that a child might have said, "She's done with; she's sinking."

"Flushed, by all that's wonderful," cries Peter Bligh, with a
tremendous oath; "aye, down to oblivion, and an honest man's curse go
with you. The rogue's done, my lads; she's done for, certain."

We stood close together and watched the scene with burning eyes. Dolly
Venn chattered away about a shot that must have struck the boat last
night and burst her seams. I cared nothing for the reasons, but took
the facts as the sea showed them to me. Be the cause what it might,
those who would have dealt out death to the refugees were going down to
eternity now, their arms in their hands, their mad desire still to be
read in every gesture. When the truth came swift upon them, when the
seas began to break right in across their beam, then, I say, they
leaped up mad with fear, and then only forgot their prey. For think
what that must have meant to them, the very boat sinking beneath them;
their comrades far away; the waves lapping their feet; the sure
knowledge that they must die, every man of them within hail of those
very woods wherein so many had perished for their pleasure. Aye, it
came upon them swiftly enough, and the good boat, making a brave effort
to battle with the swell, went down headlong anon, and the cries of
twelve drowning men echoed even in the distant island's hills. That
which had been a placid sea with two ships' boats was still a placid
sea though but one boat swam there. I beheld horrible faces looking
upward through the blinding spindrift; I saw arms thrust out above the
foam-flecked waters; I witnessed all that fearful struggle for life and
air and the sun's bright light; and then, aye, then the scene changed
awfully, and silence came upon all, and the sun was still shining, and
the untroubled deep lapped gently at our feet.

* * *

The twelve had perished; but the nine were saved. Stand awe-struck as
we might, seeing the hand of God in this deliverance, the truth of it
remained to put new heart into us and to hide that scene from our eyes.
There, pursued no longer, was the island boat. Glad voices hailed us,
wan figures stood up to clasp our hands; we lifted a woman to the
rocks; we ran hither, thither, for help and comfort for them. But nine
in all, they were our human salvage, our prize, our treasure of honest
lives. And we had snatched them from the brigand crew, and henceforth
th