suspicion
that she might be one of the yacht's crowd had come into his mind, so
the news came scarcely as a surprise.

"It was us you hit," said he, "I'm one of the chaps from the old
hooker."

"The _Albatross_?"

"That's her."

She said nothing for a moment, looking away over at the islands. She
could see the name, still, written as if on the night. Then she
remembered the boat sail she had seen when adrift with Bompard and La
Touche.

"There were four of us got off," said he, "we struck them islands over
there and put in but there was nothing but rocks in that part. Next day
we put out, but got blown down the coast; we got smashed landing; all
but a chap named Ponting and me went under, but one chap's body was hove
up and we stripped him. I've got his boots and his knife in that bundle
over there in the cave, and Ponting's. We saved a bag of bread."

He took his seat again on the rock and, placing the cup beside him, took
the pipe from his pocket, but he did not light it. He held it, rubbing
the bowl reflectively. He seemed to have come to an end of his story.

"Did the other man die?" she asked.

"He went getting gulls' eggs one day," said Raft, "and slipped over the
cliff. They're big, the cliffs, down there. I found him all broke up on
the rocks. He didn't live more than a minute when I got to him and I had
to leave him; the tide was coming up."

"Poor man," said she.

He rose up and, taking the cup, stood for a moment again looking
seaward.

"Well, I'll be off down the beach," said he, "you won't be frightened to
be here by yourself?"

"No," she replied, "but don't go very far."

"I'll keep in sight," said Raft.

He put the cup in the cave and off he went whilst she sat watching him;
everything, life itself, seemed centred in him. A terrible feeling came
over her at moments that he might vanish, that, looking away for a
moment and turning again she might find him gone and nothing but the
beach and the gulls.

Beyond the river he turned and saw her watching him and waved his hand
as if to reassure her. She waved in reply and then sat watching till he
reached the figure-head and stood to examine it.

He seemed very small from here. She saw him standing and looking inland,
he had seen the cache, no doubt, and he would want to go to it; if he
did that he would disappear from sight. But he did not go to it, he kept
on always in view, exploring the rocks and the sands and stopping now
and then as