n the boat. I put out a line as
I came across. I'll leave you some."

"And have you a bottle--or a bailing-tin? Anything I could bring home
some water from the pools in? I have to go over there every time I need
a drink, and in the dark it's not possible."

"You can have the bailer. It's a new one and sound."

"Now tell me, Bernel, if they find out I'm here what will they do?"

"They might come across and try and take you, unless they cool down; and
that won't be so long as that Julie and Peter talk as they do. She makes
him do everything she tells him. He's a sheep."

"And if they come across, what do you and Nance expect me to do?"

"You've got my gun," said the boy simply.

"Yes, I've got your gun. But do you expect me to kill some of them?"

"They'd kill you," said Bernel, conclusively. On second thoughts,
however, he added, "But you needn't kill them. Wing one or two, and the
rest will let you be. With a gun I could keep all Sark from landing on
L'Etat."

"Suppose they come in the night? How many landing-places are there?"

"There's another at the end nighest Guernsey, but it's not easy. And
it's only low tide and half-ebb that lets you ashore here at all."

"How about your boat?"

"She's riding to a line. Tide's running up that way, but I'd better be
off."

They stumbled through the darkness and the sleeping gulls, which woke in
fright, and volubly accused one another of nightmares and riotous
behaviour--and Bernel hauled in his boat, and handed Gard the tin dipper
and three good-sized bream.

"If you can't eat them all at once, split them open and dry them in the
sun," he said. "They'll keep for a week that way."

"Tell Nance I think of her every hour of the day, and I pray God the
truth may come out soon."

"I'll tell her. It'll come out. She says so," and he pulled out into the
darkness and was gone.

And the Solitary went back to his shelter, secure in the knowledge that
the tide was on the rise, and half-ebb would not be till well on into
next day. And he thought of Nance, and of Bernel, and of all the whole
matter again; white thoughts and black thoughts, but chiefly white
because of Nance, and Nance was a fact, while the black thoughts were
shadows confusing as the mist.

He could only devoutly hope and pray that a clean wind might come and
put the shadows to flight and let the sun of truth shine through.

CHAPTER XXIV

HOW HE SAW STRANGE SIGHTS

Living thus face to face w