ond recovery.

At last I turned my haggard, burning eyes upon her murderers--four of
them there were and all staring into those cruel, black waters below
and not a word betwixt them. Suddenly the black-bearded man snapped
his fingers and laughed even as my bowstring twanged; then I saw him
leap backwards, screaming with pain, his shoulder transfixed by my
arrow. Immediately (and ere I might shoot again) his fellows dragged
him down, and lying prone on their bellies let fly wildly in my
direction with petronel and musquetoon. And now, had I been near
enough, I would have leaped upon them to slay and be slain, since life
was become a hateful thing. As it was, crouched there 'mid the leaves,
I watched them crawl from the rock dragging their hurt comrade with
them. Then, seeing them stealing off thus, a mighty rage filled me,
ousting all other emotion, and (my bow in one hand and pike in the
other) I started running in pursuit. But my great pike proving
over-cumbersome, I cast it away that I might go the faster, trusting
rather to my five arrows and the long-bladed knife in my girdle, and
the thought of this knife and its deadly work at close quarters
heartened me mightily as I ran; yet in a while, the passion of my anger
subsiding, grief took its place again and a hopeless desolation beyond
words. So ran I, blinded by scalding tears and my heart breaking
within me, and thus came I to a place of rocks, and looking not to my
feet it chanced that I fell and, striking my head against a rock, knew
no more; and lost in a blessed unconsciousness, forgot awhile the
anguish of my breaking heart.

CHAPTER XXXVI

TELLETH SOME PART OF A NIGHT OF AGONY

When at last I opened my eyes I found myself in a place of gloom and
very stiff and sore; therefore I lay where I was nor sought to move.
Little by little, as I lay thus 'twixt sleep and wake, I was aware of a
pallid glow all about me, and lifting heavy head, saw the moon low down
in the sky like a great golden sickle. And staring up at this, of a
sudden back rushed memory (and with it my hopeless misery) for now I
remembered how, but a few short hours since, my dear lady had
prophesied this new moon. Hereupon, crouching there, my aching head
bowed upon my hands, I gave myself up to my despair and a corroding
grief beyond all comforting.

From where I crouched I might look down upon this accursed lake, a
misty horror of gloomy waters, and beholding this, I knew that my