to find it was no more than a stone. None the less sought I with a
prayer on my lips, dreading to find that white and tender body mangled
by the cruel rocks, yet searching feverishly none the less. Long I
stayed there, until the moon, high-risen, sent down her tender beam as
though to aid me. But of this time I will write no more, since even
now it is a misery to recall.

At last, I (that knew myself a man about to die) turned me towards our
habitation, those rocks she had called "home," and reaching the plateau
I stood still, swept alternately by grief and passion, to see this our
refuge all desecrated by vile hands, our poor furniture scattered
without the cave. And presently I espied her three-legged stool
standing where she had been wont to sit to watch and cheer me at my
labour; coming thither I fell on my knees, and laying my head thereon
wetted this unlovely thing with my tears and kissed it many times. As
I lay thus, much that she had done and said (little things forgot till
now) rushed upon my memory; her sweet, calm presence seemed all about
me soothing away the passion of my grief. And in this hour that was to
end my miserable life, I knew at last that I had loved her purely and
truly from the first, and with such love as might have lifted me to
heaven. And kneeling thus, I spake aloud to this her sweet presence
that seemed to hover about me:

"O Damaris, beloved--as thou, to 'scape shame, hast chosen death--in
death I'll follow thee--trusting to a merciful God that I may find thee
again!" Then uprising from my knees, I came out from the shadows, and
standing in the moon's radiance, looked heedfully to the edge of my
axe, and with it gripped in my hand, went out to find death.

CHAPTER XXXVII

HOW I SOUGHT DEATH BUT FOUND IT NOT

Beyond Deliverance Sands I saw the glow of their fire, and drawing
thither knew them camped in the shadow of that great pimento tree and
within that rocky gorge the which had afforded my dear lady and me our
first night's shelter. Being come thither, I sat me down and took
counsel how best to attack them that I might slay as many as possible
ere they gave me the death I hungered for; and the end of it was I
began to scale the cliff, my goatskin buskins soundless and very sure
amid the rocks.

As I mounted I heard the hoarse murmur of their voices and knew by
their very intonation (since I could hear no words as yet) that they
were speaking English. Reaching the