ing three muskets
and four pistols with bandoliers full-charged, together with a knife
and a couple of swords; these I set orderly together and so wandered
away again.

All this night I rambled about thus, and dawn found me seated 'neath
Bartlemy's tree staring at the ocean yet seeing it not.

So God had refused my appeal! It seemed I could not die. And
presently, chancing to look down at myself in the growing light I
understood the reason, for here was I armed in my shirt of mail
(forgotten till now) and scowling down at this, I saw its fine, steel
links scratched and scored by many blows and bedaubed here and there
with blood. So then (thinks I) 'twas she had saved me alive, and in
this thought found me some small solace. Hereupon I arose and went
down to the sea, limping by reason of my hurt (an ugly gash above my
knee) being minded to wash from me the grime and smears that fouled me.
But or ever I reached the water I stopped, for there, more hateful in
sun than moonlight, lay that ghastly thing that had been Humphrey.
There he lay, cast up by the tide, and now, with every wave that broke,
he stirred gently and moved arms and legs in wanton, silly fashion, and
nodding with his shattered head as in mockery of me. So I went and,
seizing hold upon the thing, swung it upon my back and, thus burdened,
climbed out upon the reef (and with mighty trouble, for my strength
seemed oozing out of me). Reaching a place at last where the water ran
deep I paused, and with sudden, painful effort whirled the thing above
my head and hove it far out, where, splashing, it fell with sullen
plunge and vanished from my sight. But even so I was possessed of
sudden, uneasy feeling that the thing had turned on me and was swimming
back to shore, so that, drawing my knife, I must needs sit there awhile
to watch if this were so indeed. At last I arose, but being come to
Deliverance Sands, whirled suddenly about, expectant to behold that
dead thing uprising from the surge to flap derisive arms at me. And
this did I many times, being haunted thus all that day, and for many
weary hours thereafter, by this dead man Humphrey. Presently, as I went
heedless of all direction and the sun very hot, I began to stagger in
my gait and to mutter her name to myself and presently to shouting it,
until the cliffs gave back my cries and the hollow caves murmured,
"Damaris! O Damaris!"

And now was a mist all about me wherein dim forms moved mocking me