bowed full low, and I fancied his thin
lips twitched as he did so.

"So be it, my lady," says he, "I call on your ladyship to witness that
I sell two bundles of very unseemly merchandise," and he pointed
towards the two helpless forms at his feet. "And now, with your fair
leave, madam, I'll see these fellows safe aboard and warn my Lord
Dering and gentlemen of your welfare and presence here."

"Wait!" says I as he turned to go. "First I would have these my
purchases set aboard a boat, with such stores needful, and cast adrift."

"Why, this was not in the bargain, Martin!" says he, shaking his head,
"But it shall be done for sake of our one-time comradeship." And away
he goes and his fellows with him. True to his word he orders the
pinnace launched and sends divers men to bear these two rogues aboard.
Hereupon I cut away their bonds, doing the which I found Tressady still
unconscious, but Mings for all his wounds seemed lively enough.

"Master," says he, staring hard at me, "Your name's Martin, as I think?"

"And what then?" says I, mighty short.

"'Tis a name I shall mind as long as I do my own, and that is
Mings--Abnegation Mings."

"Aye," says I. "You told me this when you sang of dead men in a wood
at midnight--"

"Ha, 'twas you, was it, master! Well, here lieth poor Roger dead or
dying and me little better, and 'tis far to the Main and an ill
journey, but should we come there and live, there be two men shall
wonder at ye, master, nor ever forget the name o' the man as saved our
necks. Howsoever, come life or death, here's Abnegation doth wish ye a
fair wind ever and always, master."

So they bore him, together with Tressady, to the pinnace, and setting
them aboard, shoved them adrift, and I watched Abnegation ply feeble
oars until the boat was through the passage in the reef and out in the
open sea beyond.

CHAPTER XLVI

HOW I DOUBTED MYSELF

Now as I stood thus, staring out to sea, the moon sank and with it my
heart also, for as the dark came about me so came darkness within me
and sudden sorrow with great fear of the future; wherefore, beholding
the loom of the ship where lights twinkled, I would gladly have seen
her a shattered wreck, and hearing the hoarse laughter and voices of
these lawless fellows waking the echoes of Deliverance Beach, I hated
them one and all, and to my fear and sorrow anger was added. But now
cometh my dear lady to stand beside me, to steal her hand into mine,