r
he knew me at all. He became excited, as he well might be; he dashed
away the water from his eyes with one hand, and with the other made
a wild sword-cut, rushing forward as if to have at me. Like a bird, I
dived into the water from our gunwale, and under the keel of the other
boat, and rose to the surface at the far side of the cave. In the very
act of plunging, a quick flash came before me--or at least I believed
so afterward--and a loud roar, as I struck the wave. It might have been
only from my own eyes and ears receiving so suddenly the cleavage of the
water. If I thought anything at all about it, it was that somebody had
shot at me; but expecting to be followed, I swam rapidly away. I did not
even look back, as I kept in the dark of the rocks, for it would have
lost a stroke, and a stroke was more than I could spare. To my great
surprise, I heard no sound of any boat coming after me, nor any shouts
of Carroway, such as I am accustomed to. But swimming as I was, for my
own poor life, like an otter with a pack of hounds after him, I
assure you I did not look much after anything except my own run of the
gauntlet."

"Of course not. How could you? It makes me draw my breath to think of
you swimming in the dark like that, with deep water, and caverns, and
guns, and all!"

"Mary, I thought that my time was come; and only one beautiful image
sustained me, when I came to think of it afterward. I swam with my
hands well under water, and not a breath that could be heard, and my cap
tucked into my belt, and my sea-going pumps slipped away into a pocket.
The water was cold, but it only seemed to freshen me, and I found myself
able to breathe very pleasantly in the gentle rise and fall of waves.
Yet I never expected to escape, with so many boats to come after me. For
now I could see two boats outside, as well as old Carroway's pinnace in
the cave; and if once they caught sight of me, I could never get away.

"When I saw those two boats upon the watch outside, I scarcely knew what
to do for the best, whether to put my breast to it and swim out, or
to hide in some niche with my body under water, and cover my face with
oar-weed. Luckily I took the bolder course, remembering their portfires,
which would make the cave like day. Not everybody could have swum out
through that entrance, against a spring-tide and the lollop of the sea;
and one dash against the rocks would have settled me. But I trusted in
the Lord, and tried a long