it seemed as if it must have taken an
hour. Neither Jack nor Mamie seemed to notice the sailor. She
didn't seem to know that his wet arm was round her, and little by
little they got near the cottage, and I wasn't a hundred yards
from them when they reached the door. Something made me stand
still then. Perhaps it was fright, for I saw everything that
happened just as I see you now.

Mamie set her foot on the step to go up, and as she went forward
I saw the sailor slowly lock his arm in Jack's, and Jack didn't
move to go up. Then Mamie turned round on the step, and they all
three stood that way for a second or two. She cried out then,--I
heard a man cry like that once, when his arm was taken off by a
steam-crane,--and she fell back in a heap on the little piazza.

I tried to jump forward, but I couldn't move, and I felt my hair
rising under my hat. The sailor turned slowly where he stood, and
swung Jack round by the arm steadily and easily, and began to
walk him down the pathway from the house. He walked him straight
down that path, as steadily as Fate; and all the time I saw the
moonlight shining on his wet oilskins. He walked him through the
gate, and across the beach road, and out upon the wet sand, where
the tide was high. Then I got my breath with a gulp, and ran for
them across the grass, and vaulted over the fence, and stumbled
across the road. But when I felt the sand under my feet, the two
were at the water's edge; and when I reached the water they were
far out, and up to their waists; and I saw that Jack Benton's
head had fallen forward on his breast, and his free arm hung limp
beside him, while his dead brother steadily marched him to his
death. The moonlight was on the dark water, but the fog-bank was
white beyond, and I saw them against it; and they went slowly and
steadily down. The water was up to their armpits, and then up to
their shoulders, and then I saw it rise up to the black rim of
Jack's hat. But they never wavered; and the two heads went
straight on, straight on, till they were under, and there was
just a ripple in the moonlight where Jack had been.

It has been on my mind to tell you that story, whenever I got a
chance. You have known me, man and boy, a good many years; and I
thought I would like to hear your opinion. Yes, that's what I
always thought. It wasn't Jim that went overboard; it was Jack,
and Jim just let him go when he might have saved him; and then
Jim passed himself off for Jack