Prithee, prithee, leave not our faithful mast."

"My son," said the friar, "you speak prudently. But know that I have
business of Holy Church on hand, and may not waste time floating when
I can walk, in her service. There I felt it with my toes again; see the
benefit of wearing sandals, and not shoon. Again; and sandy. Thy
stature is less than mine: keep to the mast! I walk." He left the mast
accordingly and extending his powerful arms, rushed through the water.
Gerard soon followed him. At each overpowering wave the monk stood like
a tower, and closing his mouth, threw his head back to encounter it, and
was entirely lost under it awhile: then emerged and ploughed lustily on.
At last they came close to the shore; but the suction outward baffled
all their attempts to land. Then the natives sent stout fishermen into
the sea, holding by long spears in a triple chain; and so dragged them
ashore.

The friar shook himself, bestowed a short paternal benediction on the
natives, and went on to Rome, with eyes bent on earth according to his
rule, and without pausing. He did not even cast a glance back upon that
sea, which had so nearly engulfed him, but had no power to harm him,
without his Master's leave.

While he stalks on alone to Rome without looking back, I who am not in
the service of Holy Church, stop a moment to say that the reader and
I were within six inches of this giant once before; but we escaped him
that time. Now I fear we are in for him. Gerard grasped every hand upon
the beach. They brought him to an enormous fire, and with a delicacy
he would hardly have encountered in the north, left him to dry himself
alone: on this he took out of his bosom a parchment, and a paper, and
dried them carefully. When this was done to his mind, and not till then,
he consented to put on a fisherman's dress and leave his own by the
fire, and went down to the beach. What he saw may be briefly related.

The captain stuck by the ship, not so much from gallantry, as from a
conviction that it was idle to resist Castor or Pollux, whichever it was
that had come for him in a ball of fire.

Nevertheless the sea broke up the ship and swept the poop, captain and
all, clear of the rest, and took him safe ashore. Gerard had a principal
hand in pulling him out of the water. The disconsolate Hebrew landed on
another fragment, and on touching earth, offered a reward for his bag,
which excited little sympathy, but some amusement. Two more were s