Foul Play

by Charles Reade

  CHAPTER XXXVI.

  HE started, and rubbed his eyes, and looked again. It was no delusion.Things never did come as they are expected to come. There was still nodoubtful speck on the horizon; but within eight miles of the island--andin this lovely air that looked nearly close--was a ship, under canvas.She bore S. E. from Mount Lookout, and S. S. E. from the East Bluff ofthe island, toward which her course was apparenty directed. She had afair wind, but was not going fast; being heavily laden, and under nopress of sail. A keen thrill went through him; and his mind was a whirl.He ran home with the great news.

  But, even as he ran, a cold, sickly feeling crawled over him.

  "That ship parts her and me."

  He resisted the feeling as a thing too monstrous and selfish, andresisted it so fiercely, that, when he got to the slopes and saw Helenbusy at her work, he waved his hat and hurrahed again and again, andseemed almost mad with triumph.

  Helen stood transfixed, she had never seen him in such a state.

  "Good news!" he cried; "great news! A ship in sight! You are rescued!"

  Her heart leaped into her mouth.

  "A ship!" she screamed. "Where? Where?"

  He came up to her, panting.

  "Close under the island. Hid by the bluff; but you will see her in halfan hour. God be praised! Get everything ready to go. Hurrah! This is ourlast day on the island."

  The words were brave, and loud, and boisterous, but the face was pale anddrawn, and Helen saw it, and, though she bustled and got ready to leave,the tears were in her eyes. But the event was too great to be resisted. Awild excitement grew on them both. They ran about like persons crazed,and took things up, and laid them down again, scarcely knowing what theywere doing. But presently they were sobered a little, for the ship didnot appear. They ran across the sands, where they could see the bluff;she ought to have passed that half an hour ago.

  Hazel thought she must have anchored.

  Helen looked at him steadily.

  "Dear friend," said she, "are you sure there is a ship at all? Are younot under a delusion? This island fills the mind with fancies. One day Ithought I saw a ship sailing in the sky. Ah!" She uttered a faint scream,for while she was speaking the bowsprit and jib of a vessel glided pastthe bluff so closely they seemed to scrape it, and a ship emergedgrandly, and glided along the cliff.

  "Are they mad," cried Hazel, "to hug the shore like that? Ah! they haveseen my warning."

  And it appeared so, for the ship just then came up in the wind severalpoints, and left the bluff dead astern.

  She sailed a little way on that course, and then paid off again, andseemed inclined to range along the coast. But presently she was up in thewind again, and made a greater offing. She was sailed in a strange,vacillating way; but Hazel ascribed this to her people's fear of thereefs he had indicated to all comers. The better to watch her maneuvers,and signal her if necessary, they both went up to Telegraph Point. Theycould not go out to her, being low water. Seen from this height, theworking of this vessel was unaccountable. She was to and off the wind asoften as if she was drunk herself, or commanded by a drunken skipper.However, she was kept well clear of the home reefs, and made a goodoffing, and so at last she opened the bay heading N. W., and distant fourmiles, or thereabouts. Now was the time to drop her anchor. So Hazelworked the telegraph to draw her attention, and waved his hat and hand toher. But the ship sailed on. She yawed immensely, but she kept hercourse; and, when she had gone a mile or two more, the sickening truthforced itself at last upon those eager watchers. She had decided not totouch at the island. In vain their joyful signals. In vain the telegraph.In vain that cry for help upon the eastern cliff; it had saved her, butnot pleaded for them. The monsters saw them on the height--their hope,their joy--saw and abandoned them.

  They looked at one another with dilating eyes, to read in a human facewhether such a deed as this could really be done by man upon his fellow.They uttered wild cries to the receding vessel.

  Vain, vain, all was in vain.

  Then they sat down stupefied, but still glaring at the ship, and each atthe same moment held out a hand to the other, and they sat hand in hand;all the world to each other just then, for there was the world in sightabandoning them in cold blood.

  "Be calm, dear friend," said Helen, patiently. "Oh, my poor father!" Andher other hand threw her apron over her head, and then came a burst ofanguish that no words could utter.

  At this Hazel started to his feet in fury. "Now may the God that made seaand land judge between those miscreants there and you!"

  "Be patient," said Helen, sobbing. "Oh, be patient."

  "No! I will not be patient," roared Hazel. "Judge thou her cause, oh,God; each of these tears against a reptile's soul."

  And so he stood glaring, and his hair blowing wildly to the breeze; whileshe sighed patiently at his knee.

  Presently he began to watch the vessel with a grim and bitter eye. Anonhe burst out suddenly, "Aha! that is right. Well steered. Don't cry,sweet one; our cause is heard. Are they blind? Are they drunk? Are theysick? I see nobody on deck! Perhaps I have been too-- God forgive me, theship's ashore!"