Foul Play

by Charles Reade

  CHAPTER XXXVIII.

  HELEN uttered a shriek of agony, and her knees smote together, and shewould have swooned on the spot but for the wind and the spray that beatagainst her.

  To the fearful stun succeeded the wildest distress. She ran to and frolike some wild animal bereaved; she kept wringing her hands and utteringcries of pity and despair, and went back to the boat a hundred times; itheld her by a spell.

  It was long before she could think connectedly, and, even then, it wasnot of herself, nor of her lonely state, but only, Why did not she diewith him? Why did she not die instead of him?

  He had been all the world to her; and now she knew it. Oh, what a friend,what a champion, what a lover, these cruel waves had destroyed!

  The morning broke, and still she hovered and hovered about the fatalboat, with great horror-stricken eyes, and hair flying to the breeze; andnot a tear. If she could only have smoothed his last moments, have spokenone word into his dying ear! But no! Her poor hero had died in going tosave others; died thinking her as cold as the waters that had destroyedhim.

  Dead or alive he was all the world to her now. She went, wailingpiteously, and imploring the waves to give her at least his dead body tospeak to and mourn over. But the sea denied her even that dismalconsolation.

  The next tide brought in a few more fragments of the wreck, but no corpsefloated ashore.

  Then, at last, as the waves once more retired, leaving, this time, onlypetty fragments of wreck on the beach, she lifted up her voice, andalmost wept her heart out of her body.

  Such tears as these are seldom without effect on the mind; and Helen nowbegan to rebel, though faintly, against despair. She had been quitecrushed, at first, under the material evidence--the boat driven empty bythe very wind and waves that had done the cruel deed. But the heart isaverse to believe calamity and especially bereavement; and very ingeniousin arguing against that bitterest of all woes. So she now sat down andbrooded, and her mind fastened with pathetic ingenuity on everycircumstance that could bear a favorable construction. The mast had notbeen broken; how, then, had it been lost? The body had not come ashore.He had had time to get to the wreck before the gale from the north cameon at all. And why should a fair wind, though powerful, upset the boat?On these slender things she began to build a superstructure of hope; butsoon her heart interrupted the reasoning. "What would _he_ do in myplace? would he sit guessing while hope had a hair to hang by?" Thatthought struck her like a spur. And in a moment she bounded into action,erect, her lips fixed, and her eye on fire, though her cheek was verypale. She went swiftly to Hazel's store and searched it; there she foundthe jib-sail, a boat-hook, some rope, and one little oar, that Hazel wasmaking for her, and had not quite completed. The sight of this, his lastwork, overpowered her again; and she sat down and took it on her knees,and kissed it and cried over it. And these tears weakened her for a time.She felt it, and had the resolution to leave the oar behind. A single oarwas of no use to row with. She rigged the boat-hook as a mast; andfastened the sail to it; and, with this poor equipment, she actuallyresolved to put out to sea.

  The wind still blew smartly, and there was no blue sky visible.

  And now she remembered she had eaten nothing; that would not do. Herstrength might fail her. She made ready a meal, and ate it almostfiercely, and by a pure effort of resolution; as she was doing all therest.

  By this time it was nearly high tide. She watched the water creeping up.Will it float the boat? It rises over the keel two inches, three inches.Five inches water! Now she pushes with all her strength. No; the boat haswater in it she had forgotten to bale out. She strained every nerve, butcould not move it. She stopped to take breath, and husband her strength.But, when she renewed her efforts, the five inches were four, and she hadthe misery of seeing the water crawl away by degrees, and leave the boathigh and dry.

  She sighed, heart-broken, awhile; then went home and prayed.

  When she had prayed a long time for strength and wisdom, she lay down foran hour, and tried to sleep, but failed. Then she prepared for a moreserious struggle with the many difficulties she had to encounter. Now shethanked God more than ever for the health and rare strength she hadacquired in this island; without them she could have done nothing now.She got a clay platter and baled the vessel nearly dry. She left a littlewater for ballast. She fortified herself with food, and put provisionsand water on board the boat. In imitation of Hazel she went and got tworound logs, and as soon as the tide crawled up to four inches, she liftedthe bow a little, and got a roller under. Then she went to the boat'sstern, set her teeth, and pushed with a rush of excitement that gave heralmost a man's strength.

  The stubborn boat seemed elastic, and all but moved. Then instinct taughther where her true strength lay. She got to the stern of the boat, and,setting the small of her back under the projecting gunwale, she gatheredherself, together and gave a superb heave that moved the boat a foot. Shefollowed it up, and heaved again with like effect. Then, with a cry ofjoy, she ran and put down another roller forward. The boat was now on tworollers. One more magnificent heave with all her zeal, and strength, andyouth, and the boat glided forward. She turned and rushed at it as itwent, and the water deepening, and a gust catching the sail, it went outto sea, and she had only just time to throw herself across the gunwale,panting. She was afloat. The wind was S.W., and, before she knew whereshe was, the boat headed toward the home reefs, and slipped through thewater pretty fast considering how small a sail she carried. She ran tothe helm. Alas! the rudder was broken off above the water-line. The helmwas a mockery, and the boat running for the reefs. She slacked the sheet,and the boat lost her way, and began to drift with the tide, whichluckily had not yet turned. It carried her inshore.

  Helen cast her eyes around her for an expedient, and she unshipped one ofthe transoms, and by trailing it over the side, and alternately slackingand hauling the sheet, she contrived to make the boat crawl like a wingedbird through the western passage. After that it soon got becalmed underthe cliff, and drifted into two feet water.

  Instantly she tied a rope to the mast, got out into the water, and tookthe rope ashore. She tied it round a heavy barrel she found there, andset the barrel up, and heaped stones round it and on it, which,unfortunately, was a long job, though she worked with feverish haste;then she went round the point, sometimes wet and sometimes dry, for thelittle oar she had left behind because it broke her heart to look at.Away with such weakness now! With that oar, his last work, she mightsteer if she could not row. She got it. She came back to the boat torecommence her voyage.

  She found the boat all safe, but in six inches of water, and the tidegoing out. So ended her voyage; four hundred yards at most, and then towait another twelve hours for the tide.

  It was too cruel; and every hour so precious. For, even if Hazel wasalive, he would die of cold and hunger ere she could get to him. Shecried like any woman. She persisted like a man.

  She made several trips, and put away things in the boat that couldpossibly be of use--abundant provision, and a keg of water; Hazel'swooden spade to paddle or steer with; his basket of tools, etc. Then shesnatched some sleep; but it was broken by sad and terrible dreams. Thenshe waited in an agony of impatience for high water.

  We are not always the best judges of what is good for us. Probably thesedelays saved her own life. She went out at last under far more favorablecircumstances--a light westerly breeze, and no reefs to pass through. Shewas, however, severely incommoded with a ground-swell.

  At first she steered with the spade as well as she could; but she foundthis was not sufficient. The current ran westerly, and she was driftingout of her course. Then she remembered Hazel's lessons, and made shift tofasten the spade to the helm, and then lashed the helm. Even this did notquite do; so she took her little oar, kissed it, cried over it a little,and then pulled manfully with it so as to keep the true course. It was amuggy day, neither wet nor dry. White Water Island was not in sight fromGodsend Island; but, as soon as she lost the latter, the
former becamevisible--an ugly, grinning reef, with an eternal surf on the south andwestern sides.

  Often she left off rowing, and turned to look at it. It was all black andblank, except the white and fatal surf.

  When she was about four miles from the nearest part of the reef, therewas a rush and bubble in the water, and a great shark came after theboat. Helen screamed, and turned very cold. She dreaded the monster, notfor what he could do now, but for what he might have done. He seemed toknow the boat, he swam so vigilantly behind it. Was he there when theboat upset with Hazel in it? Was it in his greedy maw the remains of herbest friend must be sought? Her lips opened, but no sound. She shudderedand hid her face at this awful thought.

  The shark followed steadily.

  She got to the reef, but did not hit it off as she intended. She ranunder its lee, lowered the little sail, and steered the boat into a nickwhere the shark could hardly follow her.

  But he moved to and fro like a sentinel, while she landed in trepidationand secured the boat to the branches of a white coral rock.

  She found the place much larger than it looked from Telegraph Point. Itwas an archipelago of coral reef incrusted here and there with shells.She could not see all over it, where she was, so she made for what seemedthe highest part, a bleak, sea-weedy mound, with some sandy hillocksabout it. She went up to this, and looked eagerly all round.

  Not a soul.

  She called as loud as her sinking heart would let her.

  Not a sound.

  She felt very sick, and sat down upon the mound.

  When she had yielded awhile to the weakness of her sex, she got up andwas her father's daughter again. She set to work to examine every foot ofthe reef.

  It was no easy task. The rocks were rugged and sharp in places, slipperyin others; often she had to go about, and once she fell and hurt herpretty hands and made them bleed; she never looked at them, nor heeded,but got up and sighed at the interruption; then patiently persisted. Ittook her two hours to examine thus, in detail, one half the island. Butat last she discovered something. She saw at the eastern side of the reefa wooden figure of a woman, and, making her way to it, found thefigurehead and a piece of the bow of the ship, with a sail on it, and ayard on that. This fragment was wedged into an angle of the reef, and theseaward edge of it shattered in a way that struck terror to Helen, for itshowed her how omnipotent the sea had been. On the reef itself she founda cask with its head stove in, also a little keg and two wooden chests orcases. But what was all this to her?

  She sat down again, for her knees failed her. Presently there was a sortof moan near her, and a seal splashed into the water and dived out of hersight. She put her hands on her heart, and bowed her head down, utterlydesolate. She sat thus for a long time indeed, until she was interruptedby a most unexpected visitor. Something came sniffing up to her and put acold nose to her hand. She started violently, and both her hands were inthe air in a moment.

  It was a dog, a pointer. He whimpered and tried to gambol, but could notmanage it; he was too weak. However, he contrived to let her see, withthe wagging of his tail and a certain contemporaneous twist of hisemaciated body, that she was welcome. But, having performed thisceremony, he trotted feebly away, leaving her very much startled, and notknowing what to think; indeed, this incident set her trembling all over.

  A dog saved from the wreck! Then why not a man? And why not that life?Oh, thought she, would God save that creature, and not pity my poor angeland me?

  She got up animated with hope, and recommenced her researches. She nowkept at the outward edge of the island, and so went all round till shereached her boat again. The shark was swimming to and fro, waiting forher with horrible pertinacity. She tried to eat a mouthful, but, thoughshe was faint, she could not eat. She drank a mouthful of water, and thenwent to search the very small portion that remained of the reef, and totake the poor dog home with her, because he she had lost was so good toanimals. Only his example is left me, she said; and with that cameanother burst of sorrow. But she got up and did the rest of her work,crying as she went. After some severe traveling she got near thenortheast limit, and in a sort of gully she saw the dog, quietly seatedhigh on his tail. She called him; but he never moved. So then she went tohim, and, when she got near him, she saw why he would not come. He waswatching. Close by him lay the form of a man nearly covered withsea-weed. The feet were visible, and so was the face, the latter deadlypale. It was he. In a moment she was by him, and leaning over him withboth hands quivering. Was he dead? No; his eyes were closed; he was fastasleep.

  Her hands flew to his face to feel him alive, and then grasped both hishands and drew them up toward her panting bosom; and the tears of joystreamed from her eyes as she sobbed and murmured over him, she knew notwhat. At that he awoke and stared at her. He uttered a loud ejaculationof joy and wonder, then, taking it all in, burst into tears himself andfell to kissing her hands and blessing her.

  The poor soul had almost given himself up for lost. And to be saved, allin a moment, and by her!

  They could neither of them speak, but only mingled tears of joy andgratitude.

  Hazel recovered himself first; and, rising somewhat stiffly, lent her hisarm. Her father's spirit went out of her in the moment of victory, andshe was all woman--sweet, loving, clinging woman. She got hold of hishand as well as his arm, and clutched it so tight her little grasp seemedvelvet and steel.

  "Let me feel you," said she. "But no words! no words!"

  He supported his preserver tenderly to the boat, then, hoisting the sail,he fetched the east side in two tacks, shipped the sail and yard, andalso the cask, keg and boxes. He then put a great quantity of looseoysters on board, each as large as a plate. She looked at him withamazement.

  "What," said she, when he had quite loaded the boat, "only just out ofthe jaws of death, and yet you can trouble your head about oysters andthings."

  "Wait till you see what I shall do with them," said he. "These are pearloysters. I gathered them for you, when I had little hope I should eversee you again to give them you."

  This was an unlucky speech. The act, that seemed so small and natural athing to him, the woman's heart measured more correctly. Something rosein her throat; she tried to laugh instead of crying, and so she did both,and went into a violent fit of hysterics that showed how thoroughly hernature had been stirred to its depths. She quite frightened Hazel; and,indeed, the strength of an excited woman's weakness is sometimes alarmingto manly natures.

  He did all he could to soothe her; without much success. As soon as shewas better he set sail, thinking home was the best place for her. Sheleaned back exhausted, and, after a while, seemed to be asleep. We don'tbelieve she was, but Hazel did; and sat, cold and aching in body, butwarm at heart, worshiping her with all his eyes.

  At last they got ashore; and he sat by her fire and told her all, whileshe cooked his supper and warmed clothes at the fire for him.

  "The ship," said he, "was a Dutch vessel, bound from Batavia to Callao,that had probably gone on her beam ends, for she was full of water. Hercrew had abandoned her; I think they underrated the buoyancy of the shipand cargo. They left the poor dog on board. Her helm was lashed a-weathera couple of turns, but why that was done I cannot tell for the life ofme. I boarded her; unshipped my mast, and moored the boat to the ship;fed the poor dog; rummaged in the hold, and contrived to hoist up a smallcask of salted beef, and a keg of rum, and some cases of grain and seeds.I managed to slide these on to the reef by means of the mast and oarlashed together. But a roller ground the wreck farther on to the reef,and the sudden snap broke the rope, as I suppose, and the boat went tosea. I never knew the misfortune till I saw her adrift. I could have gotover that by making a raft; but the gale from the north brought such asea on us. I saw she must break up, so I got ashore how I could. Ah, Ilittle thought to see your face again, still less that I should owe mylife to you."

  "Spare me," said Helen faintly.

  "What, must not I thank you even for my life?"
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  "No. _The account is far from even yet."_

  "You are no arithmetician to say so. What astonishes me most is, that youhave never once scolded me for all the trouble and anxiety--"

  "I am too happy to see you sitting there, to scold you. But still I doask you to leave the sea alone after this. The treacherous monster! Oh,think what you and I have suffered on it."

  She seemed quite worn out. He saw that, and retired for the night,casting one more wistful glance on her. But at that moment she was afraidto look at him. Her heart was welling over with tenderness for the dearfriend whose life she had saved.