There arose a tumult of oaths, of confused, angry words; there was a noise of oars cracking together, then a mighty splash. Billy and Sally Shute ran down the beach with Captain Saulsby vainly trying to follow as quickly.
“I know that voice,” cried Sally, then lifted her own to its utmost strength to call valiantly through the dark.
“Johann, Johann Happs,” she shouted with all her might, then again, “Johann, Johann; we are here.”
Something darker than the dark water emerged suddenly into their sight, somebody plunged through the shallow breakers and fell gasping on the beach. In a moment the tall, sprawling figure was up and running through the sand toward Captain Saulsby. It was indeed Johann, trembling, breathless, sobbing, his face like chalk and his eyes burning.
“Captain Saulsby,” he cried, then stumbling, dropped on his knees in the sand. He clung to the old man’s coat crying out again and again, “I will not go, I will not go.”
In a moment of quiet they heard the oars dipping again as the boat followed him in shore.
“Don’t let them take me away,” cried Johann wildly. They all stared at each other and at the vague shape moving toward them through the dark. What was to be done?
It was Billy who, in that extremity, had a sudden inspiration. He had trodden on the Captain’s match box in the sand and had perhaps caught his idea from that. In a second he had run to the nearest heap of driftwood, had struck a match and kindled a little struggling flame.
“Quick, Sally,” he directed, “take these and those papers, go light the other piles down toward the point. They won’t dare land where it is light.”
He blew upon the blaze until the sparks flew and the rapid flame ran through the dry fuel. Higher and higher the red beacon arose, until it shone out over the water and showed the boat, slowly backing away into the dark to seek another landing place. Billy ran to another driftwood heap, glancing over his shoulder to see that Sally had successfully started hers and was hastening on to kindle others. The whole beach was lit by the red glare, the crests of the little waves caught and reflected the glow as they came running in, while, with the lighted circle spreading farther and farther out over the water, the boat drew back more and more to keep in the sheltering darkness. Johann Happs’ tall figure and Captain Saulsby’s huge, bent one looked gigantic against the crimson light, with their moving shadows trailing down to the water’s edge.