We asked no questions; it was our work to save them first and question them afterwards; and so, one after another, man by man, they reached the summit of the rock.
At length we came to the last man. He was getting old and stiff. Even in the night I could see that he was bent and weak.
"Are you all here?" I asked, when he had reached the top.
The old man who had last come up looked around him, and then cried out:
"But where is Miss Ruth?"
"Miss Ruth?" gasped two or three; "is she not here?"
"No woman has come up," I replied.
"Then Miss Ruth is still on the vessel," cried the old man. "Wretch, wretch, that I am to leave her."
"But she left the vessel," replied another; "why, Tom Poltewan said he was going to help her down."
"She said she must get something from the cabin," said another, "and I didn't see her. I thought Mr. Inch would be sure to take care of her."