Certainly it was a horrifying sight to behold those two human beings dangling above that roaring sea on one frail ladder of rope. The two men could not speak, they could hardly breathe, so intense was the excitement and tension of that moment. There they lay gazing down, utterly powerless to stretch out even a finger to save their friend.
As soon as Anna perceived that van Nerekool was following her she obeyed the impulse which had driven her to flight, and tried to descend more rapidly than before. But, another thought came flashing upon her. She had heard the dessa-people at Ajo talking a great deal about the Goewah Temon. She knew, from them, that, at low water, the entrance to the cave might be reached; and that then the cave itself might be entered. She knew also that this entrance could only be gained by swimming, because the bottom of the cavity was quite six feet below the lowest water mark. She did not mind that, for she could swim like a duck; but—! but—! all this was only practicable at ebb tide, at dead low water, and when the sea was calm and there were no breakers rolling in.
But now—! now the waves were dashing with terrific violence against that trachyte wall—It seemed as if every successive wave reached higher—Yet she descended—further down—still down—
“Anna! Anna!” cried Charles above her head.
At length she reached the top of the vaulted cavity. She knew that, at low water, the opening was about fifty feet high, but how narrow did it look just then! Indeed the greater part of it was covered by the sea. She fancied she might just manage to reach the courses of rottang-rope which led from the mouth of the hole to its interior to assist the gatherers of swallows’ nests in their perilous work.
She was putting out her hand to feel for one of those cables.
But, as she did so, a wave of enormous strength came rolling up and broke at her feet with a crash like thunder, and fearfully shook the foot of the ladder which hung loosely floating about at the entrance of the cave.
Terrified out of her senses, the young girl lost her presence of mind altogether. She let go her grip, and fell backward into the seething water.
“A blighted life!” was her last cry as she fell.
Van Nerekool had looked down, as he felt the huge wave approaching—he saw his beloved Anna fall backward—he saw her floating in that boiling surf—he saw her tossed and rolled about like a log in that thick mass of white foam. For the merest fraction of a second he could see her glorious mass of jet-black hair waving on the gleaming surface—and then—all was sucked up into the cave and disappeared from his view.