"Come back, robbers, come back," shouted the Southampton man. The approaching danger was disregarded or unnoticed in his excitement.
Then, espying a small boat hauled up the bank out of harm's way, the angry merchants lustily dragged it to the water's edge.
"Arrêtez, messieurs, pour l'amour de Notre Dame," shouted the Norman helmsman, waving his free arm frantically by way of warning.
But the thick-headed Englishmen were not to be thwarted in their desire to regain the bac. The light craft was launched, and the four merchants awkwardly jumped into it. Fortunately, there were oars in the boat, and in a measure they were able to keep control over the frail cockleshell. More than that they could not do, and like a straw the boat was whisked down stream.
The bore was within two hundred yards ere the merchants realized their danger. Terror seized them, and in a mad endeavour to escape they did the worst possible thing—they rowed desperately for the shore.
Nothing could be done to save the inexperienced merchants from the impending disaster. All the nerve and skill at the Norman's command was required to attend to the safety of the bac.
A hurried order, and the boat was turned bows on to the approaching wave, while the rowers bent and strained at their oars to give the craft sufficient way to mount the watery wall.
"Hold fast!" cautioned Gripwell to the lads.
The next instant the boat's bows were lifted high in the air till the craft seemed to stand on end. With a sickening shudder the bac remained for a few seconds poised upon a quivering, unstable pivot; then the long craft slid down the other side of the mountainous wave into comparatively calm water.
Anxiously Geoffrey and his comrades looked for their fellow-travellers. The little skiff, caught broadside on by the billow, had been rolled over and over, and was floating keel uppermost in the still ruffled water. Three of its late occupants were clinging to this slender support, while midway between the upturned boat and the shore the head of the unfortunate Master Roche was seen bobbing up and down.