I flung a quick glance around me. Dusk had fallen, but some two miles away loomed the rugged cliffs of Torbay. Astern the pursuing vessel had crept up to within three miles of us. My mind was speedily made up.
“On the contrary,” I made answer, “I shall be pleased to accompany you; though I fear, sir, that you will find me more of an encumbrance in the boat than otherwise.” And I briefly informed him of my wound. But he waived aside all my objections, and after a few moments’ earnest conversation with the master he retraced his steps to my side.
“In five minutes’ time, sir, a boat will be provided for our departure. If you have any preparations to make, I pray you then to be in readiness.”
He bowed as he spoke and descended the ladder to the little cabin to collect I supposed his own belongings; as for me, I went below to the forecastle and donned once more the clothes I had worn when I first came on board. This done, I made my way on deck. Swift as I had been in the process, I found my companion already awaiting me with visible impatience upon his countenance. To my muttered apology he took no heed, but stepped to where a boat was already lowered alongside.
“At your convenience,” he said, with a waive of his hand towards the stern.
“But,” I replied hesitatingly, “there is but room for two. You do not mean——”
He shrugged his shoulders negligently.
“Our friend here is already shorthanded, therefore for the nonce I must be my own oarsman. Have no fear, however, on that account,” he added with a smile, as I broke out into a few words of remonstrance. “’Tis not the first time I have handled an oar, though I must confess to being of late years sadly out of practice.”
He seated himself as he spoke, and without further delay I took the place assigned to me, and with a few words of kindly leave-taking and advice from the rough seamen above us—which my companion courteously acknowledged by raising his laced hat—the rope was cast off and the little vessel forged rapidly ahead.
To me there was something strange and incongruous in the sight of this gentleman with his aristocratic face and bearing and his shapely white hands—upon one of which I descried a magnificent ruby—yet plying the oars with the skill of one accustomed to such exercise. For the rest, we had covered but half the distance when the pursuing vessel passed us little more than a mile astern; but to our satisfaction she did not alter her course, but held on in pursuit of the brig. It was growing rapidly dark when we approached the cliffs, and passed slowly along them, seeking some break in their granite barrier where we might safely land. The unusual exertion I could see was telling upon my companion, though he resolutely refused to allow me to change places with him, and presently we came upon such a place as we sought. Two tongues of rock jutting crescent-shape from the base of the cliff left a clear space between them some ten feet wide, through which the tide poured with the fury of a millrace. Inside this rocky opening it widened into a little bay, the whole forming a natural harbour, ending in a white pebbly beach. So much we could see, but no more; and without hesitation my companion pulled for the narrow entrance on the crest of a huge roller. We had reached it, were all but through, I had opened my lips to congratulate him upon his skill when he uttered a shout of warning. Whether we had miscalculated the width of the opening in the deeper shadows cast by the cliff, or whether my companion’s oar struck against a sunken rock I do not know, but on a sudden the boat capsized, and I found myself struggling in the water. Of the next few moments I have but a confused recollection, for I am no swimmer. I know that the wave swept me forward, that I went under, rose to the surface sank again, and the next moment my feet touched the bottom, and I found myself gasping waist deep in the water. I dashed the water from my eyes and made for the beach. A little to my right I saw the dark outline of the boat floating bottom upwards. At the same moment a heavy object struck against my knees, all but sweeping me from my feet, and glancing downwards, I saw the white face of my companion, white, but with a crimson splash upon his forehead. I caught his arm and with set teeth braced myself to meet the back wash. When this had passed, I raised my companion’s inert form in my arms and staggered up the beach beyond reach of the water. Then I laid my burden down and stooped to examine his injuries. He was quite insensible and was bleeding profusely from a long, ragged cut upon the temple, inflicted, doubtless, by a sunken rock or by the boat itself when it capsized. Nor for all my efforts could I restore him to consciousness. Once, indeed, as I bound up the cut with the scarf taken from his neck, he groaned slightly, and bending my head closer—for the darkness had deepened around us—I fancied that I saw his eyelids quiver. But he speedily lapsed once more into total unconsciousness, so that I began to fear that his injuries might be severer than I had at first imagined. ’Twas essential, above all things, that I should procure assistance, and that speedily, ere it became quite dark. Accordingly I rose to my feet and took a rapid survey of my surroundings. On either side of me towered the rugged cliffs, but in front the beach gave way to a narrow valley—one of those bosky coombes so common to the coast of Devon. I started to ascend it, therefore, and scarcely had I advanced a quarter of a mile than I was overjoyed to see a light shining through the trees. Towards this I directed my steps, and presently found myself standing upon the edge of a little clearing in the centre of which stood a rude hut. By this time the moon had risen above the torrs, and in its clear light, a short distance away, I saw a white road running past the head of the coombe. From the hut itself came the sound of hammering, with now and again a snatch of song. I lost no time in approaching and knocking with my clenched fist upon the door. At the sound both song and hammering died away, and a moment later the door was opened and disclosed the figure of the singer.