The men paid no attention to her, and continued their efforts in dragging Jacob to the boat.
Seeing this she again shrieked out—
“Stay, I charge you, or my curses go with you and all who abet you in the cruel act. May a speedy and sudden death overtake you; cursed be the craft which bears you across the salt sea; cursed be the sails which drive you onwards; cursed be those who bear you company; may the raging waves, the howling tempest, the flashing lightning, and roaring thunder overwhelm you; may you all sink down into the salt sea, salt sea; it’s a hungry, deep, and cruel sea. The sea, the sea, the salt, salt sea,” and she whirled her staff around her head, and shrieked louder and louder as she saw that the men had succeeded in hauling Jacob into the boat.
Miles apparently had no intention of going off, but one of the men, seizing him by the arm, exclaimed—
“Come along, and see your business carried out, young master; as you set us to the task, we are not going without you. If you turn fainthearted we will land the fellow, and let him settle the matter with you as he lists.”
Miles in vain expostulated. Mad Sal drowned his words with her wild shrieks, while she continued to wave her staff as if in the performance of an incantation. What with his unwillingness to face the mad woman should he be left on the beach, and the threats of the men, he was induced to go on board.
No sooner was he in the boat than the smugglers shoving off pulled towards the lugger, which lay in her usual berth about half-a-mile from the shore.
Mad Sal watched the proceeding, making her shrieks and wild shouts heard till the boat had got far off from the beach: she then suddenly stopped, and a gleam of sense appeared to pass through her mind.
“Instead of beseeching the villains to have mercy on the youth, I might have sent those to his aid who have the power to help him,” she muttered to herself, and turning round she began to ascend the cliff.