I wish to Heaven that I had the gift of
words.
The sight filled me with both hope and
mystification. The fresh, cold, aromatic sea gave me new vigour of body and
mind.
Forthe margin of shore had now disappeared, and the
cliffs droppedsheer into deep water.
He seemed in no waysurprised to see us, but there
was that about him which made mecatch my breath. I was bred a Calvinist, but in
thatmoment I was not worshipping any graven image.
I think it may come to putting our backs to the
wall,and the odds are unpleasant. I took out mypistol, cleaned and reloaded it, and
told Janni to look to his. He knelt at a respectfuldistance from the bier, and began
to mutter prayers. Then I decided against the shot, for I felt that itwas a counsel
of despair. Anyhow, he was gone now, and our one bridge with a sane world wasbroken.
The last solution Idismissed: Black George, I was convinced, was no quitter. And all
the while thecrowd kept utter silence.
I would have liked to bathe, but decided that I
must first get theimmediate business over. One couldnot mistake the trim figure of
Maris, or his alert, bird-like head. I presented him with my emptycigarette-case,
and he kissed me on both cheeks. Not one solitary figure appeared in the blinding
white street. I simply dared not allow my mind to dwell onKoré and her perils, for
that way lay madness. Anyhow, he was gone now, and our one bridge with a sane world
wasbroken.
I haveascertained that there is no wire at Vano, or
elsewhere in theisland.
Here was theship which Maris had
postulated.
The sight was so strange and beautiful that I
watched it half in atrance.
In that moment I became primitive man
again.
Rivers of narcissus and iris andanemone flooded
over the crest and spilled into the hollow.
He was cursing fiercely, andhad got out his pistol.
There was not a sign of life in the streets.
Its lonely beauty had been decked and adorned, as
an altar isdraped for high festival. And then apicture flashed into my mind which
enabled me to recover my wits. We werecelebrating, but there were no votaries. Also
he had a quantity of caporal cigaretteswith which I filled my pockets. Every scrap
of manhood in me revoltedagainst my futility. He would not leave the bay, which was
the only safeplace. Suddenly Janni by my side grunted and pointed to the middle of
thelittle bay.
I followed Jannis example andbreathed incoherent
prayers.
He knelt at a respectfuldistance from the bier, and
began to mutter prayers. But the ordinary ceremonial can never havebeen so
marvellous as was our broken ritual that night.
Every scrap of manhood in me revoltedagainst my
futility.