Wandering Heath by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
page 129 of 194 (66%)
page 129 of 194 (66%)
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tide-race, and that'll fetch her down, wind or no wind. Halloa!--
Lad, lad! 'tis all right! See there, that bit o' red ensign run up to the gaff!" "Why should that mean aught?" asked I. "Would he trouble to hoist bunting if he had no news? Would it be there, close under the peak, if the news was bad?--and she his own daughter, his only flesh!" It may have been twenty minutes later that Old John felt the Gunnel current, and, staying the cutter round, came down fast on us with the wind behind his beam. My father hailed to him once and twice, and the second time he must have heard. But, without answering, he ran forward and took in his foresail. And then I saw an arm and a little hand reached up to take hold of the tiller; and my heart gave a great jump. It was she, my wife Bathsheba, laid there by the stern-sheets on a spare-sail, with a bundle of oilskins to cushion her. With one hand she steered the boat up into the wind as Old John lowered sail and they fell alongside: and with the other she held a small bundle close against her breast. "Such a whackin' boy I never see in my life!"--These were Old John's first words, and he shouted them. "Born only yestiddy week, an' she ought to be abed: an' so I've been tellin' her ever since she dragged me out 'pon this wildy-go errand!" But Bathsheba, as I lifted her over the lightship's side, said no |
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