pipers rose white from one of the nearer lagoons, swept in a long
eddying ring against the sunset, and became a black and dropping
rain to seaward. The long sinuous line of channel, fading with the
light and ebbing with the tide, began to give off here and there
light puffs of gray-winged birds like sudden exhalations. High in
the darkening sky the long arrow-headed lines of geese and 'brant'
pointed towards the upland. As the light grew more uncertain the
air at times was filled with the rush of viewless and melancholy
wings, or became plaintive with far-off cries and lamentations. As
the Marshes grew blacker the far-scattered tussocks and accretions
on its level surface began to loom in exaggerated outline, and two
human figures, suddenly emerging erect on the bank of the hidden
channel, assumed the proportion of giants.

When they had moored their unseen boat, they still appeared for
some moments to be moving vaguely and aimlessly round the spot
where they had disembarked. But as the eye became familiar with
the darkness it was seen that they were really advancing inland,
yet with a slowness of progression and deviousness of course that
appeared inexplicable to the distant spectator. Presently it was
evident that this seemingly even, vast, black expanse was traversed
and intersected by inky creeks and small channels, which made human
progression difficult and dangerous. As they appeared nearer and
their figures took more natural proportions, it could be seen that
each carried a gun; that one was a young girl, although dressed so
like her companion in shaggy pea-jacket and sou'wester as to be
scarcely distinguished from him above the short skirt that came
halfway down her high india-rubber fishing-boots. By the time they
had reached firmer ground, and turned to look back at the sunset,
it could be also seen that the likeness between their faces was