Evening star., 1924-07-13

|
at dark of the moon. The cottage
| was rough grey granite. with e root
crusted with yellow stonecrop that
looked as though it had been spilled
molten over the states. On either
side of the door a great wind-but-
tress, reaching to the caves, swept
out like a sheltering wing.
This was the place to which
Thomasin Keast brought her man on
that stormy evening. Dusk was al
ready making the air deeply, softly
blue. and through it the white
washed Intel cleaned out almost as
clearly as the phosphorescent fish
nailed against the wall. Half lead
ing, half suppoting him. Thomssin
steered the stranger between the but
tresses and through the narrow door
way into the living room.
A peat fire glowed on the hearth
and against 1t the figure Of a crouch
ing man showed dark. At the noise
| in the doorway he thrust an armful
of furze on to the fire, and the quick
cracking flare that followed threw
a reflection like the flashing of sum-
mer lightning over the whitewashed d
walls, sending the shadows scurry-
| ing into the corners and revealing
the man whose big hand. ridged with
raised veins that ran up to the wrist,
| was still upon the furze stem.
Bendigo Keast was not long past
| his prime of strength and could still
have outwrestled many a younger
man. Through his jersey the work.
| ing of his enormous shoulders show
| ed as plainly as those of cat
beneath her close fur, and under his
! chin the reddish beard could not hide
the knots of his powerful throat His
eyes, blue and extraordinarily alert,
were half hidden by the purpled lids,
and the massive. folds OF his cheeks
that came down in furrow on either
side Of his slightly incurved mouth
looked hard as iron.
Like most seamen when within
doors, he was in his stockings, and
as he rose and his bulk swayed for
ward his feet broadened a little and
gripped at the uneven fagstones like
those of a great ape.
Thomasin spoke first.
Ties a man l found drownen,' da,"
| she said, and in her voice uneasiness
mingled with a readiness for defiance
Hem most dead wi salt water and
cold. Us must get en- to the bed to
vance. Da-'
where did ee find em?" asked Ben
| digo keast, without moving.
| ITO cove"
Did a see aught?"
How should a, and him nigh
drowned?" evaded Thomasiq; then. as
the stranger sank on to the settle and
| let his wet brown head fall Imply
back against it, she went over to a
| crock of milk that stood in the win
dow sill and poured some into a
| saucepan.
Get en- to the bed, da,'' she said
more sharply. I'll see to your sup
per. He must have nawthen but milk
for the night"
Bendigo came forward. and, swing
ing his long arms round the man, car
| ried him Off up the stairs that led
from the living room into the first Of
the two tiny bedrooms. He soon
came down again.
Tell me how tes smells of
brandy" he demanded
Il rubbed en- down wi ct to put life
into en-"
Thomasin spoke quietly, but the
sound of her stirring spoon grew
less rhythmical.
Then a did see?'
"Da, listen to me-" said Thomasin,
turning round. "Spose a did see,
what then? Hen naught but a for
eigner from up-country, and wouldn't
know to give we away. And-s'posen
hem minded to stay by us-well,
you'd know we'm needing another
hand. We must find one somewhere.
and there's none O. the chaps to the
church-town would come in wi us,
because us have allus stood by our
sell and made our own profits. But
now Dams dead you'd knaw as wells
| US must get another hand to help
in the Merrymaid. If you weren't so
strong and l as good as man, it
would ha' needed four Of US to ha'
run her"
How can us knaw whether to trust
en?' asked Bendigo suspiciously
Ties bad luck to save a man from
the sea, they do say"
Don't decide nawthen tell you've
talked wi'en,' advised Thomasin.
May be the poor chap was too mazed
knaw Tomorrow"
a Nd next day the rescued man was
sitting by the hearth, somewhat
stiff from bruises, but otherwise with
his wiry frame none the worse His
looks had strikingly improved, for
now that the soft beard, which had
never known a razor. was dry 1t
peaked forward little, whereas
when wet it had clung to his too mar
row jaw and revealed a lax line of
chin.
His story was soon told-the brig
on which he was mate had been re-
turning from France when a squall
overlook her and she became a total
wreck. He had clung to the floating
spar for several hours before losing
consciousness, when the tangled rat
lines had borne him up and the tide
had swept him into the shoreward
current which set round the head
land
And the first thing l knew" he
ended. was your face, mistress,
bending over me in your cave"
keast shot a glance at his daughter.
They had exchanged looks before at
the mans mention OF France, and
now Bendigo flung a few veiled
phrases, with here and there a cant
term common to smugglers, at his
guest, who understood him perfectly,
and himself became entirely frank.
His he n