all
one bilge in. They'll probably send the _Tillicum's_ gig ashore for us
by-and-by."

"But she's going away!" said the girl, with a gasp of consternation.

Nasmyth, who turned round, saw that this was certainly the case. A
cloud of steam blew away from beside the yacht's funnel, and in
another moment the shriek of a whistle reached him.

"I don't think we need worry about that," he remarked. "They evidently
watched us get ashore. You see, with the breeze freshening she
couldn't very well lie where she was. Still, if I remember, there's an
inlet a couple of leagues or so away along the coast where she'd find
shelter."

"But why didn't they send for us first?"

"The trouble is that there is really a nasty sea, and they couldn't
very well take us off if they knocked a big hole in the gig. I fancy
the wisest thing would be to walk towards that inlet along the
beach."

They set off, when Nasmyth had pulled the dinghy out, but the beach
was strewn with driftwood which was difficult to flounder over, as
well as very rough. They made no greater progress when they tried the
Bush. Fallen trees lay across one another, and there were thorny
thickets in between, while, here and there, the undergrowth seemed as
impenetrable as a wall. By-and-by it commenced to rain, and for an
hour or two they plodded on dejectedly through the pitiless deluge. It
rains exceedingly hard in that country. At last the girl sat down on a
fallen tree. She had already lost her hat, and the water soaked out of
Nasmyth's jacket, which he had tied by the arms about her shoulders.
Her drenched skirt clung about her, rent to tatters, and one of her
little shoes was caked with mire. The other gaped open.

"How far have we gone?" she asked.

"About a league," answered Nasmyth quietly. "I think we could make the
inlet in another two hours. That is, if the beach isn't very much
rougher."

The girl leaned against a branch wearily. "I'm afraid I can't go a
step further," she replied with trembling lips.

The rain beat upon them, and Nasmyth stood still a moment looking at
her.

"Well," he said, "we really can't stay here. Since there seems no
other way, I think I could carry you."

His diffidence was evident, and Violet smiled. "Have you ever carried
anybody--a distance--before?" she asked.

"No," said Nasmyth, "I certainly haven't."

"Then I don't think there would be much use in trying. You couldn't
carry me for more than four or five minutes.