pon her; and I then to hearken, and surely she did
live and her heart did beat; though, in verity, mine ears did have at
first a thundering; but afterward a quietness in them, that made the
sounding of her pulsing to seem an utter long way off; and very faint it
did be. And surely, in that moment, even as I harked, I was gone over
into a deadness, and had no more knowing; neither to have even a
knowledge that I did be slipt from my senses. And, behold, the Maid did
lie swooning; and I to be there in my broken armour, and my head upon
the breast of Mine Own, and likewise to know naught; and about us the
quietness of that Country, and the far noise of the great Fire-Hills
that did sound through Eternity.

XIV

ON THE ISLAND

Now I came unto my senses, and did be in pain and a great forgetfulness
and bewilderment. And I strove that I rise; but did be held by a strange
force, that did be surely my weakness, as I to know afterward.

And I was upon my back; and a little sound did be near me, as that
something did pant. And I turned my head, very slow, because that I did
so lack of strength. And lo! I saw that the Maid did be anigh to me, and
did be yet naked; and did pant, and pusht hard and desperate with a
great pole, which did be surely that one which I had cut when that the
Humpt Men came upon us. And therewith I remembered all, and perceived
that I did be upon the raft, and the Maid to push the raft along with
the pole.

And, at that, I made a little sound with my mouth; but the Maid not to
hear me; for she did look backward, as I should think to the shore; and
her face did be very set and anxious; and there to be a far noise of
howling, that I knew to be the voices of the Humpt Men; and so to
perceive that the Maid had come unto her senses, and had gat me somewise
to the raft, whilst that I did yet be swoond. And thus to save me ere
the Humpt Men had come. But, in verity, how she did this thing, I never
to learn; neither she to know, but only that her love did give her a
great and desperate strength that she save me, that did be her man.

And afterward, Mine Own Maid did tell me how that she had come into her
senses, and did be there upon the earth, and somewhat did be upon her
breast; and she saw that it was my head which did be heavy upon her, and
I to be surely gone out from this life; for I was so still.

And she came from under me, and did ease me out upon the earth, and her
heart nigh brake, becaus