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, because that I was so be-bled, and my blood to have
stained all that did be near. But when she had gat me restful, she saw
that I did surely live; and a great hope to spring in her heart. And
oft, as she had eased me, she had lookt about, and there did be naught
to the sight, save the body of the Humpt Man anigh, and the others dead
about and upon the flat-topped rock, as you to mind. And she ran then very speedy to the raft, and brought water from the
river in my headpiece, and she dasht the water upon me; but I to have no
power to come unto my senses. And lo! in that moment, she to know by
some subtile telling of the spirit, that there came some danger anigh;
and she then to make that she save me, or that we die both of us
together. And she strave with me, and did carry and draw me that
weariful way unto the raft. And she gat me on to the raft; and she ran
then for the pole that did be beside the rock; and whilst that she took
the pole, she perceived her torn garments, that did be yet in the hands
of the Humpt Man, even as she had slipt them to escape him. And she
caught the garments very hasty from the hand of the Man, and ran then to
the raft; and she pusht the raft out from the shore, and leaped aboard;
and behold! as she made to use the pole, there came a sound out of the
wood. And there ran from the wood the two Humpt Men that did yet live;
and they to have trackt her, after that she did run from them; and they
ran downward to the shore, very silent and intent upon her; but she to
work with an utter despair, and to have the raft a good way out, ere
they did be come. And surely, they either to have no power of swimming,
or to know that there did be a Dread in the water; for they made not to
come after; but did stand and stare very stupid, and afterward to howl;
and this howling I did hear when that I was come unto myself upon the
raft, as you do know. And by this telling, you to be so wise as I; for
more I know not, save odd things that I did learn afterward, that did
but set my love more holy unto Mine Own Maid; and these to have been but
small matters of love-thoughts that we did have together; and scarce
clear unto my remembering. And lo! even as I harked unto the howling of the Humpt Men, the sound
did grow more faint and far off; for the Maid worked very desperate with
the pole. And I did feel that I would help her; but yet was so a-lack;
and surely, even as I did mean to rise, I was gone again utter from my
senses; and that dear naked One did pilot me safe and loving unto the
safe harbouring of the little island, that you do mind; and had no
thought unto herself; but only that she save me. And I to be there,
scarce offward from my death, and to have no knowing of aught, and no
more power to help or to be a shield unto Mine Own; but did be only an
helpless man, that had surely died, save for the care of My Beloved. Yet did I fight a good fight, and have alway a great joy in the
remembering. Now, I mind nothing very clear after this for a great time; but only of
pain and weariness, and of half wakings and times when I did know
naught, and others when that I did be awake, yet did have no realness,
either in myself or in any land or place; and all to come back strange
and vague; yet with a constant knowing that there went Love about me,
and a great and gentle watchfulness; so that I was eased when that the
black mists of my weakness did uprise about me to swamp me; and I was
made to know hope, when that unknown despairs did live stealthy within
me. And lo! there came a time when I waked, and did be freed of uncertain
burdenings and peculiar woes and that still haze through which great
achings did come constant upon me. And surely, I was laid very nice upon
somewhat that did be soft, and there went a sweet quietness about me,
and an healthful drowse did grow in my bones. And slowly I perceived that the Maid did kneel beside me, and did look
upon me with so great a love and gladness that it did be as that I drank
in health and a drowsy joy and peace. And surely, she stoopt and kiss me
with an utter gentle love, upon my mouth, and her tears to go sweet upon
my face; and truly I kist her again, with an utter content. And she took my head in the comfort of her arm, and gave me somewhat
that I drink; and when I had drunk, she kiss me once again, so light as
that a pretty wind did blow hushed upon my lips. And my head she made
easy; and lo! I was gone over unto sleep, even as she tended me. And thrice do I mind that this to happen; and at the third time, I knew
that my strength was come something into me again; and I moved my hand a
little, this way and that; and she to know that I did need her to hold
my hand; and she to do this, and I to go into sleep again, even while
that I look sleepy, yet with all my love, into her eyes. And when I waked for the fourth time, I did whisper that I loved her;
and surely she broke into a sudden weeping, and did hold my hand very
dear against her breast. And when I waked for the fifth time, I to know how things did be about
me, and that I did lie naked in the cloak, and did be all bandaged about
my body; and the bandages, as I did know afterward, did be from the torn
garments of the Maid. And I look at the Maid, and knew that she did be drest again, and did be
in the garments that I did give to her, as you to mind; which did be
that one, and the inner, that the Humpt Man tore from her, and which she
had slipt, that she escape from the Man. And afterward, I found that she had made a very cunning mend of the
garments, whilst that she did sit so utter long beside me to tend me;
for she had gotten threads from her torn garments, and had made needles
from thorns that did grow on the little bushes of the island; and the
thorns did brake oft, and she then to have another, and so to persist an
hundred times. And this way she did be drest very nice and dainty.