And the Maid
went from my sight among the trees, as a far white figure, that did run
very swift, and was presently lost utter to my sight; and the Humpt Men
did go after; yet even in my weakness, I perceived that two did go
something clumsy, as that they had been hurt in the fight; and they to
be the rearward of the chasing; but he that the Maid did cut with the
knife was to the fore, and did run very strong; and surely they were all
gone inward of the trees with a dreadful speed, and were lost from me. And the world did become sudden an Emptyness and a great Horror, and
there was no sound in all the Earth, as it did seem. And I knew that I
was come to my feet, and did run toward the trees, and the Diskos did
trail from mine arm by the hold-buckle; and the ground did be as that it
moved and shifted under me, and I not to feel where I trod, but did only
peer desperate and lost among the trees; and, as I to know now, I heard
my voice calling strangely; and afterward there was a thundering in mine
ears, and I came downward upon my face. And I did know presently that I was alive, and there to be some dreadful
terror at my heart; and surely I did remember and sickened and gat my
head from the ground. And I lookt among the trees; but there did be
nothing, and everywhere there did be a strange silence and a dimness of
unreal seemings. And I knew that Mine Own was gone from me, and had
surely died. And the earth did be all stained about me with my blood,
and I did be utter glad; for I to need death. And I swooned again and was lost to my pain; but did live presently to
know. And there was a little strength come into me, and I gat my head up
somewhat from the ground, and did peer among the trees; and my head did
be too heavy, and my face came against the earth once more. And because
that I could not hold up my head, I rolled my head a little, until that
my cheek did be to the ground, and I to look thiswise, so well as I
might; but there did be nothing; and afterward, I rolled my head again
to the other cheek, and so to stare very weak and desperate, and not
abled to look proper to my front. And lo! there went something among the
trees, and did show white in the gloom of the wood; and did come through
the trees. And I not to believe in the first that I did truly see aught;
and sudden I to know that I saw somewhat. And behold! my heart did bound
in me, so that all my body did waken; for I knew that Mine Own Maid did
run slow and staggering toward me, through the wood. And I did be now
upon my knees and upon my hands, and did begin again to creep and to
bleed; and did make little callings to Mine Own, that had no sounding. And Mine Own drew nigh, and did rock and stagger, and did strike anon
against the trunks of the trees, as that she did be gone near blind with
her running. And in a moment she saw me, and that I did yet live and did
come unto her; and she made a strange and loving crying unto me, with a
great gladness and with an utter weakness. And she came running, and was lost with faintness, and did sway this way
and that, stumbling; and she went sudden to the earth, and did be still. And I crept onward so speedy as I might, and the earth to seem alway as
that it moved from my hands, and to slide; and this-seeming to be of my
weakness; for my hands and my knees went everyway, and my head to be
that it kept nodding forward very stupid to the earth. And lo! as I came anigh unto the Maid, where she did lie so quiet, I saw
that something moved in the wood, and was running. And truly it did be
an Humpt Man, and came forward very silent and with a quick slyness, as
that he did track the Maid secretly; for he lookt alway to the earth. And I perceived that he was that one of the Humpt Men which the Maid had
cut with the knife; for the blood did show upon the shoulder and the
breast; and this bleeding mayhap to have slowed the Man; so that Mine
Own did be like to have supposed she had come utter free; yet he to have
found her, by tracking, as I perceived. And I strave to my feet, that I should come to the Maid, before the
Humpt Man; and surely I gat upright, and went with a strange running,
and did roll, and lo! I fell immediate, ere I was come to her. And the
Humpt Man to run also; and surely it did be a dreadful race; for I went
creeping and did be weak and as that I was of lead. And the Humpt Man
came very swift and brutish; but I came the first to Mine Own Maid. And
I rose up at the Humpt Man, upon my knees, and I swung the Diskos, and
the great weapon did roar in my hands, as that it did know and did live. And the Humpt Man ran in upon me; but I smote him truly with the Diskos,
and he ran past me, all blundering, and fell and died upon his face, a
little way off. And lo! my wounds had brake out into a great bleeding, and my head did
roll upon my shoulders. And I lookt down dull, yet with an utter great
love upon Mine Own; and there did be no proper wound upon her; but yet
was she all bruised and knockt and marked with the trees, and where she
did fall in her running. And she did be there, very still and dear, and
I to have brake my heart with love for her, but that I did be so dulled,
as I have told. And I fought that I should be strong a little while more against my
weakness; and I strove that I set mine ear gently upon her breast, that
I should listen for her heart. But my head did go downward something
clumsy and heavy upon 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.