CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
"BLESSE."
I had not been in this position more than a few seconds, when somefigures appeared in front of the door, and voices fell upon my ear thatI thought I recognised. Another glance revealed the speakers. Theywere the young Creole and her steward.
The conversation passing between them was not a dialogue, but a seriesof exclamations--the hurried language of terror. The old man had gottogether a few cabin chairs; and with trembling hands was endeavouringto bind them together, with the design of forming a raft. He had noother cord than a handkerchief, and some strips of silk, which his youngmistress was tearing from her dress! It would have been but a feebleraft, had it been completed--not fit to have floated a cat. It was butthe effort of the drowning man "catching at straws." I saw at a glancethat it would afford to neither of them the respite of a minute's life.The chairs were of heavy rosewood; and, perchance, would have gone tothe bottom of themselves!
The scene produced upon me an impression indescribably strange. I feltmyself standing upon a crisis. I felt called upon to choose betweenself and self-sacrifice. Had the choice left no chance of saving my ownlife, I fear I should have obeyed the "first law of nature;" but, asalready stated, of my own life I felt secure; the question was, whetherit would be possible for me also to save the lady?
I reasoned rapidly, and as follows;--The life-preserver--a very smallone--will not sustain us both! What if I fasten it upon her, and swimalongside? A little help from it now and then will be sufficient tokeep me afloat. I am a good swimmer. How far is it to the shore?
I looked in that direction. The glare of the blazing boat lit up thewater to a wide circumference. I could see the brown bank distinctly.It was full a quarter of a mile distant, with a sharp cross-currentrunning between it and the wreck.
"Surely I can swim it?" thought I: "sink or swim, I shall make theattempt to save her!"
I will not deny that other reflections passed through my mind as I wasforming this resolve. I will not deny that there was a little _French_gallantry mixed up with better motives. Instead of being young andlovely, had Mademoiselle Besancon been old and plain, I think--that is--I--I fear--she would have been left to Antoine and his raft of chairs!As it was, my resolve was made; and I had no time to reflect uponmotives.
"Mademoiselle Besancon!" I called out of the door.
"Ha! Some one calls me;" said she, turning suddenly. "Mon Dieu! who isthere?"
"One who, Mademoiselle--"
"_Peste_!" muttered the old steward, angrily, as his eyes fell upon myface. He was under the belief that I wished to share his raft.
"_Peste_!" he repeated; "'twill not carry two, monsieur."
"Nor one," I replied. "Mademoiselle," I continued, addressing myself tothe lady; "those chairs will not serve,--they will rather be the meansof drowning you,--here--take this! it will save your life."
As I spoke I had pulled off the preserver, and held it towards her.
"What is this?" she inquired hastily; and then, comprehending all, shecontinued, "No--no--no, Monsieur! Yourself--yourself!"
"I believe I can swim ashore without it. Take it, Mademoiselle! Quick!quick! there is no time to be lost. In three minutes the boat will godown. The other is not near yet: besides, she may fear to approach thefire! See the flames! they come this way! Quick! Permit me to fastenit for you?"
"My God!--my God! generous stranger--!"
"No words; now--now it is on! Now to the water! Have no fear! plungein, and strike out from the wreck! fear not! I shall follow and guideyou! Away!"
The girl, partly influenced by terror, and partly yielding to myremonstrances, sprang off into the water; and the next moment I saw herbody afloat, distinguishable by the whitish drapery of her dress, thatstill kept above the surface.
At that instant I felt some one grasping me by the hand. I turnedround. It was Antoine.
"Forgive me, noble youth! forgive me!" he cried, while the tears randown his cheeks.
I would have replied, but at the moment I perceived a man rush forwardto the guards, over which the girl had just passed. I could see thathis eye was fixed upon her, and that he had marked the life-preserver!His intention was evident--he had mounted the guard-rail, and was justspringing off as I reached the spot. I caught him by the collar, anddrew him back. As I did so his face came under the blaze, and Irecognised my betting bully. "Not so fast, Sir!" said I, still holdinghim. He uttered but one word in reply--and that was a fearful oath--butat the moment I saw in his uplifted hand the shining blade of abowie-knife! So unexpectedly did this weapon appear, that I had nochance of evading the blow; and the next moment I felt the cold steelpassing through my arm. It was not a fatal stab, however; and beforethe brute could repeat it, I had, in the phraseology of the ring,"planted" a blow upon his chin, that sent him sprawling over the chairs,while at the same time the knife flew out of his grasp. This I caughtup, and hesitated for a moment whether to use it upon the ruffian; butmy better feelings overcame my passion, and I flung the weapon into theriver.
Almost instantaneously I plunged after. I had no time to tarry. Theblaze had reached the wheel-house, close to which we were, and the heatwas no longer to be borne. My last glance at the spot showed me Antoineand my antagonist struggling among the chairs!
The white drapery served me for a beacon, and I swam after it. Thecurrent had already carried it some distance from the boat, and directlydown stream.
I had hurriedly divested myself of coat and boots, and as my othergarments were of light material they did not impede me. After a fewstrokes I swam perfectly free; and, keeping the white dress before myeyes, I continued on down the river.
Now and then I raised my head above the surface and looked back. Istill had fears that the ruffian might follow; and I had nerved myselffor a struggle in the water!
In a few minutes I was alongside my _protegee_; and, after half-a-dozenhurried words of encouragement, I laid hold of her with one hand, andwith the other endeavoured to direct our course towards the shore.
In this way the current carried us in a diagonal line, but we stillfloated down stream at a rapid rate. A long and weary swim it seemed tome. Had it been much longer I never should have reached the end of it.
At length we appeared to be near the bank; but as we approached it mystrokes became feebler, and my left hand grasped my companion with asort of convulsive effort.
I remember reaching land, however; I remember crawling up the bank withgreat difficulty, my companion assisting me! I remember seeing a largehouse directly in front of where we had come ashore; I remember hearingthe words--
"_C'est drole! c'est ma maison_--_ma maison veritable_!"
I remember staggering across a road, led by a soft hand, and entering agate, and a garden where there were benches, and statues, andsweet-smelling flowers--I remember seeing servants come from the housewith lights, and that my arms were red, and my sleeves dripping withblood! I remember from a female voice the cry--
"_Blesse_!" followed by a wild shriek; and of that scene I remember nomore!