Dawn came abruptly; a lowering dawn, with gray and greasy clouds racing
past so low they seemed to scrape and tear themselves upon the tips of
the masts. No sun showed; there was no light in the sky. The dawn was
evidenced only by a lessening of the blackness of the night. They could
see; there was no fog, but a steady rain sprang up, and clouded objects
at a little distance....
This rain had one good effect; it beat down the turbulence of the waves.
Faith, from the bow, could see that they had grounded upon a sandy beach
which spread like a crescent to right and left. The tips of the crescent
were rocky points which sheltered the _Sally_ from the force of the
seas. She was not pounding upon the sand; she lay where she had struck,
heeled a little to one side.... There were breakers about her and ahead
of her upon the sand; but these were not dangerous. They were caused by
the reflex tumult of the waters, stirred up in this sheltered bay in
sympathy with the storm outside.
That gale was dying, now. Above them the wind still raced and played
with the flying clouds; but there was no pressure of it upon what little
canvas the _Sally_ still flew. They were at peace....
At peace. Faith, studying the position of the _Sally_, was herself at
peace. This was her first reaction to her husband's death; she was at
peace. Noll was gone, Noll Wing whom she had loved and married.... Poor
Noll; she pitied him; she was conscious of a still-living affection for
him.... There was no hate in her; there was little sorrow.... He was
gone; but life had burdened him too long. He was well rid of it, she
thought.... Well rid of his tormented flesh; well rid of the terror
which had pursued him....
When Noll went over the stern, Dan'l Tobey appeared from nowhere, and
saw Mauger with the knife in his hand, standing paralyzed with horror.
Dan'l fell upon Mauger, fists flying.... He downed the little man,
dropped on him with both knees, gripped for his throat.... Then Brander,
coming from the waist of the ship on Mauger's heels, caught Dan'l by the
collar and jerked him to his feet. Dan'l's hands, clenched on Mauger's
throat, lifted the little man a foot from the deck before they let go to
grip for Brander. The men clustered aft; old Tichel's teeth bared.... In
another moment, there would have been a death-battle astir upon the
littered decks.
But Faith cried through the gloom: "Dan'l. Mr. Brander. Drop it. Stand
away."
There was a command in her clear tones which Dan'l must have obeyed; and
Brander did as she bade instinctively. The two still faced each other,
heads forward, shoulders lowered.... Behind Brander, Mauger crawled to
his feet, choking and fumbling at his throat. Faith said to Dan'l:
"It was not the fault of Mauger, Dan'l."
"He had a knife...."
"He fell," she said. "I saw. He fell when she struck; his knife dropped
from its sheath.... He picked it up.... That was all."
"All?" Dan'l protested. "He drove Noll Wing to death."