"So far, so good," thought Cardo, standing still a moment for breath;
"and now to cross this mill race!"
But he was too late. Already he saw that Valmai had begun her way
across.
On the island side the bridge was more sheltered from the storm, and
the girl was not only in a measure protected from the wind, but was
also hidden from the moonlight, and it was not until she had left the
shadow of the rocks and entered upon the open and unprotected reef that
Cardo in a sudden absence of clouds saw in the moonlight the delicate
figure wrapped in its scarlet cloak. For a moment she hesitated as she
felt the full force of the wind, and in her hesitation decided upon the
wrong course: she would run, she would reach the opposite rocks, and be
safe before the next gust of wind came.
"Good God!" said Cardo, "she is lost!" as he saw her approach with
flying hair and fluttering garments towards the centre of the bridge,
which was for a moment left bare, and in that moment Cardo realised how
completely this stranger girl, who had seemed to drop from the clouds
into his quiet, uneventful life, had taken possession of his heart.
All this flashed through his mind and opened his eyes to the true state
of his feelings.
Instantly he was making his way towards her, with strong steps and
sturdy shoulders fighting with the wind, which seemed determined to
baffle his attempts to reach Valmai before the periodical recurring
inrush of opposite streams should once more meet, and rise in towering
strife together. Thoroughly frightened and trembling, Valmai looked in
horror at the two opposing streams of water approaching her on either
side, and in her terror losing her self-command, was on the point of
giving herself up to the angry waters, which she felt herself too weak
to withstand. At this critical moment a dark form dashed through the
blinding spray--a form which she instantly recognised, and which as
quickly restored courage to her sinking heart. She felt the strong
arms clasped round her, but too late! for the next moment the
approaching waves had met, and rising high in the air in their furious
contact, had fallen with terrific force, sweeping her and her rescuer
into the boiling surf. Valmai became unconscious at once, but Cardo's
strong frame knew no sense of swooning nor faintness. His whole being
seemed concentrated in a blind struggle to reach the land--to save
Valmai, though he was fighting under terrible disadvantage.
She had relaxed her grasp, and he had now to hold her safe with one
arm, thus having only one with which to struggle against the
suffocating, swirling waters. In a very few minutes he realised that
the fight was dead against him; in spite of all his strength and his
powerful frame, he was lifted and tossed about like a straw. The only
thing in his favour was the fact that the tide had turned, and was even
now combining with the strong wind to carry him towards a sheltered
corner on the mainland. With choking breath and blinded eyes he felt
himself carried on the crest of a wave, which bore him landwards, but
only to be drawn back again by its receding swell. He felt he was
helpless, though, had he the use of his two arms, he knew he would be
able to breast the stormy waters, and gain the land in safety; but
clutched in the nervous grasp of his left arm he held what was dearer
to him than life itself, and felt that to die with Valmai was better
than to live without her! His strength was almost gone, and with
horror he felt that his grasp of the girl was more difficult to retain,
as a larger wave than usual came racing towards him with foaming,
curling crest. He gave himself up for lost--he thought of his old
father even now poring over his books--he thought of Valmai's young
life so suddenly quenched--and with one prayer for himself and her, he
felt himself carried onward, tossed, tumbled over and over, but still
keeping tight hold of his precious burden.