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And presently, after musing over the matter, he said, "All the same, Carré, what I can't understand is why you're alive. In Torode's place now I'd surely have sunk you with the rest. Man! his life is in your hands." "I understand it no more than you do. I can only suppose he thought he'd finally disposed of me by shipping me aboard the Joséphine."
George Hamon had informed my grandfather of his recognition of Torode, and he told me afterwards that for a very long time the old man flatly refused to believe it. My news of Torode's recovery was not, I think, over-welcome to Uncle George.
But Le Marchant, having less at stake, so far as he knew at all events, had his wits more in hand, and used them to better purpose. For, supposing we got away all right in the dark, Torode's schooner could sail four feet to our one, and if he sighted us we should be completely at his mercy, a most evil and cruel thing to trust to.
My mother looked at Krok and then at Uncle George, and my grandfather stood up. "Yes," said Uncle George with a grave nod. "I have got him here in my boat in Port du Moulin, for I knew you could not credit it unless you saw him yourself." "But how ?" she faltered. "He was among Torode's crew he was wounded. I recognised him, and we got him away lest well, you understand?
I wanted him in sight before I showed myself, for one chance was all I could expect. The men behind watched him in silence now. I held my breath. A second or two would decide the matter between us. A musket barrel came poking round my bastion, but I was balanced like a fly on the seaward side. Then Torode's dark eyes met mine as he peered cautiously round the corner.
What can you get out of her?" "Ten easy with these new spars, and she can come up as close as any boat I've ever seen except maybe yon black snake of Torode's," with a jerk of the head towards Herm. "Seen her?" "Yes, I've seen her. How's she in bad weather?" "Wet, I should say. We can stand a heap more than she can." "When do you expect to get off?" "Inside a week. Come along and have a drink.
"Wish ye for Marie Torode's body or her spirit?" said a harsh female voice; "her body ye can have! but what avail closed eyes and rigid limbs? Her spirit, tossed by the whirling death-blast, is beyond your reach!"
They had snatched their guns from the hanging racks and come at once. They gave a shout at sight of me behind the stack and Torode's body being dragged slowly up the path. The Herm men gave them a hasty volley and went off over Little Sercq towards Gorey, two of them carrying young Torode between them, and the Sercq men came running across the Coupée to greet me. "Sercq wins!" cried one.
"I think you can heal the wound, Uncle George. What do you want me to do?" "Come with me, if you will;" and I kissed my wife and followed him out. "You understand," he said, as we went across the fields to Belfontaine. "He was among Torode's men. I recognised him, and we smuggled him off so that he should not be hanged;" and on that understanding we knocked on the door and went in.
The Race was running furiously through the Gouliot, but I would have got through it if it had been twice as strong. There was a wild fury in my heart at thought of Carette in Torode's hands, which ravened for opposition for something, anything, to rend and tear and overcome.
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