“I am afraid you can not walk,” said she.

“Oh, yes,” he answered; and took a few steps to show her.  The pain was great; but she walked on, and he followed, as best he could, limping.  She looked behind now, as if to encourage him; and he set his teeth and smiled.

“We must not be late,” she said.  “It is growing dark, and they will miss us.”

But they did not miss them; for when they got to the landing-place, both the sail-boats had left the shore without them.  There was nothing but the purple cloud-light left by this time; but Pinckney fancied he could see her face grow pale for the first time that day.

“We must get home,” she said, hurriedly.  “Is there no boat?”

Pinckney pointed to a small dory on the beach, and then to the sea.  In the east was a black bank of cloud, rifted now and then by lightning; and from it the wind came down and the white caps curled angrily toward them.

“No matter,” said she; “we must go.”

Pinckney found a pair of oars under the boat, and dragged it, with much labor, over the pebbles, she helping him.  The beach was steep and gravelly, with short breakers rather than surf; and he got the bow well into the water and held it there.

“Get in,” said he.

Miss Warfield got into the stern, and Pinckney waded out, dragging the flat-bottomed boat until it was well afloat.  Then he sprang in himself, and, grasping the oars, headed the boat for the Fort point across the channel, three miles away.  She sat silently in the stern, and it was too dark for him to see her face.  He rowed savagely.

But the wind was straight ahead, and the sea increasing every moment.  They were not, of course, exposed to the full swell of the ocean; but the wide sea-channel was full of short, fierce waves that struck the little skiff repeated rapid blows, and dashed the spray over both of them.

“Are you not afraid?” said he, calmly.  “It is growing rougher every minute.”

“Oh, no, Mr. Pinckney,” said she.  “Pray keep on.”

Pinckney noticed a tremor of excitement in her voice; but by a flash of lightning that came just then he saw her deep eyes fixed on his, and the pure white outline of her face undisturbed.  So he rowed the harder, and she took a board there was and tried to steer; and now and then, as the clouds were lit, he saw her, like a fleeting vision in the night.

But the storm grew stronger; and Pinckney knew the boat that they were in was not really moving at all, though, of course, the swash of the waves went by and the drifted spray.  He tried to row harder, but with the pain in his ankle and the labor he was nearly exhausted, and his heart jumped in his chest at each recover.  “Can you not make it?” said she, in the dark; and Pinckney vowed that he could, and set his teeth for a mighty pull.  The oar broke, and the boat’s head fell rapidly off in the trough of the sea.  He quickly changed about