The ship careened across
the billows till star and mast-top met.
Jack fetched a deep sigh.
"There be work for sailors in England," he said.
In a flash I thought that I knew what he had meant by fools not loving
in the right place.
"That were folly, Jack! She hath her station!"
Jack Battle pointed to the fading steel point above the vanishing
masthead.
"Doth looking hurt yon star?" asks Jack.
"Nay; but looking may strain the eyes; and the arrows of longing come
back void."
He answered nothing, and we lingered heavy hearted till the sun came up
over the pillowed waves turning the tumbling waters to molten gold.
Between us and the fan-like rays behind the glossy billows--was no ship.
Hortense was safe!
There was an end-all to undared hopes.
CHAPTER V
M. RADISSON AGAIN
"Good-bye to you, Ramsay," said Jack abruptly.
"Where to, Jack?" I asked, bestirring myself. I could no more go back
to Eli Kirke.
But little Jack Battle was squirming his wooden clogs into the sand as
he used to dig his toes, and he answered not a word.
"'Tis early yet for the Grand Banks, Jack. Ben Gillam's ship keeled
mast over hull from being ice-logged last spring. The spars were solid
with frozen sleet from the crosstrees to the crow's nest.
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