Then fingers were tearing at the bandage over my eyes, and it was wrenched roughly away; and I could see, but not distinctly. For it was still in the dusk of the early morning, and I seemed to be in a cave of some kind, for before my eyes the air grew into a darkness of retreating gloom. But I couldn't turn my head to see what lay on either side of me, though the swaying of the raft gave me passing glimpses of a dark rock wall dripping with damp and spray. But what came upon my vision with a shock, at first of rapture, then of strange fear, and lastly whirling me in a maze of mystified wonder, was a face very white against the shadow, with wide terrible eyes fixed on mine as though in a frenzy. For the face was the face of Dirk. Forgetting my gag I raised my voice to cry his name, and the sudden checking of my breath sent the blood surging dizzily to my head, so that my eyes clouded with a gush of darkness and I nearly swooned. But as my sight cleared terror began to settle on my heart, for Dirk faced me with eyes blazing with such a madness of hate, and his lips curled into such a leer of malice, that the dreadful vision framed white against the darkness was like some emanation from a terrible dream. And slowly he drew nearer, his eyes fixed on mine, till at length his face almost touched me, and I could feel his breath curl hotly about my brow. And all the while I was too numbed and stupefied to ask myself what it could mean. Then I noticed a change come over his face. He drew back; the tension of his evil glare relaxed, and a puzzled wavering loosened his lips. Then he suddenly darted his face once more at mine, searching my eyes for I knew not what. And then he turned me about to the light, and with an oath began fingering the gag about my mouth, and tore it violently off, staring at me like a madman. "Dirk!" I croaked out faintly, "save me, Dirk!" "Devil of hell!" he cried. "It's Tommy!" He drew his knife and slashed feverishly at the rope beneath my arms, cursing at the strands that foiled his impatient onslaught. But at last they came away in his hands; then stooping he set to work to release my feet, while I half fell on top of him, supporting myself as well as I could on the unsteady raft, till one by one the cords that bound me were cut away. With a wonderful sense of freedom I kicked my legs and waved my arms, then collapsed on to the raft half delirious from the sudden relief. Dirk lifted me into his boat; and so overpowering was the good thought of life again, and the clean air after the stuffy suffocation of the gag and the sacking, and the feel of the blood flushing along my numbed limbs and tingling in my feet and fingers, that I lay in the rocking boat and sobbed like a child. Presently I looked up through my tears, smiling I think, to see Dirk seated above me, his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees, still gazing at me half frenziedly, till I began to wonder whether the veil had lifted only to fall again.