And there was a little strength come into me, and I gat my head up
somewhat from the ground, and did peer among the trees; and my head did
be too heavy, and my face came against the earth once more. And because
that I could not hold up my head, I rolled my head a little, until that
my cheek did be to the ground, and I to look thiswise, so well as I
might; but there did be nothing; and afterward, I rolled my head again
to the other cheek, and so to stare very weak and desperate, and not
abled to look proper to my front. And lo! there went something among the
trees, and did show white in the gloom of the wood; and did come through
the trees. And I not to believe in the first that I did truly see aught;
and sudden I to know that I saw somewhat. And behold! my heart did bound
in me, so that all my body did waken; for I knew that Mine Own Maid did
run slow and staggering toward me, through the wood. And I did be now
upon my knees and upon my hands, and did begin again to creep and to
bleed; and did make little callings to Mine Own, that had no sounding.
And Mine Own drew nigh, and did rock and stagger, and did strike anon
against the trunks of the trees, as that she did be gone near blind with
her running. And in a moment she saw me, and that I did yet live and did
come unto her; and she made a strange and loving crying unto me, with a
great gladness and with an utter weakness.
And she came running, and was lost with faintness, and did sway this way
and that, stumbling; and she went sudden to the earth, and did be still.
And I crept onward so speedy as I might, and the earth to seem alway as
that it moved from my hands, and to slide; and this-seeming to be of my
weakness; for my hands and my knees went everyway, and my head to be
that it kept nodding forward very stupid to the earth.
And lo! as I came anigh unto the Maid, where she did lie so quiet, I saw
that something moved in the wood, and was running. And truly it did be
an Humpt Man, and came forward very silent and with a quick slyness, as
that he did track the Maid secretly; for he lookt alway to the earth.
And I perceived that he was that one of the Humpt Men which the Maid had
cut with the knife; for the blood did show upon the shoulder and the
breast; and this bleeding mayhap to have slowed the Man; so that Mine
Own did be like to have supposed she had come utter free; yet he to have
found her, by tracking, as I perceived.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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