We kept along the ridge of hill towards the east of the island, and
met no one, nor, indeed, were we likely to do. I could look down on
either side to the sea. I saw the cottages on the shore of New Grimsby
harbour on the one side, and on the other the house at Merchant's
Point, and the half-dozen houses scattered on the grass at Old
Grimsby, that went by the name of Dolphin Town, and nowhere was there
a twinkle of light.
Tresco was in bed.
We descended a little to our left, and rounded the shoulder of the
hill at the eastern end of the island, through a desolate moorland of
gorse; but once we had rounded the shoulder, we were in an instant
amongst trees of luxuriant foliage, and in a hollow sheltered from the
winds. The Abbey ruins stood up from a small plateau in the bosom of
the trees, its broken arches and columns showing very dismal against
the sky, and everywhere fragments of crumbling wall cropped up
unexpected through the grass.
The burial ground was close to an eel pond, which glimmered below,
nearer to the sea, and a path overgrown with weeds wound downwards to
the graves.
I could not tell in which corner Adam Mayle was buried, so Roper was
sent forward with the lantern to look amongst the headstones. For half
an hour he searched; the flame of the candle danced from grave to
grave as though it were the restless soul of some sinner buried there.
The men who remained with me grew impatient, for opposite to us,
across the road, lay St. Mary's and the harbour of Hugh Town; and on
this clear night the speck of light in the Abbey grounds would be
visible at a great distance. I was beginning to wonder whether Adam
had a headstone at all to mark his resting-place, when a cry came
upwards to our ears and the lantern was swung aloft in the air.
One loud, unanimous shout answered that cry.
"Come," shouted Glen, and seizing hold of the end of the rope where it
went round my chest, he began to run down the path. The others jostled
and tumbled after him in an extreme excitement. All discretion was
tossed to the winds. They laughed, shouted, and leaped while they ran
as though they already had the cross in their keeping. What with Glen
tugging at the end in front and the others pushing and thrusting at me
from behind, it was more than I could do to keep my feet. Twice I fell
forward on my knees and brought them to a stop. Glen turned upon me in
a fury.
"Loose his hands then, George," said Tortue.
"No," returned George, with an oath, and he plucked on the rope until
somehow I stumbled on to my feet, and we all set to running again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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