As I afterwards learned, the state of the case was no sooner
understood in the other sloop, than the Al_bon_-ny men gave in,
and imitated the Wallingford.
There was no time for reflection. As soon as Drewett's hair was in my
grasp, I raised his head from the water, by an effort that forced me
under it, to let him catch his breath; and then relaxed the power by
which it had been done, to come up myself. I had done this to give him
a moment to recover his recollection, in the hope he would act
reasonably; and I now desired him to lay his two hands on my
shoulders, permit his body to sink as low as possible and breathe, and
trust the rest to me. If the person in danger can be made to do this,
an ordinarily good swimmer could tow him a mile, without any unusual
effort. But the breathing spell afforded to Drewett had the effect
just to give him strength to struggle madly for existence, without
aiding his reason. On the land, he would have been nothing in my
hands; but, in the water, the merest boy may become formidable. God
forgive me, if I do him injustice! but I have sometimes thought,
since, that Drewett was perfectly conscious who I was, and that he
gave some vent to his jealous distrust of Lucy's feelings towards
me. This may be all imagination; but I certainly heard the words
"Lucy" "Wallingford," "Clawbonny," "hateful," muttered by the man,
even as he struggled there for life.
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