Marie-Anne had
crossed the strip of sand, and Bateese was helping her into a
waiting York boat. Then Bateese shoved it off, and the four men in
it began to row. Two canoes were already half-way to the raft, and
David recognized the occupant of one of them as Andre, the Broken
Man. Then he saw Marie-Anne rise in the York boat and wave
something white in her hand.
He looked again toward the raft. The current and the sweeps and
the tugging boats were drawing it steadily nearer. Standing at the
very edge of it he saw now a solitary figure, and in the clear
sunlight the man stood out clean-cut as a carven statue. He was a
giant in size. His head and arms were bare, and he was looking
steadily toward the bateau and the approaching York boat. He
raised an arm, and a moment later the movement was followed by a
voice that rose above all other voices. It boomed over the river
like the rumble of a gun. In response to it Marie-Anne waved the
white thing in her hand, and David thought he heard her voice in
an answering cry. He stared again at the solitary figure of the
man, seeing nothing else, hearing no other sound but the booming
of the deep cry that came again over the river.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188