A Hidden Heart of Fire by Edna Dawes

Author:Edna Dawes [Dawes, Edna]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2019-02-28T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

The following morning it was raining. Nancy couldn’t think what the noise on the roof was. From the window, the cove looked angry and dangerous and the compound was a red pool foaming under the cascade of water. Rain ran off the rooftops in solid sheets, making it impossible to see clearly. To her surprise, she found herself in a strange bed—then remembered the events of the night and looked across to the other bed quickly. But Ben was still sleeping. She went on to the verenda and looked out.

Her eyes turned to the near end of the cove and saw the boats being thrown against the jetty with damaging force. Then, from behind the boathouse, she saw men appear, battling to stay upright on the lively planks, heads bent against the wind and driving rain.

One of them, Charlie by the look of his stumpy figure, untied the smallest of the boats and began to drag it shorewards, his feet slipping on the jetty as he struggled with the undertow which was threatening to drag the boat away.

The remaining four split up to manage the two larger craft. With two men in each, the boats were taken out just beyond where the breakers began rising into separate peaks.

Heavy anchors were thrown overboard. Then, to Nancy’s consternation, the occupants dived over the side and disappeared from sight, but she had forgotten that Australians were used to seas of this nature and had the experience needed to swim through waves of enormous size. Even so, it was a good ten minutes before she saw the first man scramble out through the spew of water and turn to look for the others.

It was David. Alec appeared a few seconds later and joined him, wiping the blinding wetness from his eyes with one arm. A minute passed, and then another, and still the two remaining men had not been sighted. Alec and David were joined by Charlie, who had successfully beached the small dinghy, and all three were giving signs of anxiety as they stared into the sea. Nancy felt her stomach churning. Uncle Matt and Rod were still out there somewhere!

Spouting water from the overhanging roof made it hard to see, and she leant out farther until the fine spray shooting off the main downpour covered her face with a glistening mist. If there was moisture in her eyes, it could only be due to this!

Although the men’s shouts were carried away on the wind, it seemed from their actions that somebody had been sighted. There was a concerted rush into the waves and everyone disappeared beneath them.

The entire group of five men, one being carried, presently emerged with difficulty and gained the beach.

Despite her concern about Matt, Nancy felt a rush of thankfulness that it was not Rod who was lying there on the beach, so still. Then she pushed the thought away in shame.

Charlie and Alec returned to their quarters, leaving Rod and David to carry the unconscious man between them.

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