Page 277 - Adventures in shadow-land

The merman followed her. By the glare of the
lightning he could see that the figure stood in its
old place holding out her silver vase. “ What

wonderful courage I” he thought, for he did not
know it was nailed there. The masts went crash­

ing into the sea. The sailors threw overboard
everything they could to lighten the ship. One

of them sprang forward with an axe and began to
cut away the figure-head. The merman swam,

balancing himself on the crest of the waves; every
one was too busy to notice him ; he could not
hear the blows of the axe in the noise of the wind

and thunder; he did not see what the sailor was

doing ; he saw the image quiver under the strokes
of the axe, and thought that at last she was coming
down to him. “ Oh come, come,” he cried,

swimming directly below and holding out his
arms. The wooden image quivered and shook;

it bent forward; the next instant the solid heavy
oak fell with a plunge and struck the poor merman

in its fall. He felt that he was dying, but he did
not know what had hurt him. “ M y own love,
*
my sea-nymph,” he murmured ; and he put his
arms round the figure-head that bobbing up
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