Benita Author:Henry Rider Haggard Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. HOW ROBERT CAME ASHORE. In place of the Zanzibar a great pit on the face of the ocean, in which the waters boiled and black objects appeared a... more »nd disappeared. " Sit still, for your lives' sake," said the officer in a quiet voice ; " the suck is coming." In another minute it came, dragging them downward till the water trickled over the sides of the boat, and backward towards the pit. But before ever they reached it the deep had digested its prey, and, save for the great air-bubbles which burst about them and a mixed, unnatural swell, was calm again. For the moment they were safe. " Passengers," said the officer, " I am going to put out to sea—at any rate, till daylight. We may meet a vessel there, and if we try to row ashore we shall certainly be swamped in the breakers." No one objected; they seemed too stunned to speak, but Robert thought to himself that the man was wise. They began to move, but before they had gone a dozen yards something dark rose beside them. It was a piece of wreckage, and clinging to it a woman, whoclasped a bundle to her breast. More, she was alive, for she began to cry to them to take her in. " Save me and my child!" she cried. " For God's sake save me! " Robert recognised the choking voice; it was that of a young married lady with whom he had been very friendly, who was going out with her baby to join her husband in Natal. He stretched out his hand and caught hold of her, whereon the officer said, heavily : " The boat is already overladen. I must warn you that to take more abroad is not safe." Thereon the passengers awoke from their stupor. " Push her off," said a voice ; " she must take her chance." And there was a murmur of approval at the dreadful words. " For Christ's sake—for Christ's sake ! " wailed th...« less