Tardif had set off at low water, as his boat had been anchored at the foot of the rock, where the ladder hung; but before starting he had said something about returning at high tide, and running up his boat on the beach of our little bay.

If he did that, he must pass close by me.

It was Saturday morning, and he was not in the habit of staying out late on Saturdays, that he might prepare for the services of the next day.

I might count, then, upon the prospect of him running the boat into the bay, and finding me there in about two hours' time.
It took me a very long time to make out all this, for every now and then my brain seemed to lose its power for a while, and every thing whirled about me.

Especially there was that awful sensation of sinking down, down through the pebbles into some chasm that was bottomless.