Show Me a Sign

When Mary revives, she is lying in Minot’s examination room. Nora hands her a note from the doctor. He apologizes for the terrible treatment she has received at the hands of Andrew. Minot doesn’t want to call the law and embarrass his family, but he spoke with the sailor who was watching the house. The man agreed to return for Mary. She will slip out so that Andrew will believe she has escaped. If he ever comes to Martha’s Vineyard again, Minot assures her that the islanders will send him packing.

Mary impatiently goes to the door and waits for the sailor to return. Before he arrives, she spies Andrew coming up the street. Nora immediately lets her escape, and Mary flees. Luckily, she encounters the sailor again. He can’t sign, and she grows suspicious, but Andrew is already in pursuit. The sailor leads her to a docked boat and shoves her in. Much to her relief, it is the Black Dog and belongs to her old friend Ezra: “‘Mary,’ he signs, with a twinkle in his eye, ‘I’m glad to see you, but I can’t say I admire your frills and brass buttons. You’re dressed a mite too fancy for the Dog’” (218).

Ezra quickly sets sail, but Andrew has boarded his own ship, the Defiance, and intends to pursue them. Although Ezra’s ship is faster, he says they should sail the rougher waters outside of Cape Cod, where Andrew might not keep up with them.

As the two of them converse in sign language, Ezra tells Mary all the news from home. The entire town searched for her, and her parents were very upset when she went missing, as was her friend Nancy. Even one of the family’s horses, Bayard, broke out of the stable to run after Mary. Nobody could calm him down but the Indigenous girl, Sally. Ezra admires her skill with animals. Nany’s father is still pursuing his vendetta against the Wampanoag for the land that he believes is his. Ezra says, “He made a mess over a piece of land, just because he wanted it when he has enough. What sort of reason is that?” (221). Feeling much comforted to be with an old friend who has told her all the local gossip, Mary retires to the cabin to sleep.

After three days at sea, the Defiance is still following them. To distract herself from her pursuer that evening, Mary asks Ezra to tell her the story of his time as a privateer. He says that during the Revolutionary War, he and some other islanders managed to capture a British vessel bringing provisions to their army in Boston. Ezra and his band took the ship but released the captain. They claimed the cargo as their profit for the venture. Mary is amused that Ezra is such a scoundrel. Now in a happier mood, she sleeps well that night.

For two more days, the Black Dog continues on its course with the Defiance still in pursuit. On the morning of the sixth day, a storm rises, and the Defiance is catching up. Ezra adjusts the sails to compensate for the high waves. They have nearly reached the tip of Cape Cod on the ocean side. In the midst of lightning and rain, Mary sees the Defiance trying to sideswipe the Black Dog.

Andrew brings his vessel about, intending to ram Ezra’s ship head-on. The Black Dog turns aside in time, but the collision knocks Mary across the deck. She grabs for a piece of rope to keep herself from sliding overboard. Then, she says, “A great wave rises out of the ocean […] and slams into the Defiance. I watch the schooner slowly topple in the violent sea and gasp in horror when a flash of lightning illuminates Andrew’s slim figure trying to keep hold of the sinking ship” (234). Ezra and Mary can only watch helplessly as the Defiance capsizes and Andrew drowns. The sea is too rough for them to attempt a rescue. Hours later, when the storm finally ends, Ezra goes below for a well-deserved rest. Now that she knows she is safe, Mary weeps uncontrollably with relief.