Master Stephen? I looked on as Francis and his remaining men, about ten of them, prostrated themselves before the corpse. They knelt on the ground and pressed their foreheads to the ground in exaggerated obeisance, holding the position for a few long moments before Francis sat up. This guy has got to be some sort of bigwig, then, I thought. Sounds like he's some sort of long-lost ancestor. Maybe he's even a granduncle or a much older cousin to Francis.
"Men! We'll take Master Stephen back with us to give him a decent burial on land," Francis commanded, straightening up from his kneeling position. At his command, the men sprang into action. One of them snapped open a burlap sack while three others guided the corpse in. It was hard and grisly work, and I saw the faces of more than one man p
