at the back of the north wind-第15节

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had　tumbled　through　the　hole　as　North　Wind　had　told　him；　and　the

cover　was　replaced　over　his　head。　　Away　he　went　rolling　to　leeward；

for　the　wind　began　all　at　once　to　blow　hard。　　He　heard　the　call

of　the　captain；　and　the　loud　trampling　of　the　men　over　his　head；

as　they　hauled　at　the　main　sheet　to　get　the　boom　on　board　that　they

might　take　in　a　reef　in　the　mainsail。　　Diamond　felt　about　until

he　had　found　what　seemed　the　most　comfortable　place；　and　there　he

snuggled　down　and　lay。



Hours　after　hours；　a　great　many　of　them；　went　by；　and　still

Diamond　lay　there。　　He　never　felt　in　the　least　tired　or　impatient；

for　a　strange　pleasure　filled　his　heart。　　The　straining　of　the　masts；

the　creaking　of　the　boom；　the　singing　of　the　ropes；　the　banging

of　the　blocks　as　they　put　the　vessel　about；　all　fell　in　with　the

roaring　of　the　wind　above；　the　surge　of　the　waves　past　her　sides；

and　the　thud　with　which　every　now　and　then　one　would　strike　her；

while　through　it　all　Diamond　could　hear　the　gurgling；　rippling；

talking　flow　of　the　water　against　her　planks；　as　she　slipped　through　it；

lying　now　on　this　side；　now　on　thatlike　a　subdued　air　running

through　the　grand　music　his　North　Wind　was　making　about　him　to　keep

him　from　tiring　as　they　sped　on　towards　the　country　at　the　back

of　her　doorstep。



How　long　this　lasted　Diamond　had　no　idea。　　He　seemed　to　fall

asleep　sometimes；　only　through　the　sleep　he　heard　the　sounds　going　on。　

At　length　the　weather　seemed　to　get　worse。　　The　confusion　and

trampling　of　feet　grew　more　frequent　over　his　head；　the　vessel　lay


over　more　and　more　on　her　side；　and　went　roaring　through　the　waves；

which　banged　and　thumped　at　her　as　if　in　anger。　　All　at　once　arose

a　terrible　uproar。　　The　hatch　was　blown　off；　a　cold　fierce　wind

swept　in　upon　him；　and　a　long　arm　came　with　it　which　laid　hold

of　him　and　lifted　him　out。　　The　same　moment　he　saw　the　little　vessel

far　below　him　righting　herself。　　She　had　taken　in　all　her　sails

and　lay　now　tossing　on　the　waves　like　a　sea…bird　with　folded　wings。　

A　short　distance　to　the　south　lay　a　much　larger　vessel；　with　two

or　three　sails　set；　and　towards　it　North　Wind　was　carrying　Diamond。　

It　was　a　German　ship；　on　its　way　to　the　North　Pole。



〃That　vessel　down　there　will　give　us　a　lift　now；〃　said　North　Wind；

〃and　after　that　I　must　do　the　best　I　can。〃



She　managed　to　hide　him　amongst　the　flags　of　the　big　ship；

which　were　all　snugly　stowed　away；　and　on　and　on　they　sped

towards　the　north。　　At　length　one　night　she　whispered　in　his　ear；

〃Come　on　deck；　Diamond；〃　and　he　got　up　at　once　and　crept　on　deck。　

Everything　looked　very　strange。　　Here　and　there　on　all　sides　were

huge　masses　of　floating　ice；　looking　like　cathedrals；　and　castles；

and　crags；　while　away　beyond　was　a　blue　sea。



〃Is　the　sun　rising　or　setting？〃　asked　Diamond。



〃Neither　or　both；　which　you　please。　　I　can　hardly　tell　which　myself。　

If　he　is　setting　now；　he　will　be　rising　the　next　moment。〃



〃What　a　strange　light　it　is！〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　have　heard

that　the　sun　doesn't　go　to　bed　all　the　summer　in　these　parts。　

Miss　Coleman　told　me　that。　　I　suppose　he　feels　very　sleepy；

and　that　is　why　the　light　he　sends　out　looks　so　like　a　dream。〃



〃That　will　account　for　it　well　enough　for　all　practical　purposes；〃

said　North　Wind。



Some　of　the　icebergs　were　drifting　northwards；　one　was　passing

very　near　the　ship。　　North　Wind　seized　Diamond；　and　with　a　single

bound　lighted　on　one　of　thema　huge　thing；　with　sharp　pinnacles　and

great　clefts。　　The　same　instant　a　wind　began　to　blow　from　the　south。　

North　Wind　hurried　Diamond　down　the　north　side　of　the　iceberg；

stepping　by　its　jags　and　splintering；　for　this　berg　had　never　got

far　enough　south　to　be　melted　and　smoothed　by　the　summer　sun。　

She　brought　him　to　a　cave　near　the　water；　where　she　entered；　and；

letting　Diamond　go；　sat　down　as　if　weary　on　a　ledge　of　ice。



Diamond　seated　himself　on　the　other　side；　and　for　a　while　was

enraptured　with　the　colour　of　the　air　inside　the　cave。　　It　was　a　deep；

dazzling；　lovely　blue；　deeper　than　the　deepest　blue　of　the　sky。　

The　blue　seemed　to　be　in　constant　motion；　like　the　blackness　when

you　press　your　eyeballs　with　your　fingers；　boiling　and　sparkling。　

But　when　he　looked　across　to　North　Wind　he　was　frightened；

her　face　was　worn　and　livid。



〃What　is　the　matter　with　you；　dear　North　Wind？〃　he　said。



〃Nothing　much。　　I　feel　very　faint。　　But　you　mustn't　mind　it；

for　I　can　bear　it　quite　well。　　South　Wind　always　blows　me　faint。　

If　it　were　not　for　the　cool　of　the　thick　ice　between　me　and　her；

I　should　faint　altogether。　　Indeed；　as　it　is；　I　fear　I　must　vanish。〃



Diamond　stared　at　her　in　terror；　for　he　saw　that　her　form　and　face

were　growing；　not　small；　but　transparent；　like　something　dissolving；

not　in　water；　but　in　light。　　He　could　see　the　side　of　the　blue　cave

through　her　very　heart。　　And　she　melted　away　till　all　that　was　left

was　a　pale　face；　like　the　moon　in　the　morning；　with　two　great　lucid

eyes　in　it。



〃I　am　going；　Diamond；〃　she　said。



〃Does　it　hurt　you？〃　asked　Diamond。



〃It's　very　uncomfortable；〃　she　answered；　〃but　I　don't　mind　it；

for　I　shall　come　all　right　again　before　long。　　I　thought　I　should

be　able　to　go　with　you　all　the　way；　but　I　cannot。　　You　must　not　be

frightened　though。　　Just　go　straight　on；　and　you　will　come　all　right。　

You'll　find　me　on　the　doorstep。〃



As　she　spoke；　her　face　too　faded　quite　away；　only　Diamond

thought　he　could　still　see　her　eyes　shining　through　the　blue。　

When　he　went　closer；　however；　he　found　that　what　he　thought　her


eyes　were　only　two　hollows　in　the　ice。　　North　Wind　was　quite　gone；

and　Diamond　would　have　cried；　if　he　had　not　trusted　her　so　thoroughly。　

So　he　sat　still　in　the　blue　air　of　the　cavern　listening　to　the　wash

and　ripple　of　the　water　all　about　the　base　of　the　iceberg；　as　it

sped　on　and　on　into　the　open　sea　northwards。　　It　was　an　excellent

craft　to　go　with　the　current；　for　there　was　twice　as　much　of　it

below　water　as　above。　　But　a　light　south　wind　was　blowing　too；

and　so　it　went　fast。



After　a　little　while　Diamond　went　out　and　sat　on　the　edge　of　his

floating　island；　and　looked　down　into　the　ocean　beneath　him。　

The　white　sides　of　the　berg　reflected　so　much　light　below　the　water；

that　he　could　see　far　down　into　the　green　abyss。　　Sometimes　he

fancied　he　saw　the　eyes　of　North　Wind　looking　up　at　him　from　below；

but　the　fancy　never　lasted　beyond　the　moment　of　its　birth。　　And　the　time

passed　he　did　not　know　how；　for　he　felt　as　if　he　were　in　a　dream。　

When　he　got　tired　of　the　green　water；　he　went　into　the　blue　cave；

and　when　he　got　tired　of　the　blue　cave　he　went　out　and　gazed　all

about　him　on　the　blue　sea；　ever　sparkling　in　the　sun；　which　kept

wheeling　about　the　sky；　never　going　below　the　horizon。　　But　he

chiefly　gazed　northwards；　to　see　whether　any　land　were　appearing。　

All　this　time　he　never　wanted　to　eat。　　He　broke　off　little　bits

of　the　berg　now　and　then　and　sucked　them；　and　he　thought　them

very　nice。



At　length；　one　time　he　came　out　of　his　cave；　he　spied　far　off　on

the　horizon；　a　shining　peak　that　rose　into　the　sky　like　the　top

of　some　tremendous　iceberg；　and　his　vessel　was　bearing　him　straight

towards　it。　　As　it　went　on　the　peak　rose　and　rose　higher　and　higher

above　the　horizon；　and　other　peaks　rose　after　it；　with　sharp　edges

and　jagged　ridges　connecting　them。　　Diamond　thought　this　must　be

the　place　he　was　going　to；　and　he　was　right；　for　the　mountains　rose

and　rose；　till　he　saw　the　line　of　the　coast　at　their　feet　and　at

length　the　iceberg　drove　into　a　little　bay；　all　around　which　were

lofty　precipices　with　snow　on　their　tops；　and　streaks　of　ice　down

their　sides。　　The　berg　floated　slowly　up　to　a　projecting　rock。　

Diamond　stepped　on　shore；　and　without　looking　behind　him　began　to　follow

a　natural　path　which　led　windingly　towards　the　top　of　the　precipice。



When　he　reached　it；　he　found　himself　on　a　broad　table　of　ice；

along　which　he　could　walk　without　much　difficulty。　　Before　him；

at　a　considerable　distance；　rose　a　lofty　ridge　of　ice；　which　shot　up

into　fantastic　pinnacles　and　towers　and　battlements。　　The　air　was

very　cold；　and　seemed　somehow　dead；　for　there　was　not　the　slightest

breath　of　wind。



In　the　centre　of　the　ridge　before　him　appeared　a　gap　like　the　opening

of　a　valley。　　But　as　he　walked　towards　it；　gazing；　and　wondering

whether　that　could　be　the　way　he　had　to　take；　he　saw　that　what　had

appeared　a　gap　was　the　form　of　a　woman　seated　against　the　ice

front　of　the　ridge；　leaning　forwards　with　her　hands　in　her　lap；

and　her　hair　hanging　down　to　the　ground。



〃It　is　North　Wind　on　her　doorstep；〃　said　Diamond　joyfully；

and　hurried　on。



He　soon　came　up　to　the　place；　and　there　the　form　sat；　like　one　of

the　great　figures　at　the　door　of　an　Egyptian　temple；　motionless；

with　drooping　arms　and　head。　　Then　Diamond　grew　frightened；

because　she　did　not　move　nor　speak。　　He　was　sure　it　was