the riverman-第53节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



swooping；　invisible　monster　that　pursued　them。



Carroll　and　Mina　Heinzman　had　a　good　time。　　They　liked　each　other　

very　much；　and　always　saw　a　great　deal　to　laugh　at　in　the　things　

about　them　and　in　the　subjects　about　which　they　talked。　　When；　

however；　they　turned　toward　home；　they　were　forced　silent　by　the　

mighty　power　of　the　wind　against　them。　　The　tears　ran　from　their　

eyes　as　though　they　were　crying；　they　had　to　lower　their　heads。　　

Hardly　could　Carroll　command　vision　clear　enough　to　see　the　road　

along　which　she　was　driving。　　This　was　really　unnecessary；　for　

Prince　was　buffeted　to　a　walk。　　Thus　they　crawled　along　until　they　

reached　the　turn…bridge；　where　the　right…angled　change　in　direction　

gave　them　relief。　　The　river　was　full　of　choppy　waves；　considerable　

in　size。　　As　they　crossed；　the　SPRITE　darted　beneath　them；　lowering　

her　smokestack　as　she　went　under　the　bridge。



They　entered　Main　Street；　where　was　a　great　banging　and　clanging　of　

swinging　signs　and　a　few　loose　shutters。　　All　the　sidewalk　displays　

of　vegetables　and　other　goods　had　been　taken　in；　and　the　doors；　

customarily　wide　open；　were　now　shut　fast。　　This　alone　lent　to　the　

street　quite　a　deserted　air；　which　was　emphasised　by　the　fact　that　

actually　not　a　rig　of　any　sort　stood　at　the　curbs。　　Up　the　empty　

roadway　whirled　one　after　the　other　clouds　of　dust　hurried　by　the　

wind。



〃I　wonder　where　all　the　farmers'　wagons　are？〃　marvelled　the　

practical　Mina。　　〃Surely　they　would　not　stay　home　Saturday　afternoon　

just　for　this　wind！〃



Opposite　Randall's　hardware　store　her　curiosity　quite　mastered　her。



〃Do　stop！〃　she　urged　Carroll。　　〃I　want　to　run　in　and　see　what's　the　

matter。〃



She　was　gone　but　a　moment；　and　returned；　her　eyes　shining　with　

excitement。



〃Oh；　Carroll！〃　she　cried；　〃there　are　three　vessels　gone　ashore　off　

the　piers。　　Everybody's　gone　to　see。〃



〃Jump　in！〃　said　Carroll。　　〃We'll　drive　out。　　Perhaps　they'll　get　out　

the　life…saving　crew。〃



They　drove　up　the　plank　road　over　the　sand…hill；　through　the　beech　

woods；　to　the　bluff　above　the　shore。　　In　the　woods　they　were　

somewhat　sheltered　from　the　wind；　although　even　there　the　crash　of　

falling　branches　and　the　whirl　of　twigs　and　dead　leaves　advertised　

that　the　powers　of　the　air　were　abroad；　but　when　they　topped　the　

last　rise；　the　unobstructed　blast　from　the　open　Lake　hit　them　square　

between　the　eyes。



Probably　a　hundred　vehicles　of　all　descriptions　were　hitched　to　

trees　just　within　the　fringe　of　woods。　　Carroll；　however；　drove　

straight　ahead　until　Prince　stood　at　the　top　of　the　plank　road　that　

led　down　to　the　bath　houses。　　Here　she　pulled　up。



Carroll　saw　the　lake；　slate　blue　and　angry；　with　white…capped　

billows　to　the　limit　of　vision。　　Along　the　shore　were　rows　and　rows　

of　breakers；　leaping；　breaking；　and　gathering　again；　until　they　were　

lost　in　a　tumble　of　white　foam　that　rushed　and　receded　on　the　sands。　　

These　did　not　look　to　be　very　large　until　she　noticed　the　twin　piers　

reaching　out　from　the　river's　mouth。　　Each　billow；　as　it　came　in；　

rose　sullenly　above　them；　broke　tempestuously　to　overwhelm　the　

entire　structure　of　their　ends；　and　ripped　inshore　along　their　

lengths；　the　crest　submerging　as　it　ran　every　foot　of　the　massive　

structures。　　The　piers　and　the　light…houses　at　their　ends　looked　

like　little　toys；　and　the　compact　black　crowd　of　people　on　the　shore　

below　were　as　small　as　Bobby's　tin　soldiers。



〃Look　thereout　farther！〃　pointed　Mina。



Carroll　looked；　and　rose　to　her　feet　in　excitement



Three　little　toy　shipsor　so　they　seemed　compared　to　the　mountains　

of　waterlay　broadside…to；　just　inside　the　farthest　line　of　

breakers。　　Two　were　sailing　schooners。　　These　had　been　thrown　on　

their　beam　ends；　their　masts　pointing　at　an　angle　toward　the　beach。　　

Each　wave；　as　it　reached；　stirred　them　a　trifle；　then　broke　in　a　

deluge　of　water　that　for　a　moment　covered　their　hulls　completely　

from　sight。　　With　a　mighty　suction　the　billow　drained　away；　carrying　

with　it　wreckage。　　The　third　vessel　was　a　steam　barge。　　She；　too；　

was　broadside　to　the　seas；　but　had　caught　in　some　hole　in　the　bar　so　

that　she　lay　far　down　by　the　head。　　The　shoreward　side　of　her　upper　

works　had；　for　some　freakish　reason；　given　away　first；　so　now　the　

interior　of　her　staterooms　and　saloons　was　exposed　to　view　as　in　the　

cross…section　of　a　model　ship。　　Over　her；　too；　the　great　waves　

hurled　themselves；　each　carrying　away　its　spoil。　　To　Carroll　it　

seemed　fantastically　as　though　the　barge　were　made　of　sugar；　and　

that　each　sea　melted　her　precisely　as　Bobby　loved　to　melt　the　lump　

in　his　chocolate　by　raising　and　lowering　it　in　a　spoon。



And　the　queer　part　of　it　all　was　that　these　waves；　so　mighty　in　

their　effects；　appeared　to　the　woman　no　different　from　those　she　had　

often　watched　in　the　light　summer　blows　that　for　a　few　hours　raise　

the　〃white　caps〃　on　the　lake。　　They　came　in　from　the　open　in　the　

same　swift　yet　deliberate　ranks；　they　gathered　with　the　same　

leisurely　pauses；　they　broke　with　the　same　rush　and　roar。　　They　

seemed　no　larger；　but　everything　else　had　been　struck　smallthe　

tiny　ships；　the　toy　piers；　the　ant…like　swarm　of　people　on　the　

shore。　　She　looked　on　it　as　a　spectacle。　　It　had　as　yet　no　human　

significance。



〃Poor　fellows！〃　cried　Mina。



〃What？〃　asked　Carroll。



〃Don't　you　see　them？〃　queried　the　other。



Carroll　looked；　and　in　the　rigging　of　the　schooner　she　made　out　a　

number　of　black　objects。



〃Are　those　men？up　the　masts？〃　she　cried。



She　set　Prince　in　motion　toward　the　beach。



At　the　foot　of　the　bluff　the　plank　road　ran　out　into　the　deep　sand。　　

Through　this　the　phaeton　made　its　way　heavily。　　The　fine　particles　

were　blown　in　the　air　like　a　spray；　mingling　with　the　spume　from　the　

lake；　stinging　Carroll's　face　like　so　many　needles。　　Already　the　

beach　was　strewn　with　pieces　of　wreckage；　some　of　it　cast　high　above　

the　wash；　others　still　thrown　up　and　sucked　back　by　each　wave；　

others　again　rising　and　falling　in　the　billows。　　This　wreckage　

constituted　a　miscellaneous　jumble；　although　most　of　it　was　lumber　

from　the　deck…loads　of　the　vessels。　　Intermingled　with　the　split　and　

broken　yellow　boards　were　bits　of　carving　and　of　painted　wood。　　

Carroll　saw　one　piece　half　buried　in　the　sand　which　bore　in　gilt　two　

huge　letters；　A　R。　　A　little　farther；　bent　and　twisted；　projected　

the　ornamental　spear　which　had　pointed　the　way　before　the　steamer's　

bow。　　Portions　of　the　usual　miscellaneous　freight　cargo　carried　on　

every　voyage　were　scattered　along　the　shoreboxes；　barrels；　and　

crates。　　Five　or　six　men　had　rolled　a　whisky　barrel　beyond　the　reach　

of　the　water；　had　broached　it；　and　now　were　drinking　in　turn　from　a　

broken　and　dingy　fragment　of　a　beer…schooner。　　They　were　very　dirty；　

their　hair　had　fallen　over　their　eyes；　which　were　bloodshot；　the　

expression　of　their　faces　was　imbecile。　　As　the　phaeton　passed；　they　

hailed　its　occupants　in　thick　voices；　shouting　against　the　wind　

maudlin　invitations　to　drink。



The　crowd　gathered　at　the　pier　comprised　fully　half　the　population　

of　Monrovia。　　It　centred　about　the　life　saving　crew；　whose　mortar　

was　being　loaded。　　A　stove…in　lifeboat　mutely　attested　the　failure　

of　other　efforts。　　The　men　worked　busily；　ramming　home　the　powder　

sack；　placing　the　projectile　with　the　light　line　attached；　attending　

that　the　reel　ran　freely。　　Their　chief　watched　the　seas　and　winds　

through　his　glasses。　　When　the　preparations　were　finished；　he　

adjusted　the　mortar；　and　pulled　the　string。　　Carroll　had　seen　this　

done　in　practice。　　Now；　with　the　recollection　of　that　experience　in　

mind；　she　was　astonished　at　the　feeble　report　of　the　piece；　and　its　

freedom　from　the　dense　white　clouds　of　smoke　that　should　have　

enveloped　it。　　The　wind　snatched　both　noise　and　vapour　away　almost　

as　soon　as　they　were　born。　　The　dart　with　its　trailer　of　line　rose　

on　a　long　graceful　curve。　　The　reel　sang。　　Every　member　of　the　crowd　

unconsciously　leaned　forward　in　attention。　　But　the　resistance　of　

the　wind　and　the　line　early　made　itself　felt。　　Slower　and　slower　

hummed　the　reel。　　There　came　a　time　when　the　missile　seemed　to　

hesitate；　then　fairly　to　stand　in　equilibrium。　　Finally；　in　an　

increasingly　abrupt　curve；　it　descended　into　the　sea。　　By　a　good　

three　hundred　yards　the　shot　had　failed　to　carry　the　line　over　the　

vessels。



〃There's　Mr。　Bradford；〃　said　Carroll；　waving　her　hand。　　〃I　wish　he'd　

come　and　tell　us　something　about　it。〃



The　banjo…playing　village　Brummell　saw　the　signal　and　came；　his　face　

grave。



〃Couldn't　they　get　the　lifeboats　out　to　them？〃　asked　Carroll　as　he　

approached。



〃You　see　that　one；〃　said　Bradford；　pointing。　　〃Well；　the　other's　in　

kindling　wood　farther　up　the　beach。〃



〃Anybody　drowned？〃　asked　Mina　quickly。



〃No；　we　got　'em　out。　　Mr。　Cam's　shoulder　is　broken。〃　　He　glanced