the riverman-第55节

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from　yawing！〃　muttered　the　tug　captain　to　his　neighbour；　who　

happened　to　be　Mr。　Duncan；　the　minister。



Almost　before　Carroll　had　time　to　see　that　the　little　craft　was　

coming　in；　she　had　arrived　at　the　outer　line　of　breakers。　　Here　the　

combers；　dragged　by　the　bar　underneath；　crested；　curled　over；　and　

fell　with　a　roar；　just　as　in　milder　weather　the　surf　breaks　on　the　

beach。　　When　the　SPRITE　rushed　at　this　outer　line　of　white…water；　a　

woman　in　the　crowd　screamed。



But　at　the　edge　of　destruction　the　SPRITE　came　to　a　shuddering　stop。　　

Her　powerful　propellers　had　been　set　to　the　reverse。　　They　could　not　

hold　her　against　the　forward　fling　of　the　water；　but　what　she　lost　

thus　she　regained　on　the　seaward　slopes　of　the　waves　and　in　their　

hollows。　　Thus　she　hovered　on　the　edge　of　the　breakers；　awaiting　her　

chance。



As　long　as　the　seas　rolled　in　steadily；　and　nothing　broke；　she　was　

safe。　　But　if　one　of　the　waves　should　happen　to　crest　and　break；　as　

many　of　them　did；　the　weight　of　water　catching　the　tug　on　her　flat；　

broad　stern　deck　would　indubitably　bury　her。　　The　situation　was　

awful　in　its　extreme　simplicity。　　Would　Captain　Marsh　see　his　

opportunity　before　the　law　of　chances　would　bring　along　the　wave　

that　would　overwhelm　him？



A　realisation　of　the　crisis　came　to　the　crowd　on　the　beach。　　At　once　

the　terrible　strain　of　suspense　tugged　at　their　souls。　　Each　

conducted　himself　according　to　his　nature。　　The　hardy　men　of　the　

river　and　the　woods　set　their　teeth　until　the　cheek　muscles　turned　

white；　and　blasphemed　softly　and　steadily。　　Two　or　three　of　the　

townsmen　walked　up　and　down　the　space　of　a　dozen　feet。　　One；　the　

woman　who　had　screamed；　prayed　aloud　in　short　hysterical　sentences。



〃O　God！　　Save　them；　O　Lord！　O　Lord！〃



Orde　stood　on　top　of　a　half…buried　log；　his　hat　in　his　hand；　his　

entire　being　concentrated　on　the　manoeuvre　being　executed。　　Only　

Newmark　apparently　remained　as　calm　as　ever；　leaning　against　an　

upright　timber；　his　arms　folded；　and　an　unlighted　cigar　as　usual　

between　his　lips。



Methodically　every　few　moments　he　removed　his　eyeglasses　and　wiped　

the　lenses　free　of　spray。



Suddenly；　without　warning；　occurred　one　of　those　inexplicable　lulls　

that　interpose　often　amid　the　wildest　uproars。　　For　the　briefest　

instant　other　sounds　than　the　roar　of　the　wind　and　surf　were　

permitted　the　multitude　on　the　beach。　　They　heard　the　grinding　of　

timbers　from　the　stricken　ships；　and　the　draining　away　of　waters。　　

And　distinctly　they　heard　the　faint；　far　tinkle　of　the　jangler　

calling　again　for　〃full　speed　ahead。〃



Between　two　waves　the　SPRITE　darted　forward　directly　for　the　nearest　

of　the　wrecks。　　Straight　as　an　arrow's　flight　she　held　until　from　

the　crowd　went　up　a　groan。



〃She'll　collide！〃　some　one　put　it　into　words。



But　at　the　latest　moment　the　tug　swerved；　raced　past；　and　turned　on　

a　long　diagonal　across　the　end　of　the　bar　toward　the　piers。



Captain　Marsh　had　chosen　his　moment　with　exactitude。　　To　the　utmost　

he　had　taken　advantage　of　the　brief　lull　of　jumbled　seas　after　the　

〃three　largest　waves〃　had　swept　by。　　Yet　in　shallow　water　and　with　

the　strong　inshore　set；　even　that　lull　was　all　too　short。　　The　

SPRITE　was　staggered　by　the　buffets　of　the　smaller　breakers；　her　

speed　was　checked；　her　stern　was　dragged　around。　　For　an　instant　it　

seemed　that　the　back　suction　would　hold　her　in　its　grip。　　She　tore　

herself　from　the　grasp　of　the　current。　　Enveloped　in　a　blinding　hail　

of　spray　she　struggled　desperately　to　extricate　herself　from　the　

maelstrom　in　which　she　was　involved　before　the　resumption　of　the　

larger　seas　should　roll　her　over　and　over　to　destruction。



Already　these　larger　seas　were　racing　in　from　the　open。　　To　Carroll；　

watching　breathless　and　wide…eyed　in　that　strange　passive　and　

receptive　state　peculiar　to　imaginative　natures；　they　seemed　alive。　　

And　the　SPRITE；　too；　appeared　to　be；　not　a　fabric　and　a　mechanism　

controlled　by　men；　but　a　sentient　creature　struggling　gallantly　on　

her　own　volition。



Far　out　in　the　lake　against　the　tumbling　horizon　she　saw　heave　up　

for　a　second　the　shoulder　of　a　mighty　wave。　　And　instinctively　she　

perceived　this　wave　as　a　deadly　enemy　of　the　little　tug；　and　saw　it　

bending　all　its　great　energies　to　hurrying　in　on　time　to　catch　the　

victim　before　it　could　escape。　　To　this　wave　she　gave　all　her　

attention；　watching　for　it　after　it　had　sunk　momentarily　below　its　

fellows；　recognising　it　instantly　as　it　rose　again。　　The　spasms　of　

dismay　and　relief　among　the　crowd　about　her　she　did　not　share　at　

all。　　The　crises　they　indicated　did　not　exist　for　her。　　Until　the　

wave　came　in；　Carroll　knew；　the　SPRITE；　no　matter　how　battered　and　

tossed；　would　be　safe。　　Her　whole　being　was　concentrated　in　a　

continually　shifting　calculation　of　the　respective　distances　between　

the　tug　and　the　piers；　the　tug　and　the　relentlessly　advancing　wave。



〃Oh；　go！〃　she　exhorted　the　SPRITE　under　her　breath。



Then　the　crowd；　too；　caught　with　its　slower　perceptions　the　import　

of　the　wave。　　Carroll　felt　the　electric　thrill　of　apprehension　

shiver　through　it。　　Huge　and　towering；　green　and　flecked　with　foam　

the　wave　came　on　now　calmly　and　deliberately　as　though　sure。　　The　

SPRITE　was　off　the　end　of　the　pier　when　the　wave　lifted　her；　just　in　

the　position　her　enemy　would　have　selected　to　crush　her　life　out　

against　the　cribs。　　Slowly　the　tug　rose　against　its　shoulder；　was　

lifted　onward；　poised；　and　then　with　a　swift　forward　thrust　the　wave　

broke；　smothering　the　pier　and　lighthouse　beneath　tons　of　water。



A　low；　agonised　wail　broke　from　the　crowd。　　And　thenand　thenover　

beyond　the　pier　down　which　the　wave；　broken　and　spent　but　formidable　

still；　was　ripping　its　way；　they　saw　gliding　a　battered　black　stack　

from　which　still　poured　defiantly　clouds　of　gray　smoke。



For　ten　seconds　the　spectators　could　not　believe　their　eyes。　　They　

had　distinctly　seen　the　SPRITE　caught　between　a　resistless　wall　of　

water　and　the　pier；　where　she　should　have　been　crushed　like　the　

proverbial　egg…shell。　　Yet　there　she　wasor　her　ghost。



Then　a　great　cheer　rose　up　against　the　wind。　　The　crowd　went　crazy。　　

Mere　acquaintances　hugged　each　other　and　danced　around　and　around　

through　the　heavy　sands。　　Several　women　had　hysterics。　　The　riverman　

next　to　Mr。　Duncan　opened　his　mouth　and　swore　so　picturesquely　that；　

as　he　afterward　told　his　chum；　〃I　must've　been　plumb　inspired　for　

the　occasion。〃　　Yet　it　never　entered　Mr。　Duncan's　ministerial　headCAIRTjess　a

little　ne'vous。　　All　I　

had　to　do　was　to　feed　her　slabs　and　l　

to　reprove　the　blasphemy。　　Orde　jumped　down　from　his　half…buried　log　

and　clapped　his　hat　on　his　head。　　Newmark　did　not　alter　his　attitude　

nor　his　expression。



The　SPRITE　was　safe。　　For　the　few　moments　before　she　glided　the　

length　of　the　long　pier　to　stiller　water　this　fact　sufficed。



〃I　wonder　if　she　got　the　line　aboard；〃　speculated　the　tug…boat　

captain　at　last。



The　crowd　surged　over　to　the　piers　again。　　Below　them　rose　and　fell　

the　SPRITE。　　All　the　fancy　scroll…work　of　her　upper　works；　the　

cornice　of　her　deck　house；　the　light　rigging　of　her　cabin　had　

disappeared；　leaving　raw　and　splintered　wood　to　mark　their　

attachments。　　The　tall　smokestack　was　bent　awry；　but　its　supports　

had　held；　which　was　fortunate　since　otherwise　the　fires　would　have　

been　drowned　out。　　At　the　moment；　Captain　Marsh　was　bending　over　

examining　a　bad　break　in　the　overhangthe　only　material　damage　the　

tug　had　sustained。



At　sight　of　him　the　crowd　set　up　a　yell。　　He　paid　no　attention。　　One　

of　the　life…saving　men　tossed　a　mooring　line　ashore。　　It　was　seized　

by　a　dozen　men。　　Then　for　the　first　time　somebody　noticed　that　

although　the　tug　had　come　to　a　standstill；　her　screw　was　still　

turning　slowly　over　and　over；　holding　her　against　the　erratic　strong　

jerking　of　a　slender　rope　that　ran　through　her　stern　chocks　and　into　

the　water。



〃He　got　it　aboard！〃　yelled　the　man；　pointing。



Another　cheer　broke　out。　　The　life…saving　crew　leaped　to　the　deck。　　

They　were　immediately　followed　by　a　crowd　of　enthusiasts　eager　to　

congratulate　and　question。　　But　Captain　Marsh　would　have　none　of　

them。



〃Get　off　my　tug！〃　he　shouted。　　〃Do　you　want　to　swamp　her？　　What　do　

you　suppose　we　put　that　line　aboard　for？　　Fun？　　Get　busy　and　use　it！　　

Rescue　that　crew　now！〃



Abashed；　the　enthusiasts　scrambled　back。　　The　life…saving　crew　took　

charge。　　It　was　necessary　to　pass　the　line　around　the　end　of　the　

pier　and　back　to　the　beach。　　This　was　a　dangerous　job；　and　one　

requiring　considerable　power　and　ingenuity；　for　the　strain　on　the　

line　imposed　by　the　waters　was　terrific；　and　the　breaking　seas　

rendered　work　on　the　piers　extremely　hazardous。　　However；　the　life…

saving　captain　took　charge　confidently　enough。　　His　crew　began　to　

struggle　out　the　pier；　while　volunteers；　under　hi