high-water mark-第1章

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HIGH…WATER　MARK





When　the　tide　was　out　on　the　Dedlow　Marsh；　its　extended　dreariness

was　patent。　　Its　spongy；　low…lying　surface；　sluggish；　inky　pools；

and　tortuous　sloughs；　twisting　their　slimy　way；　eel…like；　toward

the　open　bay；　were　all　hard　facts。　　So　were　the　few　green　tussocks；

with　their　scant　blades；　their　amphibious　flavor　and　unpleasant

dampness。　　And　if　you　choose　to　indulge　your　fancyalthough　the

flat　monotony　of　the　Dedlow　Marsh　was　not　inspiringthe　wavy　line

of　scattered　drift　gave　an　unpleasant　consciousness　of　the　spent

waters；　and　made　the　dead　certainty　of　the　returning　tide　a　gloomy

reflection　which　no　present　sunshine　could　dissipate。　　The　greener

meadowland　seemed　oppressed　with　this　idea；　and　made　no　positive

attempt　at　vegetation　until　the　work　of　reclamation　should　be

complete。　　In　the　bitter　fruit　of　the　low　cranberry　bushes　one

might　fancy　he　detected　a　naturally　sweet　disposition　curdled　and

soured　by　an　injudicious　course　of　too　much　regular　cold　water。



The　vocal　expression　of　the　Dedlow　Marsh　was　also　melancholy　and

depressing。　　The　sepulchral　boom　of　the　bittern；　the　shriek　of　the

curlew；　the　scream　of　passing　brent；　the　wrangling　of　quarrelsome

teal；　the　sharp；　querulous　protest　of　the　startled　crane；　and

syllabled　complaint　of　the　〃killdeer〃　plover；　were　beyond　the　power

of　written　expression。　　Nor　was　the　aspect　of　these　mournful　fowls

at　all　cheerful　and　inspiring。　　Certainly　not　the　blue　heron

standing　mid…leg　deep　in　the　water；　obviously　catching　cold　in　a

reckless　disregard　of　wet　feet　and　consequences；　nor　the　mournful

curlew；　the　dejected　plover；　or　the　low…spirited　snipe；　who　saw　fit

to　join　him　in　his　suicidal　contemplation；　nor　the　impassive

kingfisheran　ornithological　Mariusreviewing　the　desolate

expanse；　nor　the　black　raven　that　went　to　and　fro　over　the　face　of

the　marsh　continually；　but　evidently　couldn抰　make　up　his　mind

whether　the　waters　had　subsided；　and　felt　low…spirited　in　the

reflection　that；　after　all　this　trouble；　he　wouldn't　be　able　to

give　a　definite　answer。　　On　the　contrary；　it　was　evident　at　a

glance　that　the　dreary　expanse　of　Dedlow　Marsh　told　unpleasantly　on

the　birds；　and　that　the　season　of　migration　was　looked　forward　to

with　a　feeling　of　relief　and　satisfaction　by　the　full…grown；　and　of

extravagant　anticipation　by　the　callow；　brood。　　But　if　Dedlow　Marsh

was　cheerless　at　the　slack　of　the　low　tide；　you　should　have　seen　it

when　the　tide　was　strong　and　full。　　When　the　damp　air　blew　chilly

over　the　cold；　glittering　expanse；　and　came　to　the　faces　of　those

who　looked　seaward　like　another　tide；　when　a　steel…like　glint

marked　the　low　hollows　and　the　sinuous　line　of　slough；　when　the

great　shell…incrusted　trunks　of　fallen　trees　arose　again；　and　went

forth　on　their　dreary；　purposeless　wanderings；　drifting　hither　and

thither；　but　getting　no　farther　toward　any　goal　at　the　falling　tide

or　the　day's　decline　than　the　cursed　Hebrew　in　the　legend；　when　the

glossy　ducks　swung　silently；　making　neither　ripple　nor　furrow　on

the　shimmering　surface；　when　the　fog　came　in　with　the　tide　and　shut

out　the　blue　above；　even　as　the　green　below　had　been　obliterated；

when　boatmen　lost　in　that　fog；　paddling　about　in　a　hopeless　way；

started　at　what　seemed　the　brushing　of　mermen's　fingers　on　the

boat's　keel；　or　shrank　from　the　tufts　of　grass　spreading　around

like　the　floating　hair　of　a　corpse；　and　knew　by　these　signs　that

they　were　lost　upon　Dedlow　Marsh　and　must　make　a　night　of　it；　and　a

gloomy　one　at　thatthen　you　might　know　something　of　Dedlow　Marsh

at　high　water。



Let　me　recall　a　story　connected　with　this　latter　view　which　never

failed　to　recur　to　my　mind　in　my　long　gunning　excursions　upon

Dedlow　Marsh。　　Although　the　event　was　briefly　recorded　in　the

counry　paper；　I　had　the　story；　in　all　its　eloquent　detail；　from　the

lips　of　the　principal　actor。　　I　cannot　hope　to　catch　the　varying

emphasis　and　peculiar　coloring　of　feminine　delineation；　for　my

narrator　was　a　woman；　but　I'll　try　to　give　at　least　its　substance。



She　lived　midway　of　the　great　slough　of　Dedlow　Marsh　and　a　good…

sized　river；　which　debouched　four　miles　beyond　into　an　estuary

formed　by　the　Pacific　Ocean；　on　the　long　sandy　peninsula　which

constituted　the　southwestern　boundary　of　a　noble　bay。　　The　house　in

which　she　lived　was　a　small　frame　cabin　raised　from　the　marsh　a　few

feet　by　stout　piles；　and　was　three　miles　distant　from　the

settlements　upon　the　river。　　Her　husband　was　a　loggera　profitable

business　in　a　county　where　the　principal　occupation　was　the

manufacture　of　lumber。



It　was　the　season　of　early　spring　when　her　husband　left　on　the　ebb

of　a　high　tide；　with　a　raft　of　logs　for　the　usual　transportation　to

the　lower　end　of　the　bay。　　As　she　stood　by　the　door　of　the　little

cabin　when　the　voyagers　departed　she　noticed　a　cold　look　in　the

southeastern　sky；　and　she　remembered　hearing　her　husband　say　to　his

companions　that　they　must　endeavor　to　complete　their　voyage　before

the　coming　of　the　southwesterly　gale　which　he　saw　brewing。　　And

that　night　it　began　to　storm　and　blow　harder　than　she　had　ever

before　experienced；　and　some　great　trees　fell　in　the　forest　by　the

river；　and　the　house　rocked　like　her　baby's　cradle。



But　however　the　storm　might　roar　about　the　little　cabin；　she　knew

that　one　she　trusted　had　driven　bolt　and　bar　with　his　own　strong

hand；　and　that　had　he　feared　for　her　he　would　not　have　left　her。

This；　and　her　domestic　duties；　and　the　care　of　her　little　sickly

baby；　helped　to　keep　her　mind　from　dwelling　on　the　weather；　except；

of　course；　to　hope　that　he　was　safely　harbored　with　the　logs　at

Utopia　in　the　dreary　distance。　　But　she　noticed　that　day；　when　she

went　out　to　feed　the　chickens　and　look　after　the　cow；　that　the　tide

was　up　to　the　little　fence　of　their　garden…patch；　and　the　roar　of

the　surf　on　the　south　beach；　though　miles　away；　she　could　hear

distinctly。　　And　she　began　to　think　that　she　would　like　to　have

someone　to　talk　with　about　matters；　and　she　believed　that　if　it　had

not　been　so　far　and　so　stormy；　and　the　trail　so　impassable；　she

would　have　taken　the　baby　and　have　gone　over　to　Ryckman's；　her

nearest　neighbor。　　But　then；　you　see；　he　might　have　returned　in　the

storm；　all　wet；　with　no　one　to　see　to　him；　and　it　was　a　long

exposure　for　baby；　who　was　croupy　and　ailing。



But　that　night；　she　never　could　tell　why；　she　didn't　feel　like

sleeping　or　even　lying　down。　　The　storm　had　somewhat　abated；　but

she　still　〃sat　and　sat；〃　and　even　tried　to　read。　　I　don't　know

whether　it　was　a　Bible　or　some　profane　magazine　that　this　poor

woman　read；　but　most　probably　the　latter；　for　the　words　all　ran

together　and　made　such　sad　nonsense　that　she　was　forced　at　last　to

put　the　book　down　and　turn　to　that　dearer　volume　which　lay　before

her　in　the　cradle；　with　its　white　initial　leaf　as　yet　unsoiled；　and

try　to　look　forward　to　its　mysterious　future。　　And；　rocking　the

cradle；　she　thought　of　everything　and　everybody；　but　still　was

wide…awake　as　ever。



It　was　nearly　twelve　o'clock　when　she　at　last　lay　down　in　her

clothes。　　How　long　she　slept　she　could　not　remember；　but　she　awoke

with　a　dreadful　choking　in　her　throat；　and　found　herself　standing；

trembling　all　over；　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　with　her　baby

clasped　to　her　breast；　and　she　was　〃saying　something。〃　　The　baby

cried　and　sobbed；　and　she　walked　up　and　down　trying　to　hush　it　when

she　heard　a　scratching　at　the　door。　　She　opened　it　fearfully；　and

was　glad　to　see　it　was　only　old　Pete；　their　dog；　who　crawled；

dripping　with　water；　into　the　room。　　She　would　like　to　have　looked

out；　not　in　the　faint　hope　of　her　husband's　coming；　but　to　see　how

things　looked；　but　the　wind　shook　the　door　so　savagely　that　she

could　hardly　hold　it。　　Then　she　sat　down　a　little　while；　and　then

walked　up　and　down　a　little　while；　and　then　she　lay　down　again　a

little　while。　　Lying　close　by　the　wall　of　the　little　cabin；　she

thought　she　heard　on