the riverman-第60章

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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　

down　at　himself　comically；　and　the　girls　for　the　first　time　noticed　

that　beneath　the　heavy　overcoat　his　garments　were　dripping。



〃But　surely　they'll　never　get　a　line　over　with　the　mortar！〃　said　

Carroll。　　〃That　last　shot　fell　so　far　short！〃



〃They　know　it。　　They've　shot　a　dozen　times。　　Might　as　well　do　

something。〃



〃I　should　think；〃　said　Mina；　〃that　they'd　shoot　from　the　end　of　the　

pier。　　They'd　be　ever　so　much　nearer。〃



〃Tried　it；〃　replied　Bradford　succintly。　　〃Nearly　lost　the　whole　

business。〃



Nobody　said　anything　for　some　time；　but　all　looked　helplessly　to　

where　the　vesselsfrom　this　elevation　insignificant　among　the　

tumbling　waterswere　pounding　to　pieces。



At　this　moment　from　the　river　a　trail　of　black　smoke　became　visible　

over　the　point　of　sand…hill　that　ran　down　to　the　pier。　　A　smokestack　

darted　into　view；　slowed　down；　and　came　to　rest　well　inside　the　

river…channel。　　There　it　rose　and　fell　regularly　under　the　influence　

of　the　swell　that　swung　in　from　the　lake。　　The　crowd　uttered　a　

cheer；　and　streamed　in　the　direction　of　the　smokestack。



〃Come　and　see　what's　up；〃　suggested　Bradford。



He　hitched　Prince　to　a　log　sticking　up　at　an　angle　from　the　sand；　

and　led　the　way　to　the　pier。



There　they　had　difficulty　in　getting　close　enough　to　see；　but　

Bradford；　preceding　the　two　women；　succeeded　by　patience　and　

diplomacy　in　forcing　a　way。　　The　SPRITE　was　lying　close　under　the　

pier；　the　top　of　her　pilot…house　just　about　level　with　the　feet　of　

the　people　watching　her。　　She　rose　and　fell　with　the　restless　

waters。　　Fat　rope…yarn　bumpers　interposed　between　her　sides　and　the　

piling。　　The　pilot…house　was　empty；　but　Harvey；　the　negro　engineer；　

leaned；　elbows　crossed　against　the　sill　of　his　little　square　door；　

smoking　his　pipe。



〃I　wouldn't　go　out　there　for　a　million　dollars！〃　cried　a　man　

excitedly　to　Carroll　and　Bradford。　　〃Nothing　on　earth　could　live　in　

that　sea！　　Nothing！　　I've　run　a　tug　myself　in　my　time；　and　I　know　

what　I'm　talking　about！〃



〃What　are　they　going　to　do？〃　asked　Carroll。



〃Haven't　you　heard！〃　cried　the　other；　turning　to　her。　　〃Where　you　

been？　　This　is　one　of　Orde's　tugs；　and　she's　going　to　try　to　get　a　

line　to　them　vessels。　　But　I　wouldn't〃



Bradford　did　not　wait　for　him　to　finish。　　He　turned　abruptly；　and　

with　an　air　of　authority　brushed　toward　the　tug；　followed　closely　by　

Carroll　and　Mina。　　At　the　edge　of　the　pier　was　the　tug's　captain；　

Marsh；　listening　to　earnest　expostulation　by　a　half…dozen　of　the　

leading　men　of　the　town；　among　whom　were　both　Newmark　and　Orde。



As　the　three　came　within　earshot　Captain　Marsh　spit　forth　the　stump　

of　cigar　he　had　been　chewing。



〃Gentlemen；〃　said　he　crisply；　〃that　isn't　the　question。　　I　think　I　

can　do　it；　and　I'm　entirely　willing　to　take　all　personal　risks。　　The　

thing　is　hazardous　and　it's　Mr。　Orde's　tug。　　It's　for　him　to　say