with lee in virginia-第17章

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〃Not　much　food　for　a　week；　Massa　Vincent。〃



〃Not　a　very　great　deal；　Dan；　but　quite　enough　to　keep　us　going。　

You　can　make　up　for　lost　time　when　you　get　to　shore　again。〃



In　a　few　hours　it　was　certain　that　the　wind　was　going　down。　　By

midday　the　clouds　began　to　break　up；　and　an　hour　later　the　sun　was

shining　brightly。　　The　wind　was　still　blowing　strongly；　hr　t　the　sea

had　a　very　different　appearance　in　the　bright　light　of　the　sun　to　that

which　it　had　borne　under　the　canopy　of　dark　gray　clouds。　　Standing

'up　in　the　boat　two　hours　later；　Vincent　could　see　no　signs　of　land。



〃How　shall　we　find　our　way　back；　Massa　Vincent？〃



〃We　have　got　a　compass；　besides；　we　should　manage　very　well

even　if　we　had　not。　　Look　at　the　sun；　Dan。　There　it；　is　right　ahead

of　us。　　So；　you　know；　that's　the　west…that's　the　way　we　have　to　go。〃



〃That　very　useful　oh　de　sun；　sah；　but　suppose　we　not　live　in　de

west　do　sun　not　point　de　way　den。〃



〃Oh；　yes；　he　would；　just　the　same；　Dan。　　We　should　know　whether

to　go　away　from　him；　or　to　keep　him　en　the　right　hand　or　on　the

left。〃



This　was　beyond　Dan。　　〃And　I　s'pose　the　moon　will　show　de　way　at

night；　massa？〃



〃The　moon　would　show　the　way　if　she　were　'up；　but　she　is　not

always　up；　but　I　have　got　a　compass　here；　and　so　whether　we　have

the　sun　or　the　moon；　or　neither　of　them；　I　can　find　my　way　back　to

land。〃



Dan　had　never　seen　a　compass；　and　for　an　hour　amused　himself

turning　it　round　and　round　and　trying　to　get　it　to　point　in　some

other　direction　than　the　north。



〃Now；　Dan；〃　Vincent　said　at　last；　〃give　me　that　compass；　and　get

out　the　food。　　We　will　have　a　better　meal　than　we　did　this　morning；

for　now　that　the　wind　is　going　down　there's　no　chance　of　food

running　short。　　When　we　have　had　dinner　we　will　get　up　the　sail

again。　　The　sea　is　not　so　rough　as　it　was；　and　it　is　certainly　not　so

high　as　it　was　before　we　lowered　the　sail　yesterday。〃



〃De　waves　berry　big；　massa。〃



〃They　are　big；　Dan；　but　they　are　not　so　angry。　　The　heads　are　not

breaking　over　as　they　did　last　night；　and　the　boat　will　go　better

over　those　long　waves　than　she　did　through　the　choppy　sea　at　the

beginning　of　the　gale。〃



Accordingly　the　bundle　of　spars　was　pulled　up　alongside　and

lifted。　　The　mast　was　set　up　and　the　sail　hoisted。　Dan　in　a　few

minutes　forgot　his　fears　and　lost　even　his　sense　of　uneasiness　as　he

found　the　boat　mounted　wave　after　wave　without　shipping　water。　

Several　times；　indeed；　a　shower　of　spray　flew　high　up　in　the　air；

but　the　gusts　no　longer　buried　her　so　that　the　water　came　over　the

gunwale；　and　it　was　a　long　time　before　there　was　any　occasion　to

use　the　baler。　　As　the　sun　set　it　could　be　seen　that　there　was　a　dark

line　between　it　and　the　water。



〃There　is　the　land；　Dan；　and　I　do　not　suppose　it　is　more　than

twenty　miles　away；　for　most　of　the　coast　lies　low。〃



〃But　how　we　find　do　York　River；　massa？　Will　de　compass　tell　you

dat？〃



〃No；　Dan。　　I　don't　know　whether　we　have　drifted　north　or　south　of

it。　　At　ordinary　times　the　current　runs　up　the　coast；　but　the　wind

this　morning　was　blowing　from　the　north　of　west；　and　may　have

been　doing　so　all　through　the　night　for　anything　I　know。　　Well；　the

great　thing　is　to　make　land。　　We　are　almost　sure　to　come　across

some　fishing…boats；　but；　if　not；　we　must　run　ashore　and　find　a

house。〃



They　continued　sailing　until　Vincent's　watch　told　him　it　was

twelve　o'clock；　by　which　time　the　coast　was　quite　close。　　The　wind

now　almost　dropped；　and；　lowering　their　sail；　they　rowed　in　until；

on　lowering　the　anchor；　they　found　that　it　touched　the　ground。　

Then　they　lay　down　and　slept；　till　morning。　　Dan　was　the　first　to

waken。



〃Dar　are　some　houses　dere　close　down　by　the　shore；　sah；　and　some

men　getting　out　a　boat；。〃



〃That's　all　right；　Dan；〃　Vincent　said　as　he　roused　himself　and

looked　over。　　〃We　shall　learn　soon　where　we　are。〃



In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　the　fishing…boat　put　off；　and　the　lads　at　once

rowed　to　it。



〃How　far　are　we　from　the　mouth　of　the　York　River？〃　Vincent

asked　the　two　negroes　on　board。



〃About　twenty　miles；　sah。　　Where　you　come　from？〃



〃We　were　off　the　month　of　the　river；　and　were　blown　off　in　the

gale。〃



〃You　tink　yourself　berry　lucky　you　get　back；〃　one　of　them　said。　

〃Berry　foolish　to　go　out　like　dat　when　not　know　how　to　get　back。〃



〃Well；　we　have　managed　to　get　back　now；　you　see；　and　none　the

worse　for　it。　　Now；　Dan；　up　with　the　sail　again。〃



There　was　a　light　wind　off　shore；　and　all　the　reefs　being　shaken　out

the　boat　ran　along　fast。



〃I　should　think　we　are　going　about　five　miles　an　hour；　Dan。　　We

ought　to　be　off　the　mouth　of　the　river　in　four　hours。　　We　must　look

out　sharp　or　else　we　shall　pass　it；　for　many　of　these　islets　look　just

like　the　mouth　of　the　river。　　However；　we　are　pretty　sure　to　pass

several　fishing…boats　on　our　way；　and　we　shall　be　able　to　inquire

from　them。〃



There　was　no　need；　however；　to　do　this。　　It　was　just　the　four　hours

from　the　time　of　starting　when　they　saw　some　eight　or　ten

fishing…boats　ahead　of　them。



〃I　expect　that　that　is　the　entrance　to　the　river。　　When　we　get　half　a

mile　further　we　shall　see　it　open。〃



On　approaching　the　fishing…boats　they　recognized　at　once　the

appearance　of　the　shore；　as　they　had　noticed　it　when　fishing　there

before；　and　were　soon　in　the　entrance　to　the　river。



It　will　be　high　tide　in　about　two　hours；〃　Vincent　said；　〃according　to

the　time　it　was　the　other　day。　　I　am　afraid　when　it　turns　we　shall

have　to　get　down　our　sails；　there　will　he　no　beating　against　both

wind　and　tide。　　Then　we　must　get　out　oars　and　row。　　There　is　very

little　tide　close　in　by　the　bank；　and　every　little　gain　will　be　a　help。　

We　have　been　out；　four　days。　　It　is　Thursday　now；　and　they　will　be

beginning　to　get　very　anxious　at　home；　so　we　must　do　our　best　to

get　back。〃



Keeping　close　under　the　bank；　they　rowed　steadily；　making　on　an

average　about　two　miles　an　hour。　　After　five　hours'　rowing　they

tied　up　to　the　bank；　had　a　meal；　and　rested　until　tide　turned；　then

they　again　hoisted　their　sail　and　proceeded　on　their　way。　　Tide

carried　them　just　up　to　the　junction　of　the　two　rivers；　and　landing

at　Cumberland　they　procured　beds　and　slept　till　morning。



Another　long　day's　work　took　them　up　to　the　plantation　of　Mr。

Furniss；　and　fastening　up　the　boat；　and　carrying　the　sails　and　oars

on　shore；　they　started　on　their　walk　home。



〃Why；　Vincent；　where　on　earth　have　you　been　all　this　time？〃　Mrs。

Wingfield　said　as　her　son　entered。　　〃You　said　you　might　be　away　a

couple　of　nights；　and　we　expected　you　back　on　Wednesday　at　the

latest；　and　now　it　is　Friday　evening。〃



〃Well；　mother；　we　have　had　great　fun。　　We　went　sailing　about　right

down　to　the　mouth　of　the　York　River。　　I　did　not　calculate　that　it

would　take　me　more　than　twice　　as　long　to　get　back　as　to　get

down；　but　as　the　wind　blew'　right　down　the　river　it　was　precious

slow　work；　and　we　had　to　row　all　the　way。　　However；　it　has　been　a

jolly　trip；　and　I　feel　a　lot　better　for　it。〃



〃You　don't　look　any　bettor　for　it；〃　Annie　said。　　〃The　skin　is　all　off

your　face；　and　you　are　as　red　as　fire。　　Your　clothes　look　shrunk　as

well　as　horribly　dirty。　　You　are　quite　an　object；　Vincent。〃



〃We　got　caught　in　a　heavy　gale；〃　Vincent　said；　〃and　got　a　thorough

ducking。　　As　to　my　face；　a　day　or　two　will　set　it　all　to　rights　again；

and　so　they　will　my　hands；　I　hope；　for　I　have　got　nicely　blistered

tugging　at　those　oars。　And　now；　mother；　I　want　some　supper；　for　I

am　as　hungry　as　a　hunter。　　I　told　Dan　to　go　into　the　kitchen　and　get

a　good　square　meal。〃



The　next　morning；　just　after　breakfast；　there　was　the　sound　of

horses'　hoofs　outside　the　house；　and；　looking　out；；　Vincent　saw　Mr。

Jackson；　with　a　man　he　knew　to　be　the　sheriff；　and　four　or　five

others。　　A　minute　later　one　of　the　servants　came　in；　and　said　that

the　sheriff　wished　to　speak　to　Mrs。　Wingfield。