the pathfinder-第68章

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〃With　a　drift　of　her　length　in　a　minute？〃

〃The　backing　of　the　anchors　does　not　yet　fairly　tell；　nor
do　I　even　hope　that　_they_　will　entirely　bring　her　up。〃

〃On　what；　then；　do　you　rely？　　To　moor　a　craft；　head　and
stern；　by　faith；　hope；　and　charity？〃

〃No；　sir；　I　trust　to　the　under…tow。　　I　headed　for　the
bluff　because　I　knew　that　it　was　stronger　at　that　point　than
at　any　other；　and　because　we　could　get　nearer　in　with　the
land　without　entering　the　breakers。〃

This　was　said　with　spirit；　though　without　any　particular
show　of　resentment。　　Its　effect　on　Cap　was　marked；　the
feeling　that　was　uppermost　being　evidently　that　of　surprise。

〃Under…tow！〃　he　repeated；　〃who　the　devil　ever　heard
of　saving　a　vessel　from　going　ashore　by　the　under…tow？〃

〃This　may　never　happen　on　the　ocean；　sir；〃　Jasper　an…
swered　modestly；　〃but　we　have　known　it　to　happen　here。〃

〃The　lad　is　right；　brother；〃　put　in　the　Sergeant；　〃for；
though　I　do　not　well　understand　it；　I　have　often　heard　the
sailors　of　the　lake　speak　of　such　a　thing。　　We　shall　do
well　to　trust　to　Jasper　in　this　strait。〃

Cap　grumbled　and　swore；　but；　as　there　was　no　remedy；
he　was　compelled　to　acquiesce。　　Jasper；　being　now　called
on　to　explain　what　he　meant　by　the　under…tow；　gave　this
account　of　the　matter。　　The　water　that　was　driven　up　on
the　shore　by　the　gale　was　necessarily　compelled　to　find　its
level　by　returning　to　the　lake　by　some　secret　channels。
This　could　not　be　done　on　the　surface；　where　both　wind
and　waves　were　constantly　urging　it　towards　the　land；　and
it　necessarily　formed　a　sort　of　lower　eddy；　by　means　of
which　it　flowed　back　again　to　its　ancient　and　proper　bed。
This　inferior　current　had　received　the　name　of　the　under…
tow；　and；　as　it　would　necessarily　act　on　the　bottom　of　a
vessel　which　drew　as　much　water　as　the　_Scud_；　Jasper
trusted　to　the　aid　of　this　reaction　to　keep　his　cables　from
parting。　　In　short；　the　upper　and　lower　currents　would；
in　a　manner；　counteract　each　other。

Simple　and　ingenious　as　was　this　theory；　however；　as　yet
there　was　little　evidence　of　its　being　reduced　to　practice。
The　drift　continued；　though；　as　the　kedges　and　hawsers
with　which　the　anchors　were　backed　took　the　strains；　it
became　sensibly　less。　　At　length　the　man　at　the　lead　an…
nounced　the　joyful　intelligence　that　the　anchors　had　ceased
to　drag；　and　that　the　vessel　had　brought　up！　　At　this　pre…
cise　moment　the　first　line　of　breakers　was　about　a　hundred
feet　astern　of　the　_Scud_；　even　appearing　to　approach　much
nearer　as　the　foam　vanished　and　returned　on　the　raging
surges。　　Jasper　sprang　forward；　and；　casting　a　glance　over
the　bows；　he　smiled　in　triumph；　as　he　pointed　exultingly
to　the　cables。　　Instead　of　resembling　bars　of　iron　in　rigid…
ity；　as　before；　they　were　curving　downwards；　and　to　a　sea…
man's　senses　it　was　evident　that　the　cutter　rose　and　fell
on　the　seas　as　they　came　in　with　the　ease　of　a　ship　in　a
tides…way；　when　the　power　of　the　wind　is　relieved　by　the
counteracting　pressure　of　the　water。

〃'Tis　the　undertow！〃　he　exclaimed　with　delight；　fairly
bounding　along　the　deck　to　steady　the　helm；　in　order　that
the　cutter　might　ride　still　easier。　　〃Providence　has　placed
us　directly　in　its　current；　and　there　is　no　longer　any　dan…
ger。〃

〃Ay；　ay；　Providence　is　a　good　seaman；〃　growled　Cap；
〃and　often　helps　lubbers　out　of　difficulty。　　Under…tow　or
upper…tow；　the　gale　has　abated；　and；　fortunately　for　us　all；
the　anchors　have　met　with　good　holding…ground。　　Then
this　dd　fresh　water　has　an　unnatural　way　with　it。〃

Men　are　seldom　inclined　to　quarrel　with　good　fortune；
but　it　is　in　distress　that　they　grow　clamorous　and　critical。
Most　on　board　were　disposed　to　believe　that　they　had　been
saved　from　shipwreck　by　the　skill　and　knowledge　of　Jas…
per；　without　regarding　the　opinions　of　Cap；　whose　remarks
were　now　little　heeded。

There　was　half　an　hour　of　uncertainty　and　doubt；　it　is
true；　during　which　period　the　lead　was　anxiously　watched；
and　then　a　feeling　of　security　came　over　all；　and　the　weary
slept　without　dreaming　of　instant　death。



CHAPTER　XVIII。

It　is　to　be　all　made　of　sighs　and　tears；
It　is　to　be　all　made　of　faith　and　service；
It　is　to　be　all　made　of　phantasy；
All　made　of　passion；　and　all　made　of　wishes；
All　adoration；　duty；　and　observance；
All　humbleness；　all　patience；　and　impatience；
All　purity；　all　trial；　all　observance。
SHAKESPEARE。


It　was　near　noon　when　the　gale　broke；　and　then　its　force
abated　as　suddenly　as　its　violence　had　arisen。　　In　less　than
two　hours　after　the　wind　fell；　the　surface　of　the　lake；
though　still　agitated；　was　no　longer　glittering　with　foam；
and　in　double　that　time；　the　entire　sheet　presented　the　or…
dinary　scene　of　disturbed　water；　that　was　unbroken　by　the
violence　of　a　tempest。　　Still　the　waves　came　rolling　inces…
santly　towards　the　shore；　and　the　lines　of　breakers　re…
mained；　though　the　spray　had　ceased　to　fly；　the　combing
of　the　swells　was　more　moderate；　and　all　that　there　was　of
violence　proceeded　from　the　impulsion　of　wind　which　had
abated。

As　it　was　impossible　to　make　head　against　the　sea　that
was　still　up；　with　the　light　opposing　air　that　blew　from
the　eastward；　all　thoughts　of　getting　under　way　that　after
noon　were　abandoned。　　Jasper；　who　had　now　quietly　re…
sumed　the　command　of　the　_Scud_；　busied　himself；　however；
in　heaving…up　the　anchors；　which　were　lifted　in　succession；
the　kedges　that　backed　them　were　weighed；　and　everything
was　got　in　readiness　for　a　prompt　departure；　as　soon　as　the
state　of　the　weather　would　allow。　　In　the　meantime；　they
who　had　no　concern　with　these　duties　sought　such　means
of　amusement　as　their　peculiar　circumstances　allowed。

As　is　common　with　those　who　are　unused　to　the　confine…
ment　of　a　vessel；　Mabel　cast　wistful　eyes　towards　the　shore；
nor　was　it　long　before　she　expressed　a　wish　that　it　were
possible　to　land。　　The　Pathfinder　was　near　her　at　the　time；
and　he　assured　her　that　nothing　would　be　easier；　as　they
had　a　bark　canoe　on　deck；　which　was　the　best　possible　mode
of　conveyance　to　go　through　a　surf。　　After　the　usual
doubts　and　misgivings；　the　Sergeant　was　appealed　to；　his
opinion　proved　to　be　favorable；　and　preparations　to　carry
the　whim　into　effect　were　immediately　made。

The　party　which　was　to　land　consisted　of　Sergeant
Dunham；　his　daughter；　and　the　Pathfinder。　　Accustomed
to　the　canoe；　Mabel　took　her　seat　in　the　centre　with　great
steadiness；　her　father　was　placed　in　the　bows；　while　the
guide　assumed　the　office　of　conductor；　by　steering　in　the
stern。　　There　was　little　need　of　impelling　the　canoe　by
means　of　the　paddle；　for　the　rollers　sent　it　forward　at　mo…
ments　with　a　violence　that　set　every　effort　to　govern　its
movements　at　defiance。　　More　than　once；　before　the　shore
was　reached；　Mabel　repented　of　her　temerity；　but　Path…
finder　encouraged　her；　and　really　manifested　so　much　self…
possession；　coolness；　and　strength　of　arm　himself；　that　even
a　female　might　have　hesitated　about　owning　all　her　ap…
prehensions。　　Our　heroine　was　no　coward；　and　while　she
felt　the　novelty　of　her　situation；　in　landing　through　a　surf；
she　also　experienced　a　fair　proportion　of　its　wild　delight。
At　moments；　indeed；　her　heart　was　in　her　mouth；　as　the
bubble　of　a　boat　floated　on　the　very　crest　of　a　foaming
breaker；　appearing　to　skim　the　water　like　a　swallow；　and
then　she　flushed　and　laughed；　as；　left　by　the　glancing　ele…
ment；　they　appeared　to　linger　behind　as　if　ashamed　of　hav…
ing　been　outdone　in　the　headlong　race。　　A　few　minutes
sufficed　for　this　excitement；　for　though　the　distance　be…
tween　the　cutter　and　the　land　considerably　exceeded　a
quarter　of　a　mile；　the　intermediate　space　was　passed　in　a
very　few　minutes。

On　landing；　the　Sergeant　kissed　his　daughter　kindly；　for
he　was　so　much　of　a　soldier　as　always　to　feel　more　at　home
on　_terra　firma_　than　when　afloat；　and；　taking　his　gun；　he
announced　his　intention　to　pass　an　hour　in　quest　of　game。

〃Pathfinder　will　remain　near　you；　girl；　and　no　doubt　he
will　tell　you　some　of　the　traditions　of　this　part　of　the　world；
or　some　of　his　own　experiences　with　the　Mingos。〃

The　guide　laughed；　promised　to　have　a　care　of　Mabel；
and　in　a　few　minutes　the　father　had　a