To-day is August 23. The great South Pass from which still onward9 stretched into “Oregon” the wagon-wheel track of the first American emigrants10 has been re-crossed; and again at Independence Rock, Frémont has paused to inscribe11 amidst the thickly written names a large cross—token of westward12 pressing[125] Christianity and civilization. This cross he filled with softened13 India-rubber, to preserve the trace. From the Rock he continued east on down the Sweetwater to its mouth. Here at its juncture14 with the Platte he is about to launch, on the morrow, his rubber boat.
This boat (which smelled very disagreeable—“wuss’n the tar15 springs at head o’ Yellowstone,” complained William New) was twenty feet long and five feet wide, when unfolded, and had air-tight compartments16 to be blown up or inflated17 so that it should not sink if capsized. It already had capsized, once, on the Kansas River, at the start of the expedition from Missouri.
Now the lieutenant was determined18 to canoe down the Platte, through the canyons19, to see what the river looked like where it was hidden from the trail. Kit21 Carson shook his head over the plan.
“You’d better not,” he said. “It’s too dangerous. Thar air nothing but red canyons, one after another, cl’ar till the Platte gets out the mountains, at our fust camp above Laramie. Canyons air full o’ falls an’ rapids, an’ some o’ those rocks sticking up will punch a hole in that rubber contraption, sure. Fitzpatrick tried the trip, by boat, once, an’ lost all his pelts22 an’ ’most lost his life.”
“Chut!” smiled the lieutenant. “My orders are to survey the Platte, and that seems the only way to do it. With this boat and good men to handle the[126] paddle I’ll start at day-break and meet you at Goat Island for breakfast!”
So was it arranged that the main portion of the company should cut across by the land trail, as before taken, for Goat Island where they had left the Platte for the Sweetwater on their way out; and that the lieutenant and his crew should go on down by water.
The Taos party, including Kit Carson also, had been disappointed over not climbing the peak, and Oliver had felt elated; but none, not even Oliver, was disappointed over being omitted from the boat crew. For his crew Lieutenant Frémont selected Mr. Preuss the German; Clément Lambert, Basil Lajeunesse, Honoré Ayot, Leonard Benoit, Joseph Descoteaux, who were accustomed to paddling.
Camp was broken at dawn. The rubber boat, stretched and inflated, had been packed with ten or twelve days’ provisions, principally dried meat, and with the precious scientific instruments, and with enough bedding.
“Thar’s a thirty-foot fall down a ways! Hear her roaring?” shouted Trapper New, as the boat-crew launched forth23. “Watch out for her!”
The lieutenant nodded and gayly waved his hand. His men paddled hard, the Platte was broad and smooth for several miles, and with its load the rubber canoe glided24 rapidly down.
The land party watched for only a minute. They must cut across for Goat Island, so as to meet the[127] voyagers there, at breakfast—although the lieutenant had said that if he reached it first he would leave a note before passing on. However, he did not reach it first!
It was only about twelve miles across from the mouth of the Sweetwater to the Platte at Goat Island. Here on Goat Island was found the horse that had been left there to recover; she now was sleek25 and seemed strong upon her feet, and very glad to see the other horses and the mules26.
By breakfast time the lieutenant had not appeared; nor did he and his squad appear by ten o’clock. Higher climbed the sun, marching from east to west through the great blue dome27, and Kit Carson and all began to grow uneasy. Close watch was kept of the river, for any tokens of a wreck28; but nothing unusual drifted down upon the swollen29 tide which ran turgid with the rains and melted snows.
“Something’s gone wrong with that rubber contraption,” declared Kit. “I knew it would. I told ’em so.” And he fidgeted here and there. “We’d better ride up the river, as far as we can, on both sides, an’ find ’em.”
So while a portion of the party remained to guard the camp, the others divided into two squads30 to scout31 either side of the Platte. Kit led a little squad up on the right, Oliver was told off to ride with Ike Chamberlain’s squad, on the left.
The country along the left side of the river waxed[128] more and more difficult, with occasional cross canyons and frequent ridges33 of red and of white sand-stone interrupting. Some of these ridges and buttes were fantastic, looking like castles and spires34 and lighthouses. Oliver enjoyed the ride, but the obstructions35 only vexed36 Ike and the others. At a point whence a good view was given up the river for a quarter of a mile they dismounted, and seated themselves, and lighted their pipes.
“Hyar’s far enough,” declared Ike. “We can catch ’em if they come floating past. They haven’t any business down in thar anyhow.”
Oliver lingered a minute; but this sitting here was rather stupid.
“I’m going on,” he announced.
“Wall,” grunted37 Ike. “Twon’t do you any good. Yonder’s the Fiery38 Narrows. If they air wrecked39 in thar you can’t get at ’em, an’ if they ain’t wrecked in thar they’ll come out.”
Oliver rode along. He wanted to see those Fiery Narrows for himself.
The broken country forced him out and back from the river; and when he came in again he judged, from the roaring sound, that he must be at the Fiery Narrows. The river here swirled40 wildly through between reddish walls a hundred and more yards high. Slipping from the saddle and cautiously approaching the best and firmest spot, holding his horse by the lines Oliver craned his neck to peep in. The sight almost[129] made him dizzy. Glancing about from side to side he thought that he espied41 a trail. Down he clambered, rifle in hand.
The depths of the Fiery Narrows were a terrifying place for a landsman. The Platte, coffee-color and heavy with sediment42, fairly boiled through, without beginning and without end; its current dashed in foam43 against up-sticking rocks, and spun44 from projecting shoulders; surely no boat of any kind could live in such an angered turmoil45!
Suddenly Oliver witnessed an astonishing spectacle. As his eyes shifted from the opposite shore (which rose not so sheer, although still steep and high) to scan up-stream, they encountered a dark object speeding down upon the current. It was the Frémont boat—the rubber boat! And hurrah—the crew were aboard; all were safe!
One man was kneeling in the bows, with paddle, to turn the boat quickly; the others were ranged, paddles in hands, along the sides; now and then they dug hard with their blades, to keep the craft bows on with the current or to dodge46 a rock; but they came gallantly47, and as they came, they appeared to be singing. How fast they sped! Maybe they would make it.
Lieutenant Frémont was plainly visible; so was Mr. Preuss. Basil Lajeunesse was the one in the bows. He was wet; they all were wet, as if they had capsized, already. Of course something had happened to them, for they were late.
[130]
Then, in an instant, something did happen. Just ahead of the boat was a little fall, where the current plunged49 over a ledge6. It seemed to Oliver that the boat could leap this; he wondered if the crew saw it, before them; but he could do nothing, by voice or gesture, to warn them. He held his breath, watching. Out into the fall sprang the boat; but it did not clear—it toppled head-first, and spilling crew and baggage right and left it reappeared bottom-up!
As it came whirling down, helpless and inert50, heads broke up around it. Lieutenant Frémont bobbed to the surface; he rose to his shoulders, as he swam, battling the current and looking for his men. Twice he was shunted from a sharp rock; and now he gave up and struck out lustily for the shore. He landed, and landed below him Mr. Preuss.
AS THE BOAT CAME WHIRLING DOWN, HELPLESS AND INERT, HEADS BROKE UP AROUND IT
Now the boat had lodged51 against the Oliver side of the canyon20, where a rock shoulder out-jutted. Basil Lajeunesse had clambered upon the upturned bottom, which looked like a huge turtle shell, and reaching he grabbed somebody by the hair. It was Joseph Descoteaux. Oliver heard what they said; they were only a few yards above him, and the words drifted along the canyon wall. He had picked up a smattering of French at Taos, where Kit Carson and others spoke52 it as well as Spanish.
“Crains pas,” panted Basil, sturdily. “Je m’en[131] vais mourir avant que de te lacher!” (“Fear not. I’ll die before I’ll let you go!”)
That was a brave answer.
Basil hauled Joseph upon the boat-bottom. In one hand Joseph clutched a double-barrel gun, which was Lieutenant Frémont’s. And now, dripping, out upon a narrow strip of sand bordering the current, below, and where Oliver stood, crawled Clément Lambert, Leonard Benoit and Honoré Ayot, so that all the crew were accounted for.
However, there was no time for exchange of sympathy. Down with a rush came the wreckage—blankets and boxes and record-books and pieces of clothing, and even the iron instruments; for so heavy was the water and so rapid was the current that the instruments had not yet sunk.
“Quick!” bade Clément. “Vite! Arrêtez-les!”
And he began to wade54 and grasp. From across the stream the lieutenant and Mr. Preuss, encouraging by gestures, also were rescuing the property. With a plunge48 Oliver seized a long black box which he knew contained the telescope, but the current almost overthrew55 him, and it whisked the box from his fingers.
Only a few of the things could be stopped; at last the lieutenant, with a gesture in sign-language, said that he and Mr. Preuss would continue on down-river along their edge, which was the left bank of the river, and that the others should continue on down by their edge which was the right bank. But Basil Lajeunesse,[132] the boat having been turned over again, boldly embarked56, with a paddle, and took to the current.
“Hello,” remarked Joseph Descoteaux to Oliver, now that there was time for greeting. “You saw us, n’est-ce-pas? Ma foi, but I was drowned if Basil had not held tight.”
“That Basil, he is a water-rat; he is a beaver57,” pronounced Honoré Ayot. “We nearly were wrecked above, too, when the boat stuck fast and the water flowed right over us. After that we would have driven the boat by a rope paid out from on shore; but Basil was jerked in like a fish, and all you could see was his head like head of swimming beaver, as he was carried on down. Before he had caught up with the boat he had swum a half a mile.”
“Yes, that is what he said when the lieutenant hauled him aboard. ‘Ugh!’ said Basil. ‘Je crois bien que j’ai nagé un demi mile—I verily believe that I have swum a half a mile!’”
They all continued along the water’s edge, in the canyon; clambering and wading58 and looking for articles from the wreck. A few record books were picked out; that was about the extent of the salvage59. Across, the lieutenant and Mr. Preuss were likewise seeking.
“I’ll go back and climb out and make for camp, to tell ’em you’re coming,” proposed Oliver.
So he did. He found in camp his own squad, and Kit Carson’s squad, arrived ahead of him, they having[133] seen nothing from the rim60. Fires were built up, and more meat was cut, in readiness. Late in the afternoon Basil and Clément, Ayot and Descoteaux toiled61 in, afoot, over the pudding-stone ridge32 and down to the island. They had abandoned the boat at a narrow place where it would not pass through, and Benoit had left to join the lieutenant.
At sunset the lieutenant and Mr. Preuss and Benoit appeared, descending62 from the same ridge; they had waded63 the river to cut across some bends. And right glad were all the voyagers to have the hot fires and the roasting meat awaiting them.
“Told you you couldn’t get through with that thar boat,” reminded Kit Carson, mildly, to the lieutenant.
“Well,” responded Lieutenant Frémont, “we were under instruction to survey the Platte, and I felt that we should obey them to the fullest scope. We did our best.”
The lieutenant had only one moccasin, and his feet were prickly with cactus64 spines65; but the next morning he seemed to be well recovered. Basil was sent up to the foot of the Narrows, to bring down the few other articles that had been rescued and left there. They did not amount to much. All the instruments but the sextant were lost. However, the saving of the record books was good fortune, and the instruments had performed their principal work.
Now Fort Laramie was near. The next day Cache Camp was reached, and the carts and other property[134] which had been left there in hiding a month almost to a day were found undisturbed. With mules hitched66 to the carts again the expedition might victoriously67 trundle on for Fort Laramie. The Black Hills loomed68 nearer, on either hand; and with the Stars and Stripes in the advance the cavalcade69 on August 31 emerged from that little defile70 which afforded the first, as it had afforded the last, glimpse of the post.
From the parapet of the post burst a puff71 of white smoke; and following, echoed a dull “Boom!” The post must have seen the flag. “Boom! Boom!” saluted72 the single brass73 cannon74, as on marched the cavalcade; presently smaller puffs75 of smoke welled out, from beside the post walls; that was rifles. Two figures came galloping76. They were Henry and Randolph.
“You said forty days—you said that you’d be back in forty days,” they proclaimed. “This is the forty-second. We’ve been watching for two days. The Indians have been watching, too, and the minute you left the mouth of the valley they saw you and recognized the flag. Hear the cannon?”
“Crack! Crack! Whang!” answered the expedition’s rifles, to the welcome by the fort; and the garrison77 rushed out, with glad tongue and friendly hand.
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1
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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assailing
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| v.攻击( assail的现在分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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emigrants
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| n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
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11
inscribe
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| v.刻；雕；题写；牢记 | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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13
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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15
tar
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| n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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compartments
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| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
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inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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canyons
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| n.峡谷( canyon的名词复数 ) | |
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canyon
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| n.峡谷，溪谷 | |
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21
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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pelts
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| n. 皮毛，投掷, 疾行 vt. 剥去皮毛，（连续）投掷 vi. 猛击，大步走 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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26
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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27
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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28
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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30
squads
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| n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍 | |
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31
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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spires
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| n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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36
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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37
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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38
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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39
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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40
swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
sediment
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| n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物) | |
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43
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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44
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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45
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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46
dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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47
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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48
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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49
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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50
inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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51
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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52
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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53
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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54
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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55
overthrew
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| overthrow的过去式 | |
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56
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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57
beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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58
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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59
salvage
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| v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救 | |
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60
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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61
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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62
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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63
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
cactus
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| n.仙人掌 | |
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65
spines
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| n.脊柱( spine的名词复数 )；脊椎；（动植物的）刺；书脊 | |
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66
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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67
victoriously
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| adv.获胜地，胜利地 | |
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68
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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69
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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70
defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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71
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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72
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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73
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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74
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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75
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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76
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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77
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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