They had hardly gone half a mile farther, when another flock of swans was discovered. These were approached in a similar way, and no less than three were obtained—François making a remarkable2 shot, and killing3 with both barrels. A little farther down, one of the “hoopers” was killed; and still farther on, another trumpeter; making in all no less than seven swans that lay dead in the bottom of the canoe!
These seven great birds almost filled the little craft to the gunwales, and you would think that our “torch-hunters” ought to have been content with such a spoil; but the hunter is hard to satisfy with game, and but too often inclined to “spill much more blood” than is necessary to his wants. Our voyageurs, instead of desisting, again set the canoe in motion, and continued the hunt.
A short distance below the place where they had shot the last swan, as they were rounding a bend in the river, a loud rushing sounded in their ears; similar to that produced by a cascade4 or waterfall. On first hearing it, they were startled and somewhat alarmed. It might be a “fall,” thought they. Norman could not tell: he had never travelled this route; he did not know whether there were falls in the Red River or not, but he believed not. In his voyage to the South, he had travelled by another route; that was, up the Winnipeg River, and through Rainy Lake and the Lake of the Woods to Lake Superior. This is the usual and well-known track followed by the employés of the Hudson’s Bay Company; and Norman had travelled it.
In this uncertainty5 the canoe was brought to a stop, and our voyageurs remained listening. The noise made by the water was not very distant, and sounded like the roaring of “rapids,” or the rush of a “fall.” It was evidently one or the other; but, after listening to it for a considerable time, all came to the conclusion that the sound did not proceed from the Red River itself, but from some stream that emptied into it upon the right. With this belief they again put the canoe in motion, and glided7 slowly and cautiously onward.
Their conjecture8 proved to be correct. As they approached nearer, they perceived that the noise appeared every moment more and more to their right; and presently they saw, below them, a rapid current sweeping9 into the Red River from the right bank. This was easily distinguished10 by the white froth and bubbles that were carried along upon its surface, and which had evidently been produced by some fall over which the water had lately passed. The hunters now rowed fearlessly forward, and in a few moments came opposite the débouchure of the tributary11 stream, when a considerable cascade appeared to their view, not thirty yards from the Red River itself. The water foamed12 and dashed over a series of steps, and then swept rapidly on, in a frothy current. They had entered this current, and were now carried along with increased velocity13, so that the oarsmen suspended operations, and drew their paddles within the canoe.
A flock of swans now drew their attention. It was the largest flock they had yet seen, numbering nearly a score of these noble birds,—a sight, as Norman informed them, that was exceedingly rare even in the most favoured haunts of the swan. Rarely are more than six or seven seen together, and oftener only two or three. A grand coup15 was determined16 upon. Norman took up his own gun, and even Lucien, who managed the stern oar6, and guided the craft, also brought his piece—a very small rifle—close to his hand, so that he might have a shot as well as the others.
The canoe was directed in such a manner that, by merely keeping its head down the stream, it would float to the spot where the swans were.
In a short while they approached very near the great birds, and our hunters could see them sitting on the water, with upraised necks, gazing in wonder at the torch. Whether they sounded their strange note was not known, for the “sough” of the waterfall still echoed in the ears of the canoemen, and they could not hear aught else.
Basil and Norman fired first, and simultaneously17; but the louder detonations18 of François’ double-barrel, and even the tiny crack of Lucien’s rifle, were heard almost the instant after. Three of the birds were killed by the volley, while a fourth, evidently “winged,” was seen to dive, and flutter down-stream. The others mounted into the air, and disappeared in the darkness.
During the time occupied in this manoeuvre19, the canoe, no longer guided by Lucien’s oar, had been caught by some eddy20 in the current, and swept round stern-foremost. In this position the light no longer shone upon the river ahead, but was thrown up-stream. All in a downward direction was buried in deep darkness. Before the voyageurs could bring the canoe back to its proper direction, a new sound fell upon their ears that caused some of them to utter a cry of terror. It was the noise of rushing water, but not that which they had already heard and passed. It was before them in the river itself. Perhaps it was a cataract21, and they were sweeping rapidly to its brink22!
The voice of Norman was heard exclaiming, “Hold with your oars14!—the rapids!—the rapids!” At the same time he himself was seen rising up and stretching forward for an oar. All was now consternation23; and the movements of the party naturally consequent upon such a sudden panic shook the little craft until her gunwales lipped the water. At the same time she had swung round, until the light again showed the stream ahead, and a horrid24 sight it was. Far as the eye could see was a reach of foaming25 rapids. Dark points of rocks, and huge black boulders27, thickly scattered28 in the channel, jutted29 above the surface; and around and against these, the water frothed and hissed30 furiously. There was no cataract, it is true—there is none such in Red River—but for all purposes of destruction the rapids before them were equally dangerous and terrible to the eyes of our voyageurs. They no longer thought of the swans. The dead were permitted to float down unheeded, the wounded to make its escape. Their only thought was to stop the canoe before it should be carried upon the rapids.
With this intent all had taken to the oars, but in spite of every exertion31 they soon found that the light craft had got within the influence of the strong current, and was sucked downward more rapidly than ever. Their backward strokes were to no purpose.
In a few seconds the canoe had passed over the first stage of the rapids, and shot down with the velocity of an arrow. A huge boulder26 lay directly in the middle of the channel, and against this the current broke with fury, laving its sides in foaming masses. The canoe was hurried to this point; and as the light was again turned up-stream, none of the voyageurs could see this dangerous rock. But they could not have shunned32 it then. The boat had escaped from their control, and spun33 round at will. The rock once more came under the light, but just as the canoe, with a heavy crash, was driven against it.
For some moments the vessel34, pressed by the current against the rock, remained motionless, but her sides were stove in, and the water was rushing through. The quick eye of Basil—cool in all crises of extreme danger—perceived this at a glance. He saw that the canoe was a wreck35, and nothing remained but to save themselves as they best might. Dropping the oar, and seizing his rifle, he called to his companions to leap to the rock: and all together immediately sprang over the gunwale. The dog Marengo followed after.
The canoe, thus lightened, heeled round into the current, and swept on. The next moment she struck another rock, and was carried over on her beams. The water then rushed in—the white bodies of the swans, with the robes, blankets, and implements36, rose on the wave; the blazing knots were spilled from the pan, and fell with a hissing37 sound: and a few seconds after they were extinguished, and all was darkness!
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1
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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2
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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3
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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4
cascade
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| n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下 | |
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5
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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6
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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7
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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8
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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9
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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10
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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11
tributary
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| n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的 | |
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12
foamed
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| 泡沫的 | |
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13
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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14
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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15
coup
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| n.政变；突然而成功的行动 | |
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16
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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17
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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18
detonations
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| n.爆炸 （声）( detonation的名词复数 ) | |
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19
manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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20
eddy
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| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
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cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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22
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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23
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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24
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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26
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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28
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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29
jutted
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| v.（使）突出( jut的过去式和过去分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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30
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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31
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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32
shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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34
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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35
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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36
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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37
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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