"Isn't this grand!" exclaimed Elwood. "When did the ground feel better to your feet? Saved from fire and water!"
"Our first duty is to thank God!" said Mr. Yard reverently3. "He has chosen us out of the hundreds that have perished as special objects of his mercy. Let us kneel upon the shore and testify our gratitude4 to Him."
All sunk devoutly5 upon their knees and joined the merchant, as in a low, impressive tone he returned thanks to his Creator for the signal mercy he had displayed in bringing them safely through such imminent6 perils7.
"Now, what is to be done next?" inquired Mr. Yard, as they arose to their feet and looked around them. "The first thing I should like to do is to procure8 a suit of clothes, and I hope I shall be able to do it without stripping any of the dead bodies that will soon wash ashore9."
"What is the naad?" asked Tim O'Rooney. "Baing that it's a warrum summer night, and there saams to be few in the neighborhood that is likely to take exsaptions to your costume."
"But day is breaking!" replied the merchant, pointing across the low, rocky country to a range of mountains in the distance, whose high, jagged tops were blackly defined against the sky that was growing light and rosy10 behind them.
"Yes, it will soon be light," said Howard. "See! there are persons along the shore that have come down to the wreck11?"
"They are some of the passengers that have managed to reach land. I will go among them and see whether any of them have any clothing to sell," laughed Mr. Yard as he moved away.
As the sun came up over the mountains it lit up a dreary12 and desolate13 scene. Away in the distance, until sky and earth mingled14 into one, stretched the blue Pacific, not ridged into foam15 and spray like the boisterous16 Atlantic, but swelling17 and heaving as if the great deep was a breathing monster. A few fragments of blackened splinters floating here and there were all that remained to show where a few hours before the magnificent steamer, surcharged with its living freight, so proudly cut the waters on her swift course toward the Golden Gate.
Several ghastly, blue-lipped survivors18 in their clinging garments were wandering aimlessly along the shore, the veriest pictures of utter misery19, as they mumbled20 a few words to each other, or stared absently around. They seemed to be partially21 bereft22 of their senses, and were probably somewhat dazed from the fearful scenes through which they had so recently passed.
Several sails were visible, but they were so far away that it was vain to hope to attract their attention. Three large boats could be seen away to the northwest, skirting along shore and making their way toward San Francisco as rapidly as muscle and oars23 could carry them. What recked they whether the passengers were buried with the steamer, sunk in the ocean, or left to perish on the desolate coast?
The Coast Range, which descends24 into California from Oregon, in some places comes within twenty-five or thirty miles of the sea, while at other times it recedes25 to over a hundred. The particular point where our friends were suffered to land was rough, barren and rocky, and behind them, with many peaks reaching the line of perpetual snow, rose the noble Coast Range, between which and them stretched a smaller range of mountains.
Around them the country appeared desolate and uninhabited. Howard and Elwood were well acquainted with geography, and had a general idea of California, although they could not be expected to know much of the minor26 facts of the State. They were aware that at no great distance—but whether north or south it was impossible to say—lay the missionary27 town of San Luis Obispo, and between them and the Coast Range ran the Salinas River, formerly28 known as the San Buenaventura, and a smaller chain of mountains or highlands.
They knew, too, that after crossing the Coast Range, you descended29 into the broad and beautiful Sacramento Valley, where abounded30 wild animals, Indians, gold, silver, and the most exuberant31 vegetation. This was about all they knew; and this, after all, was considerable. When persons expect to make a journey to some distant country they are very apt to learn all that they possibly can about it; and this was the way they came to understand so much regarding the young State of California.
They had stood some little time conversing32 together when they saw Mr. Yard approaching, clad in quite a respectable suit of black, albeit33, as a matter of course, it was thoroughly34 soaked with salt water.
"You are fortunate," remarked Howard.
"Yes," he laughed; "what strange beings we are! Do you see that elderly gentleman yonder, with his hands in his pockets walking back and forth35 as though he expected some arrival from the sea?"
The personage alluded36 to could be easily distinguished37 from the others.
"Well, his berth38 was next to mine. When the alarm of fire was first heard he sprung from his bed, dressed himself and caught up his valise, which contained an extra suit of clothing, and rushed on deck with the other passengers."
"How was he saved?"
"It is hard to tell. He and several others hung fast to some such sort of a raft as we had, and managed to get ashore. And all the time he grasped that valise, even when besought39 by his companions to let it go, find when it endangered his chances of life fully40 ten-fold."
"He must be very poor."
"Poor! He is worth half a million in gold this minute. That valise contained all his property that he had entrusted41 to the steamer, and it was his fear that he might lose the few dollars that it is worth that made him cling so tenaciously42 to it."
"How was it that he gave them to you?"
"No fear that he gave them. I stated in the presence of two witnesses that, I would give him a hundred dollars for the suit as soon as we reached San Francisco. He racked his brains to see whether there was not some means of my giving him my note for the amount; but as that couldn't be done under the circumstances, he did the next best thing and established my obligation in the mouth of several witnesses."
"Strange man! But, Mr. Yard, what is to be done?"
"I intend to wait here during the day, as I know of nothing better that we can do. I think some friends will find us before nightfall."
"We have decided43 to go inland a short distance, dry our clothes and give our bodies a good rubbing, to prevent our taking cold."
"A wise precaution, but useless in my case as I have already caught a very severe one."
"Should we become separated, you will tell our parents that we reached the land in safety and are in good spirits."
"Of course; but don't wander too far away, as you may lose your chance of being taken off. You know this isn't the most hospitable44 country in the world. There are treacherous45 and thieving Indians in these parts, and they would have swooped46 down on us long ago if they had only known we were here. As it is, I fear their approach before a friendly sail comes to us."
"Never fear; we will take good care not to wander too far away."
And the parties separated for a much longer time than any of them imagined.
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1
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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2
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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devoutly
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| adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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8
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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12
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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14
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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15
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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17
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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18
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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20
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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bereft
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| adj.被剥夺的 | |
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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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24
descends
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| v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜 | |
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recedes
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的第三人称单数 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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26
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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30
abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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33
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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38
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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39
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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40
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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41
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
tenaciously
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| 坚持地 | |
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43
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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44
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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45
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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46
swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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