“Ah, Bryan! ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed,’” said Frank, as he sat on a rock watching the blacksmith and his two Indians while they performed the operation of skinning the bear, whose timely destruction has been related in the last chapter. “I must say I never saw a man stand his ground so well, with a brute2 like that stealing kisses from his cheek. Were they sweet, Bryan? Did they remind you of the fair maid of Derry, hey?”
“Ah! thrue for ye,” replied the blacksmith, as he stepped to a rock for the purpose of whetting3 his knife; “yer honour was just in time to save me a power o’ throuble. Bad skran to the baste4! it would have taken three or four rounds at laste to have finished him nately off, for there’s no end o’ fat on his ribs5 that would have kep’ the knife from goin’ far in.”
Frank laughed at this free-and-easy way of looking at it. “So you think you would have killed him, do you, if I had not saved you the trouble?”
“Av coorse I do. Shure a man is better than a baste any day; and besides, had I not a frind at my back ridy to help me?” Bryan cast a comical leer at La Roche as he said this, and the poor Frenchman blushed, for he felt that his conduct in the affair had not been very praiseworthy. It is due to La Roche to say, however, that no sooner had he found himself at the top of the tree, and had a moment to reflect, than he slid rapidly to the bottom again, and ran to the assistance of his friend, not, however, in time to render such assistance available, as he came up just at the moment the bear fell.
In half an hour afterwards the two large canoes came up, and Bryan and his little friend had to undergo a rapid fire of witticism7 from their surprised and highly-amused comrades. Even Moses was stirred up to say that “Bryan, him do pratty well; he most good ’nuff to make an Eskimo!”
Having embarked8 the skin of the bear, the canoes once more resumed their usual order and continued on their way. The carcass of the bear being useless for food, was left for the wolves; and the claws, which were nearly as large as a man’s finger, were given by Frank to the blacksmith, that he might make them into a necklace, as the Indians do, and keep it in remembrance of his rencounter.
But the weather was now beginning to change. Dick Prince, whose black eye was ever roving about observantly, told Massan that a storm was brewing, and that the sooner he put ashore9 in a convenient spot the better. But Stanley was anxious to get on, having a long journey before him, at the termination of which there would be little enough time to erect10 a sufficient protection against the winter of the north; so he continued to advance along shore until they came to a point beyond which there was a very deep bay that would take them many hours to coast. By making a traverse, however, in a direct line to the next point, they might cross it in a much shorter time.
“How say you, Prince? shall we cross?” asked Stanley, as they rested on their paddles and cast furtive11 glances up at the dark clouds and across the still quiet bay.
Prince shook his head. “I fear we won’t have time to cross. The clouds are driving too fast and growin’ black.”
“Well, then, we had better encamp,” said Stanley.—“Is there a proper place, Massan, hereabouts?”
“No, sir,” replied the guide. “The stones on the beach are the only pillows within six mile o’ us.”
“Ho! then, forward, boys, make a bold push for it,” cried Stanley; “if it does begin to blow before we’re over, we can run back again at all events.”
In another moment the canoes swept out to sea, and made for the point far ahead like race-horses. Although the clouds continued to gather, the wind did not rise, and it seemed as though they would get over easily, when a sudden gust12 came off the shore—a direction whence, from the appearance of the clouds, it had not been expected. Ruffling13 the surface of the water for a few seconds, it passed away.
“Give way, boys, give way,” cried Massan, using his large steering14 paddle with a degree of energy that sent the canoe plunging15 forward. “We can’t go back, an’ if the storm bursts off the shore—”
A loud peal16 of thunder drowned the remainder of the sentence, and in a few seconds the wind that had been dreaded17 came whistling violently off the shore and covered the sea with foam18. The waves soon began to rise, and ere long the frail19 barks, which were ill calculated to weather a storm, were careering over them and shipping20 water at every plunge21.
It now became a matter of life and death with them that they should gain the point, for, deeply loaded as they were, it was impossible that they could float long in such a sea. It is true that a wind off the shore does not usually raise what sailors would consider much of a sea; but it must be remembered that, although it was off shore, the bay which they were crossing extended far inland, so that the gale22 had a wide sweep of water to act upon before it reached them. Besides this, as has already been explained, canoes are not like boats. Their timbers are weak, the bark of which they are made is thin, the gum which makes their seams tight is easily knocked off in cold water, and, in short, they cannot face a sea on which a boat might ride like a sea-gull.
For a considerable time the men strained every nerve to gain the wished-for point of land, but with so little success that it became evident they would never reach it. The men began to show signs of flagging, and cast uneasy glances towards Stanley, as if they had lost all hope of accomplishing their object, and waited for him to suggest what they should do. Poor Mrs Stanley sat holding on to the gunwale with one hand and clasping Edith round the waist with the other, as she gazed wistfully towards the cape23 ahead, which was now almost lost to view under the shadow of a dark cloud that rolled towards them like a black pall24 laden25 with destruction.
“God help us!” murmured Stanley, in an undertone, as he scanned the seaward horizon, which was covered with leaden clouds and streaks26 of lurid27 light, beneath which the foaming28 sea leaped furiously.
“Call upon Me in the time of trouble, and I will deliver thee,” said Mrs Stanley, who overheard the exclamation29.
Stanley either heard her not or his mind was too deeply concentrated on the critical nature of their position to make any reply. As she buried her face in her hands, Edith threw her trembling arms round her mother and hid her face in her bosom30. Even Chimo seemed to understand their danger, for he crept closer to the side of his young mistress and whined31 in a low tone, as if in sympathy. The waves had now increased to such a degree that it required two of the men to bail32 incessantly33 in order to prevent their being swamped, and as Stanley cast a hurried glance at the other canoes, which were not far off, he observed that it was as much as they could do to keep afloat. “Could we not run back, Massan?” asked Stanley, in despair.
“Unposs’ble, sir,” replied the guide, whose voice was almost drowned by the whistling of the wind. “We’re more nor half-way over, an’ it would only blow us farther out to sea if we was to try.”
While the guide spoke34, Stanley was gazing earnestly in the direction of the horizon.
“Round with you, Massan,” he exclaimed suddenly; “put the canoe about and paddle straight out to sea.—Hallo!” he shouted to the other canoes, “follow us out to sea—straight out.”
The men looked aghast at this extraordinary order. “Look alive, lads,” continued their leader; “I see an island away there to leeward35. Perhaps it’s only a rock, but any way it’s our only chance.”
The canoes’ heads were turned round, and in another moment they were driving swiftly before the wind in the direction of the open sea.
“Right, right,” murmured Dick Prince, as they made towards this new source of hope; “mayhap it’s only a bit o’ ice, but even that’s better than nothin’.”
“If ’tis only ice,” cried La Roche, “ye have ver’ pauvre chance at all.”
“Shure, an’ if we are to go ashore at all, at all,” said Bryan, whose spirits had suddenly risen with this gleam of hope from fifty degrees below to fifty above zero—“if we are to go ashore at all, at all, it’s better to land on the ice than on the wather.”
With such a breeze urging them on, the three canoes soon approached what appeared to be a low sand-bank, on which the sea was dashing in white foam. But from the tossing of the waves between them and the beach, it was difficult to form a conjecture36 as to its size. Indeed, at times they could scarcely see it at all, owing to the darkness of the day and the heavy rain which began to fall just as they approached; and more than once Stanley’s heart sank when he lost sight of the bank, and he began to think that he had made a mistake, and that they were actually flying out to the deep sea, in which case all hope would be gone for ever. But God’s mercy was extended to them in this hour of peril37. The island appeared to grow larger as they neared it, and at last they were within a stone’s-throw of the shore. But a new danger assailed38 them here. The largest canoe, which neared the island first, had begun to leak, and took in water so fast that the utmost efforts of those who bailed39 could not keep it under, and from the quantity that was now shipped they made very little way. To add to the horror of the scene, the sky became very dark, and another crash of thunder pealed40 forth41 accompanied by a blinding flash of lightning.
“Paddle, boys, paddle for your lives!” cried Stanley, throwing off his coat, and seizing a tin dish, with which he began to throw out the water.
The canoe rose on a huge wave which broke all round it. This nearly filled it with water, and carried it towards the shore with such velocity42 that it seemed as if they should be dashed in pieces; but they fell back into the trough of the sea, and lay motionless like a heavy log, and in a sinking condition.
“Now, lads, look out for the next wave, and give way with a will,” cried Massan. The worthy6 steersman acted rather too energetically on his own advice, for he dipped his paddle with such force that it snapped in two.
“Be ready to jump out,” cried Dick Prince, standing43 up in the bow in order to give more power to his strokes.
As he spoke, Stanley turned to his wife, and said, “Jessie, hold on by my collar; I’ll take Eda in my arms.” At that instant the canoe gave a lurch44, and before Stanley could grasp his child, they were all struggling in the sea! At this awful moment, instead of endeavouring to do as her husband directed, Mrs Stanley instinctively45 threw her arms around Edith, and while the waves were boiling over her, she clasped the child tightly to her bosom with her left arm, while with her right she endeavoured to raise herself to the surface. Twice she succeeded, and twice she sank, when a box of merchandise providentially struck her arm. Seizing this, she raised herself above the water, and poor Edith gasped46 convulsively once or twice for air. Then the box was wrenched47 from her grasp by a wave, and with a wild shriek48 she sank again. Just then a strong arm was thrown around her, her feet touched the ground, and in a few seconds she was dragged violently from the roaring waves and fell exhausted49 on the beach.
“Thanks be to God, we are saved!” murmured Mrs Stanley, as her husband assisted her to rise and led her beyond the reach of the waves, while Edith still clung with a deadly grasp to her mother’s neck.
“Ay, Jessie, thank God indeed! But for His mercy we should have all been lost. I was floundering about beside the canoe when your scream showed me where you were, and enabled me to save you. But rest here, in the lee of this bale.—I cannot stay by you. Frank is in danger still.”
Without waiting for a reply, he sprang from her side and hurried down to the beach. Here everything was in the utmost confusion. The two large canoes had been saved and dragged out of the reach of the waves, and the men were struggling in the boiling surf to rescue the baggage and provisions, on which latter their very lives depended. As Stanley reached the scene of action, he observed several of the men watching the small canoe which contained Frank and his two Indians. It had been left some distance behind by the others, and was now approaching with arrow speed on the summit of a large wave. Suddenly the top of the billow curled over, and in another moment the canoe was turned bottom up! Like a cork50 it danced on the wave’s white crest51, then falling beneath the thundering mass of water, it was crushed to pieces and cast empty upon the beach. But Frank and his men swam like otters52, and the party on shore watched them with anxious looks as they breasted manfully over the billows. At last a towering wave came rolling majestically53 forward. It caught the three swimmers in its rough embrace, and carrying them along on its crest, launched them on the beach, where it left them struggling with the retreating water. Those who have bathed in rough weather on an exposed coast know well how difficult it is to regain54 a firm footing on loose sand while a heavy wave is sweeping55 backward into its parent ocean. Frank and the two Indians experienced this; and they might have struggled there till their strength had been exhausted, were it not for Stanley, Prince, and Massan, who rushed simultaneously56 into the water and rescued them.
As the whole party had now, by the goodness of God, reached the land in safety, they turned their undivided energies towards the bales and boxes which were rolling about in the surf. Many of these had been already collected, and were carried to the spot where Mrs Stanley and Edith lay under the shelter of a bale. As the things were successively brought up they were piled around the mother and child, who soon found themselves pretty well sheltered from the wind, though not from the rain, which still fell in torrents57. Soon after Frank came to them, and said that all the things were saved, and that it was time to think of getting up some sort of shelter for the night. This was very much needed, for poor Edith was beginning to shiver from the wet and cold.
“Now then, François, Massan,” shouted Frank, “lend a hand here to build a house for Eda. We’ll be all as snug58 as need be in a few minutes.”
Despite the cold and her recent terror, the poor child could not help smiling at the idea of building a house in a few minutes, and it was with no little curiosity that she watched the operations of the men. Meanwhile Mr Stanley brought some wine in a pannikin, and made Edith and his wife drink a little. This revived them greatly, and as the rain had now almost ceased they rose and endeavoured to wring59 the water out of their garments. In less than half an hour the men piled the bales and boxes in front of the largest canoe, which was turned bottom up, and secured firmly in that position by an embankment of sand. Over the top of all, three oil-cloths were spread and lashed60 down, thus forming a complete shelter, large enough to contain the whole party. At one end of this curious house Mr Stanley made a separate apartment for his wife and child, by placing two large bales and a box as a partition; and within this little space Edith soon became very busy in arranging things, and “putting the house to rights,” as she said, as long as the daylight lasted, for after it went away they had neither candles nor fire, as the former had been soaked and broken, and as for the latter no wood could be found on the island. The men’s clothes were, of course, quite wet, so they cut open a bale of blankets, which had not been so much soaked as the other goods, having been among the first things that were washed ashore.
At the time they were wrecked61 the dashing spray and the heavy rain, together with the darkness of the day, had prevented the shipwrecked voyageurs from ascertaining62 the nature of the island on which they had been cast; and as the night closed in while they were yet engaged in the erection of their temporary shelter, they had to lie down to rest in ignorance on this point. After such a day of unusual fatigue63 and excitement, they all felt more inclined for rest than food; so, instead of taking supper, they all lay down huddled64 together under the canoe, and slept soundly, while the angry winds whistled round them, and the great sea roared and lashed itself into foam on the beach, as if disappointed that the little band of adventurers had escaped and were now beyond the reach of its impotent fury.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
brewing
|
|
| n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
brute
|
|
| n.野兽，兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
whetting
|
|
| v.（在石头上）磨（刀、斧等）( whet的现在分词 )；引起，刺激（食欲、欲望、兴趣等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
baste
|
|
| v.殴打，公开责骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
ribs
|
|
| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
witticism
|
|
| n.谐语，妙语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
embarked
|
|
| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
ashore
|
|
| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
erect
|
|
| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
furtive
|
|
| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
gust
|
|
| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
ruffling
|
|
| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
steering
|
|
| n.操舵装置 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
plunging
|
|
| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
peal
|
|
| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
dreaded
|
|
| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
foam
|
|
| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
frail
|
|
| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
shipping
|
|
| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
plunge
|
|
| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
gale
|
|
| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
cape
|
|
| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
pall
|
|
| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
laden
|
|
| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
streaks
|
|
| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
lurid
|
|
| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
foaming
|
|
| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
exclamation
|
|
| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
bosom
|
|
| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
whined
|
|
| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
bail
|
|
| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
incessantly
|
|
| ad.不停地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
leeward
|
|
| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
conjecture
|
|
| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
assailed
|
|
| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
bailed
|
|
| 保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
pealed
|
|
| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
velocity
|
|
| n.速度，速率 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
lurch
|
|
| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
instinctively
|
|
| adv.本能地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
wrenched
|
|
| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
shriek
|
|
| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
exhausted
|
|
| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
cork
|
|
| n.软木，软木塞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
crest
|
|
| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
otters
|
|
| n.（水）獭( otter的名词复数 )；獭皮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
majestically
|
|
| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
regain
|
|
| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
sweeping
|
|
| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
simultaneously
|
|
| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
torrents
|
|
| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
snug
|
|
| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
wring
|
|
| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
lashed
|
|
| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
wrecked
|
|
| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
ascertaining
|
|
| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
fatigue
|
|
| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
huddled
|
|
| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |