“It is the proper course to follow,” he muttered to himself, one day after breakfast, while brooding alone over the remnants of the meal, “for it would be unjust to allow myself to lie under a false imputation6, and it would be equally unjust to allow the McLeods to remain under a false impression. Perhaps some enemy may have put them against me. Anyhow, I shall go down and try to clear the matter up. If I succeed—well. If not—”
His thoughts were diverted at this point by the entrance of Bob Smart. That energetic individual had been to visit the frost-bitten seamen7, for whose comfort an old out-house had been made weather-tight, and fitted up as a rough-and-ready hospital.
“They’re all getting on famously,” said Bob, rubbing his hands, as he sat down and pulled out the little black pipe to which he was so much addicted8. “Green’s left little toe looks beautiful this morning, quite red and healthy, and, I think, won’t require amputation9, which is well, for it is doubly a left little toe since you cut off the right one yesterday. His big toe seems to my amateur eye in a thoroughly10 convalescent state, but his left middle finger obviously requires removal. You’ll do it to-day, I suppose?”
“Yes, I meant to do it yesterday,” answered Redding, with much gravity, “but gave it another chance. How’s Brixton?”
“Oh, he’s all right. He groans11 enough to make one believe he’s the worst of ’em all, but his hurts are mostly skin deep, and will heal no doubt in course of time. His nose, certainly, looks blobby enough, like an over-ripe plum, and I rather think it’s that which makes him growl13 so horribly; but after all, it won’t be shortened more than quarter of an inch, which will be rather an advantage, for it was originally too long. Then as to Harper and Jennings, they are quite cheery and their appetites increasing, which is the best of signs, though, I fear, poor fellows, that the first will lose a hand and the other a foot. The dressings14 you put on yesterday seem to have relieved them much. I wish I could say the same for the poor nigger. His foot is sure to go. It’s in such a state that I believe the cleverest surgeon alive couldn’t save it, and even if he could what’s left of it would be of no use. You know I have a mechanical turn and could make him a splendid wooden leg if you will pluck up courage to cut it off.”
“No,” said Redding decidedly; “it’s all very well to lop off a finger or a toe with a razor, but I don’t think it’s allowable for an amateur to attempt a foot except under circumstances of extreme urgency.”
“Well, it don’t much matter,” continued Bob Smart, drawing vigorously at the black pipe, “for we’ll have an opportunity of sending them up to Quebec in a week or so, and in the meantime the poor fellows are very jolly considering their circumstances. That man Ned Wright keeps them all in good humour. Although, as you know, he has suffered severely18 in hands and feet, he feels himself well enough to limp about the room and act the part, as he says, of ‘stooard and cook to the ship’s company.’ He insisted on beginning last night just after you left, and I found him hard at it this morning when I went to see them. He must have been the life of the ship before she went ashore20, for he goes about continually trolling out some verses of his own composing, though he has got no more idea of tune21 in him than the main-top-mast back-stay, to which, or something of the same kind, he makes very frequent reference. Here is a verse of his latest composition:—”
O-o-o-o-h! it’s once I froze the end of my nose,
On the coast of Labrador, sir,
An’ I lost my smell, an’ my taste as well,
An’ my pipe, which made me roar, sir;
But the traders come, an’ think wot they done!
They poked22 an’ pinched an’ skewered23 me;
They cut an’ snipped24, an’ they carved an’ ripped,
An’ they clothed an’ fed an’ cured me.
Chorus.—Hooroo! it’s true
An’ a sailor’s life for me.
“Not bad, eh?” said Bob.
“Might be worse,” answered Redding, with the air of one whose mind is preoccupied26.
“I’ve often wondered,” continued Bob Smart, in a moralising tone, and looking intently at the wreaths of smoke that curled from his lips as if for inspiration, “I’ve often wondered how it is that sailors—especially British sailors—appear to possess such an enormous fund of superabundant rollicking humour, insomuch that they will jest and sing sometimes in the midst of troubles and dangers that would take the spirit out of ordinary men such as you and me.”
“Bob Smart,” said Redding earnestly.
“Yes,” said Bob.
“D’you know it strikes me that I ought to go down to the wreck to see how the McLeods are getting on.”
“O ah! well, to change the subject, d’you know Mr Redding, that same idea struck me some days ago, for Jonas Bellew has left them to look after his own affairs, and the Indians were to go north on the 13th, so the McLeods must have been living for some time on salt provisions, unless they have used their guns with better success than has been reported of them. If you remember, I have mentioned it to you more than once, but you seemed to avoid the subject.”
“Well, perhaps I did, and perhaps I had my reasons for it. However, I am going down now, immediately after dressing15 the poor fellows’ sores. Will you therefore be good enough to get the small boat ready, with some fresh meat, and tell Le Rue25 and Michel to be prepared to start in an hour or so.”
The day after the above conversation McLeod senior walked down to the wreck accompanied by Flora. Kenneth had been left in charge of the invalid27, whose system had received such a shock that his recovery was extremely slow, and it had been deemed advisable not only to avoid, but to forbid all reference to the wreck. Indeed Roderick himself seemed to have no desire to speak about it, and although he had roused himself on the arrival of his relations, he had hitherto lain in such a weak semi-lethargic state that it was feared his head must have received severer injury than was at first supposed. On the morning of the day in question an Indian had arrived with a letter from Mr Gambart of Partridge Bay, which had not tended to soothe28 the luckless father.
“It seems very unfortunate,” said Flora, in a sympathetic tone.
“Seems unfortunate?” exclaimed McLeod, with some asperity29, “it is unfortunate. Why, what could be more so? Just think of it, Flo! Here am I without a penny of ready cash in the world, and although Gambart knows this as well as I do myself, he writes me, first, that he has sold Loch Dhu to that fellow Redding, and now that he has bought Barker’s Mill for me without my sanction!”
“But you gave him leave to sell Loch Dhu,” suggested Flora.
“Oh, yes, yes, of course, and I told him to let it go at a low sum, for I needed cash very much at the beginning of this venture at Jenkins Creek30. But I find that our expenses are so small that I could afford to hold on for some time on the funds I have. To be sure Gambart could not know that, but—but—why did the fellow go and buy that mill for me? It’s being a great bargain and a splendid property, just now are no excuse, for he knew my poverty, and also knew that I shall feel bound in honour to take it off his hands when I manage to scrape the sum together, because of course it was done in a friendly way to oblige me. No doubt he will say that there’s no hurry about repayment31, and that he won’t take interest, and so forth32, but he had no business to buy it at all!”
Flora made no reply to this, for she saw that her father was waxing wroth under his misfortunes.
Her silence tended rather to increase his wrath33, for he was dissatisfied with himself more than with others, and would have been glad even of contradiction in order that he might relieve his feelings by disputation.
While this state of mind was strong upon him they reached a turn in the path that brought the wreck into view and revealed the fact that a boat lay on the beach, from which three men had just landed. Two of these remained by the boat, while the third advanced towards the woods.
Flora’s hand tightened34 on her father’s arm.
“Surely that is Mr Redding,” she said.
The frown which had clouded McLeod’s brow instantly deepened. “Go,” he said, “walk slowly back towards the hut. I will overtake you in a few minutes.”
Flora hesitated. “Won’t you let me stay, father?”
“No, my dear, I wish to talk privately35 with Redding—go.”
He patted her kindly37 on the head, and she left him with evident reluctance38.
“Good-morning, Mr McLeod,” said Redding, as he approached.
“Good-morning,” replied the other stiffly, without extending his hand.
Redding flushed, but restrained himself, and continued in a calm matter-of-course tone:
“Thinking it probable that you might be in want of fresh provisions, I have run down with a small supply, which is at your service.”
“Thank you,” replied McLeod, still stiffly, “I am not quite destitute40 of fresh provisions, and happen to have a good supply of ammunition41; besides, if I were starving I would not accept aid from one who has deceived me.”
“Deceived you!” exclaimed Redding, waxing indignant more at McLeod’s tone and manner than his words, “wherein have I deceived you?”
As he put the question his mind leaped to the line of demarcation between the properties at Jenkins Creek, and he racked his brains hastily to discover what he could have said or done at their first interview that could have been misunderstood. McLeod was one of those men in whom anger is easily increased by the exhibition of anger in others. It was therefore in a still more offensive tone that he said:—
“Sir, you deceived me by violating the laws of hospitality—by keeping silence when candour required you to speak.”
“Sir,” exclaimed Redding, still thinking of the line of demarcation, and losing his temper altogether, “in all that has passed between us I have invariably spoken with candour, and if at any time I have kept silence I consider that in so doing I have done you a favour.”
When two fiery43 men clash, an explosion is the natural result.
“Very well, sir,” said McLeod, with a look of withering44 contempt, “as I don’t accept your favours I don’t thank you for them, so you may take yourself off as soon as you please.”
He waited for no reply but turned abruptly45 on his heel and walked away, while Redding, with a face of scarlet46, strode down the beach and leaped into his boat.
Not a word did he utter to his astonished men beyond ordering them to pull back to the fort. Apparently47 the rate of rowing was not fast enough to please him, for in a few minutes he ordered Michel to take the helm, and himself seized the oar19, which he plied39 with such vigour48 that, as Michel afterwards averred49, the rudder had to be kept nearly hard a-port all the time to prevent the boat being pulled round even though Le Rue was working like a steam engine and blowing like a grampus!
Towards the afternoon this exercise, coupled with reflection, cooled Reginald Redding’s spirit while it warmed his body, and at last he deemed it right to pause for the purpose of letting the men have a pipe and a mouthful of food. While they were busy refreshing50 themselves he leant over the stern, gazed down into the water, and brooded over his supposed wrongs.
Whether it was the clearness of the still water, through which he could see the little fish and crabs51 floating and crawling placidly52 among the pebbles53 at the bottom, or the soothing54 influence of the quiet afternoon, or the sedative55 effect of a reflective condition of mind, we know not, but it is certain that before the pipes were smoked out he fur-trader observed that his reflected visage wore a very unpleasant-looking frown, insomuch that a slight smile curled his lips. The contrast between the frowning brows and the smiling lips appeared so absurd that, to prevent the impropriety of becoming too suddenly good-humoured, he turned his eyes towards his men and encountered the perplexed gaze of Le Rue, as that worthy56 sat with his elbows on his knees in the calm enjoyment57 of his pipe.
Redding at once resumed his frown.
“François,” said he, “did you have much conversation with McLeod before he dismissed you on the way down?”
“Oui, Monsieur, we had ver moche conversatione.”
“Can you remember what it was about?”
“Oh oui. ’Bout a’most all tings. I tell him de mos’ part of my histoire,—me fadder, me moder, broder, sister, an’ all dat, ’bout vich he seem not to care von buttin. Den16 ve convarsatione ’bout de fur-trade, an’ de—”
“Well well,” interrupted Redding, “but what was the last thing, just before he sent you off?”
“Ah let me zee. Oui—it was ’bout you’self. I tell him ’bout de property—de Lock Doo vat36 you was—”
“Le Rue,” exclaimed Redding, suddenly and very angrily, “you’re a consummate58 ass42!”
“Vraiment,” said Le Rue, with a slight shrug59 of his shoulders, “I am so for remaining in de service of von goose!”
There was such good-humoured impudence60 in the man’s face as he said this that Redding laughed in spite of himself.
“Well,” he said, “your readiness to talk has at all events caused bad feeling between me and the McLeods. However, it don’t matter. Ship your oars61 again and give way with a will.”
The men obeyed, and as Redding sat buried in meditation62 at the helm he became convinced that McLeod’s anger had been aroused by his silence in regard to the purchase of Loch Dhu, for he himself had almost forgotten that the sudden entrance of the Indian had checked the words which were at the moment on his lips. When he thought of this, and of Flora, he resolved to pull back and explain matters, but when he thought of McLeod’s tone and manner he determined to proceed to the fort. Then, when he thought of Roderick’s precarious63 state, his mind again wavered, but, other thoughts and plans suggesting themselves, he finally decided17 on returning home.
That night he encamped in the woods and continued to brood over the camp-fire long after his men were asleep. Next day he reached the Cliff Fort, when, after seeing to the welfare of the wrecked64 men, he informed Bob Smart that he meant to absent himself for about a week, and to leave him, Bob, in charge. He also gave orders that no one should quit the post, or furnish any assistance to the McLeods.
“But, sir,” said Bob Smart, in surprise, “they will be sure to starve.”
“No fear of them,” replied Redding, “Kenneth is young and active, and they have plenty of ammunition.”
“If report be true,” returned Bob, “neither Kenneth nor any of his kin12 can hit a sheep at twenty yards off. Bellew says they are as blind as bats with the gun.”
“No matter. They have a boat, and one of them can row back to Jenkins Creek for fresh meat. Anyway, do as I bid you, and be very careful of the wrecked men.”
Smart, although fond of discussion, knew how to obey. He therefore said no more but bade Redding good-night and retired65 to his humble66 couch, which, he was wont67 to say, was a fine example of compensation, inasmuch as the fact of its being three inches too narrow was counterbalanced by its being six inches too long.
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1
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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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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imputation
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| n.归罪，责难 | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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addicted
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| adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的 | |
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amputation
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| n.截肢 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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14
dressings
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| n.敷料剂；穿衣( dressing的名词复数 )；穿戴；（拌制色拉的）调料；（保护伤口的）敷料 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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22
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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skewered
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| v.（用串肉扦或类似物）串起，刺穿( skewer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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snipped
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| v.剪( snip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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27
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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asperity
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| n.粗鲁，艰苦 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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repayment
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| n.偿还，偿还款；报酬 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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42
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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43
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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44
withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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45
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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48
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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49
averred
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| v.断言( aver的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；证明…属实；作为事实提出 | |
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50
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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51
crabs
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| n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 ) | |
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52
placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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53
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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54
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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55
sedative
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| adj.使安静的，使镇静的；n. 镇静剂，能使安静的东西 | |
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56
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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57
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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58
consummate
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| adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle | |
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59
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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61
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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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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63
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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64
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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65
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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66
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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