You need not be told that the Columbia is one of the most important rivers on our continent. The scenery in many places is picturesque3, grand and inspiring. The boys felt that the sight was well worth the journey across the country. Their enjoyment4 increased day after day as they drew near the sea. Game was so abundant that they never lacked for food, and the Indians were always ready to share with them. At different times they saw natives who gave evidence of having met white men at the mouth of the Columbia. There were numbers of guns, civilized5 coats and trousers, brass6 buttons and various ornaments7 which could have been obtained from no one else, and, now and then, some intelligent Indian showed himself able to speak a few words of English.
One of the counties in the present State of Washington is Wahkiacum, which received its name from a tribe of Indians that have been extinct for years. Our friends paid a visit to a Wahkiacum village on the right bank of the river. After procuring8 some food and a beaver9 skin, the explorers climbed to the crest10 of an adjoining hill and with feelings of expectant wonder gazed to the westward11.
At last! As the vision ranged over plain and wood and elevation12 they saw stretching away to the horizon the mightiest13 expanse of water on the globe. North, west, south, rolled the Pacific Ocean, extending at its widest part to more than one-third of the distance around the world.
No one spoke14, but, grouped together, the spyglass was silently passed from one to the other, and each gazed in rapt admiration15 and awe16. George first offered the instrument to Deerfoot, but he shook his head. He then handed it to Mul-tal-la, but he also declined, as did Victor, and then George leveled the instrument and held it for several minutes, while the others made the best use they could of their eyes. Finally George sighed and passed the glass to his brother. When he had finished he proffered17 it to the Shawanoe, but he indicated by a gesture that Mul-tal-la’s was the next turn.
At last Deerfoot, standing18 erect19, with his gun leaning against a near boulder20, where his companions had placed-their weapons, slowly directed the instrument westward, while all looked at him instead of at the ocean.
The Shawanoe’s eye roved over the immense expanse, as he gradually shifted his gaze from point to point. Over hundreds of square miles nothing was to be seen but the limitless waste of waters. Ridges21 of foam22 and a faint roar showed where the long swells23 broke upon the beach. From the tops of cone-like lodges24 climbed little twisting wreaths of smoke, indicating the villages of the dusky inhabitants of the region between the ocean and the spectators.
Deerfoot now descried25 something which the others had not seen. In a direct line to the westward and almost on the rim26 of the horizon was a tiny white object, like a peculiarly shaped cloud that would soon dissolve into thin air. It was a ship, and the snowy spread was its sails that caught the favoring breeze.
The vessel27 was many miles distant and heading for the mouth of the Columbia. It was the only vessel visible in that vast sweep of ocean. The Indian watched it as it gradually grew more distinct. He wondered as to the people on board, and speculated as to what part of the world they had come from. He finally lowered the instrument and peered in the direction without the artificial help. Yes; he could now see the vessel with the eye alone.
Pointing toward the right point he handed the glass to George Shelton and said:
“Let my brother look.”
The lad did so and the next moment exclaimed:
“It is a ship! Victor, you must see it!”
“I do,” replied the other, who nevertheless took the spyglass, which was next passed to Mul-tal-la. Then it went around in turn again, and the feast of vision was enjoyed to the full.
For an hour the party held their place on the elevation, studying the sea and the grand and varied28 panorama29 spread before them. They could have stayed all day and been content, for there was much that was impressive in the thought that they had reached the end of their long journey over mountain, through tangled30 wilderness31 and across prairie and river. Victor Shelton suggested that they should keep on down the Columbia to the mouth and take a bath in the chilling waters of the Pacific, but Deerfoot shook his head. It had been the understanding from the first that they were to press westward until they saw the ocean, but to go no farther. They had touched tidewater some time before, and could feel that at times they were really paddling through the waters of the Pacific. It would take several days to reach the mouth of the river and time had become valuable. The season was so far advanced that winter would be upon them by the time or before they arrived in the Blackfoot country, for a good deal of the return journey must, from its nature, prove much more laborious32 than the one just completed had been.
Deerfoot unexpectedly revealed one cause of anxiety. He was disquieted33 over Whirlwind, whom he had left with Amokeat, the Nez Perce chieftain. He could not free himself of the belief that trouble was to come from what he declared was a wrong act on his part. Had the stallion been only an ordinary “every day” animal, the owner would have felt no concern, but the steed was sure to be coveted34 by more than one warrior35, and Amokeat could not have understood the worth of the treasure he had undertaken to guard and keep for the return of the owner.
“Deerfoot did not use Whirlwind right,” said the Shawanoe, shaking his head. “The heart of Whirlwind was grieved when he saw Deerfoot leave him.”
“But,” said Victor, sympathizing with the depression of his friend, “he is so wise a creature he surely understood why you left him.”
“Yes; he understood, and that is why his heart was sad, for he knew that Deerfoot had no right to treat him so.”
The Blackfoot now summed up the question by a remark with which the brothers ardently36 agreed.
“They will not kill Whirlwind, for they have no reason to do so. He will be alive somewhere; he will seek Deerfoot and Deerfoot will hunt for Whirlwind, and he will find him!”
The boys noted37 the flash in the eyes of the Shawanoe as he said:
“Yes; Deerfoot will find him if he has to hunt many moons and follow Whirlwind among tribes that are hundreds of miles away and who seek the life of Deerfoot.”
All understood the feelings of the youth who thus condemned38 himself for an act whose wisdom at the most was an open question.
Having uttered the words, the Shawanoe showed an indisposition to say anything further about the matter. He took the spyglass from the hands of George and once more pointed39 it at the incoming ship. He could make out the sails more plainly, and even caught the white rim of foam curling from the bow. He noted too that the wind was blowing briskly enough to make the vessel careen considerably40 under the impulse of the bellying41 canvas.
As it was still early in the day, it was evident the ship would be at the mouth of the river by nightfall. It would have been an interesting visit if the little party had pressed on and met the captain and his crew. It is not impossible, too, that had it not been for Deerfoot’s anxiety over his horse he would have modified the original plan to the extent of rounding out the journey across the continent by touching42 the Pacific itself.
But after all, what did it matter? The continent had already been crossed and, as the leader had said, the days and nights had become of the utmost value. Mul-tal-la believed it was safe to return to his people, and in point of fact he had grown homesick. Moreover, there was something in the fact that they were so many hundred miles from home that made George and Victor Shelton quite ready to give up the plan of going any farther.
And so our friends now turned their backs upon the Pacific and once more faced eastward43. “Now for home!” was the thought in the minds of all four.
And here we must pause for the time. The incidents through which our friends passed and their adventures will be told in the final volume of the New Deerfoot Series, under the title of
“Deerfoot in the Mountains.”
The End
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1
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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8
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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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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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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mightiest
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| adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 )；巨大的；强有力的；浩瀚的 | |
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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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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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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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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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lodges
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| v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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disquieted
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| v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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40
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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41
bellying
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| 鼓出部；鼓鼓囊囊 | |
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42
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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43
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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