Now, in high summer, when the stream was shrunken in its channel and the sunshine lay golden over the roaring, creamy chutes and the dancing shallows, the place looked less perilous8. But it was full of snares10 and hidden teeth. It was no place for the canoist, however expert with pole and paddle, unless he knew how to read the water unerringly for many yards ahead. It is this reading of the water, this instantaneous solving of the hieroglyphics11 of foam12 and surge and swirl13 and glassy lunge, that makes the skilled runner of the rapids.
A light birch-bark canoe, with a man in the stern and a small child in the bow, was approaching the head of the rapids, which were hidden from the paddler's view by a high, densely-wooded bend of the shore. The canoe leapt forward swiftly on the smooth, quiet current, under the strong drive of the paddle.
The paddler was a tall, big-limbed man, with fair hair fringing out under his tweed cap, and a face burnt red rather than tanned by the weather. He was dressed roughly but well, and not as a woodsman, and he had a subtle air of being foreign to the backwoods. He knew how to handle his paddle, however, the prow14 of his craft keeping true though his strokes were slow and powerful.
The child who sat facing him on a cushion in the bow was a little boy of four or five years, in a short scarlet15 jacket and blue knickers. His fat, bare legs were covered with fly-bites and scratches, his baby face of the tenderest cream and pink, his round, interested eyes as blue as periwinkle blossoms. But the most conspicuous16 thing about him was his hair. He was bareheaded—his little cap lying in the bottom of the canoe among the luggage—and the hair, as white as tow, stood out like a fleece all over his head, enmeshing the sunlight in its silken tangle17.
When the canoe shot round the bend, the roar of the rapids smote18 suddenly upon the voyagers' ears. The child turned his bright head inquiringly, but from his low place could see nothing to explain the noise. His father, however, sitting up on the hinder bar of the canoe, could see a menacing white line of tossing crests19, aflash in the sunlight, stretching from shore to shore. Backing water vigorously to check his headway, he stood up to get a better view and choose his way through the surge.
The stranger was master of his paddle, but he had had no adequate experience in running rapids. Such light and unobstructed rips as he had gone through had merely sufficed to make him regard lightly the menace confronting him. He had heard of the perils20 of Dead Man's Run, but that, of course, meant in time of freshet, when even the mildest streams are liable to go mad and run amuck21. This was the season of dead low water, and it was hard for him to imagine there could be anything really to fear from this lively but shrunken stream. He was strong, clear-eyed, steady of nerve, and he anticipated no great trouble in getting through.
As the light craft dipped into the turmoil22; jumping as if buffeted23 from below, and the wave-tops slapped in on either side of the bow, the little lad gave a cry of fear.
"Sit tight, boy. Don't be afraid," said the father, peering ahead with intent, narrowed eyes and surging fiercely on his blade to avoid a boiling rock just below the first chute. As he swept past in safety he laughed in triumph, for the passage had been close and exciting, and the conquest of a mad rapid is one of the thrilling things in life, and worth going far for. His laugh reassured24 the child, who laughed also, but cowered25 low in the canoe and stared over the gunwale with wide eyes of awe26.
But already the canoe was darting27 down toward a line of black rocks smothered28 in foam. The man paddled desperately29 to gain the other shore, where there seemed to be a clear passage. Slanting30 sharply across the great current, surging with short terrific strokes upon his sturdy maple31 blade, his teeth set and his breath coming in grunts32, he was swept on downward, sideways toward the rocks, with appalling33 speed. But he made the passage, swept the bow around, and raced through, shaving the rock so narrowly that his heart paused and the sweat jumped out suddenly cold on his forehead.
Immediately afterwards the current swept him to mid-stream. Just here the channel was straight and clear of rocks, and though the rips were heavy the man had a few minutes' respite34, with little to do but hold his course.
With a stab at the heart he realized now into what peril9 he had brought his baby. Eagerly he looked for a chance to land, but on neither side could he make shore with any chance of escaping shipwreck35. A woodsman, expert with the canoe-pole, might have managed it, but the stranger had neither pole nor skill to handle one. He was in the grip of the wild current and could only race on, trusting to master each new emergency as it should hurl36 itself upon him.
Presently the little one took alarm again at his father's stern-set mouth and preoccupied37 eyes. The man had just time to shout once more, "Don't be afraid, son. Dad'll take care of you," when the canoe was once more in a yelling chaos38 of chutes and ledges. And now there was no respite. Unable to read the signs of the water, he was full upon each new peril before he recognized it, and only his great muscular strength and instant decision saved them.
Again and again they barely, by a hair's-breadth, slipped through the jaws39 of death, and it seemed to the man that the gnashing ledges raved40 and yelled behind him at each miracle of escape. Then hissing41 wave-crests cut themselves off and leapt over the racing gunwale, till he feared the canoe would be swamped. Once they scraped so savagely42 that he thought the bottom was surely ripped from the canoe. But still he won onward44, mile after roaring mile, his will fighting doggedly45 to keep his eyesight from growing hopelessly confused with the hellish, sliding dazzle and riot of waters.
But at last the fiend of the flood, having played with its prey46 long enough, laid bare its claws and struck. The bow of the canoe, in swerving47 from one foam-curtained rock, grounded heavily upon another. In an instant the little craft was swung broadside on, and hung there. The waves piled upon her in a yelling pack. She was smothered down, and rolled over helplessly.
As they shot out into the torrent48 the man, with a terrible cry, sprang toward the bow, striving to reach his son. He succeeded in catching49 the little one, with one hand, by the back of the scarlet jacket. The next moment he went under and the jacket came off over the child's head. A whimsical cross-current dragged the little boy twenty feet off to one side, and shot him into a shallow side channel.
When the man came to the surface again his eyes were shut, his face stark50 white, his legs and arms flung about aimlessly as weeds; but fast in his unconscious grip he held the little red jacket. The canoe, its side stove in, and full of water, was hurrying off down the rapid amid a fleet of paddles, cushions, blankets, boxes, and bundles. The body of the man, heavy and inert51 and sprawling52, followed more slowly. The waves rolled it over and trampled53 it down, shouldered it up again, and snatched it away viciously whenever it showed an inclination54 to hang itself up on some projecting ledge3. It was long since they had had such a victim on whom to glut55 their rancour.
The child, meanwhile, after being rolled through the laughing shallows of the side channel and playfully buffeted into a half-drowned unconsciousness, was stranded56 on a sand spit some eight or ten yards from the right-hand shore. There he lay, half in the water, half out of it, the silken white floss of his hair all plastered down to his head, the rippled57 current tugging58 at his scratched and bitten legs.
The unclouded sun shone down warmly upon his face, slowly bringing back the rose to his baby lips, and a small, paper-blue butterfly hovered59 over his head for a few seconds, as if puzzled to make out what kind of being he was.
The sand spit which had given the helpless little one refuge was close to the shore, but separated from it by a deep and turbulent current. A few minutes after the blue butterfly had flickered60 away across the foam, a large black bear came noiselessly forth61 from the fir woods and down to the water's edge. He gazed searchingly up and down the river to see if there were any other human creatures in sight, then stretched his savage43 black muzzle62 out over the water toward the sand spit, eyeing and sniffing63 at the little unconscious figure there in the sun. He could not make out whether it was dead or only asleep. In either case he wanted it. He stepped into the foaming64 edge of the sluice65, and stood there whimpering with disappointed appetite, daunted66 by the snaky vehemence67 of the current.
Presently, as the warmth of the flooding sun crept into his veins68, the child stirred, and opened his blue eyes. He sat up, noticed he was sitting in the water, crawled to a dry spot, and snuggled down into the hot sand. For the moment he was too dazed to realize where he was. Then, as the life pulsed back into his veins, he remembered how his father's hand had caught him by the jacket just as he went plunging69 into the awful waves. Now, the jacket was gone. His father was gone, too.
"Daddy! Daddee-ee!" he wailed71. And at the sound of that wailing72 cry, so unmistakably the cry of a youngling for its parent, the bear drew back discreetly73 behind a bush, and glanced uneasily up and down the stream to see if the parent would come in answer to the appeal. He had a wholesome74 respect for the grown-up man creature of either sex, and was ready to retire on the approach of one.
But no one came. The child began to sob75 softly, in a lonesome, frightened, suppressed way. In a minute or two, however, he stopped this, and rose to his feet, and began repeating over and over the shrill76 wail70 of "Daddy, Daddee-ee, Daddee-ee!" At the same time he peered about him in every direction, almost hopefully, as if he thought his father must be hiding somewhere near, to jump out presently for a game of bo-peep with him.
His baby eyes were keen. They did not find his father, but they found the bear, its great black head staring at him from behind a bush.
His cries stopped on the instant, in the middle of a syllable77, frozen in his throat with terror. He cowered down again upon the sand, and stared, speechless, at the awful apparition78. The bear, realizing that the little one's cries had brought no succour, came out from its hiding confidently, and down to the shore, and straight out into the water till the current began to drag too savagely at its legs. Here it stopped, grumbling79 and baffled.
The little one, unable any longer to endure the dreadful sight, backed to the extreme edge of the sand, covered his face with his hands, and fell to whimpering piteously, an unceasing, hopeless, monotonous80 little cry, as vague and inarticulate as the wind.
The bear, convinced at length that the sluice just here was too strong for to cross, drew back to the shore reluctantly, It moved slowly up-stream some forty or fifty yards, looking for a feasible crossing. Disappointed in this direction, it then explored the water's edge for a little distance down stream, but with a like result. But it would not give up. Up and down, up and down, it continued to patrol the shore with hungry obstinacy81. And the piteous whimpering of the little figure that cowered, with hidden face upon the sand spit, gradually died away. That white fleece of silken locks, dried in the sun and blown by the warm breeze, stood out once more in its radiance on the lonely little slumbering82 head.
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1
furrowed
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| v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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ledges
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| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
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5
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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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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battering
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| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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11
hieroglyphics
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| n.pl.象形文字 | |
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12
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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14
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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15
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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17
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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crests
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| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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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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21
amuck
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| ad.狂乱地 | |
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22
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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23
buffeted
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| 反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去 | |
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24
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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25
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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26
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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27
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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28
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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29
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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32
grunts
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说； 石鲈 | |
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33
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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34
respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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35
shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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36
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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37
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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38
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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40
raved
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| v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说 | |
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41
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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42
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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43
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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44
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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45
doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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46
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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47
swerving
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 ) | |
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48
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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49
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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50
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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51
inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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52
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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53
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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54
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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55
glut
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| n.存货过多，供过于求；v.狼吞虎咽 | |
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56
stranded
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| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
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57
rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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58
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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59
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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60
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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62
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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63
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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64
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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65
sluice
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| n.水闸 | |
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66
daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
vehemence
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| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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68
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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69
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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70
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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71
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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73
discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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74
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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75
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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76
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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77
syllable
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| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
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78
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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79
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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80
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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81
obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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82
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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