IT was an easy matter to help Joe out of the old well. He had fallen into it while running after the wild-cat, but a heap of decayed leaves at the bottom broke the fall and saved him from any serious injury. Nevertheless, he must have been a little stunned1 at first, for he made no outcry for some time, and it was his first call for help that was heard by Charley.
The boys returned to their canoes, and, as it was not yet midnight, prepared to resume the sleep from which they had been so unceremoniously awakened2. They had little fear that the wild-cat would pay them another visit, for it had undoubtedly3 been badly frightened. Still, it was not pleasant to think that there was a wild beast within a few rods of them,[115] and the thought kept the canoeists awake for a long time.
The wild-cat did not pay them a second visit, and when they awoke the next morning they were half inclined to think that their night’s adventure had been only a dream. There, however, were the marks made by its claws on the varnished4 deck of Joe’s canoe, and Joe’s clothing was torn and stained by his fall. With the daylight they became very courageous5, and decided6 that they had never been in the least afraid of the animal. The so-called wild-cat of Canada, which is really a lynx, is, however, a fierce and vicious animal, and is sometimes more than a match for an unarmed man.
There was a strong west wind blowing when the fleet started, and Chambly Basin was covered with white-caps. As the canoes were sailing in the trough of the sea they took in considerable water while skirting the east shore of the Basin, but once in the narrow river they found the water perfectly7 smooth. This day the fleet made better progress than on any[116] previous day. Nothing could be more delightful8 than the scenery, and the quaint9 little French towns along the river, every one of which was named after some saint, were very interesting. The boys landed at one of them and got their dinner at a little tavern10 where no one spoke11 English, and where Charley, who had studied French at Annapolis, won the admiration12 of his comrades by the success with which he ordered the dinner.
With the exception of the hour spent at dinner, the canoeists sailed, from six o’clock in the morning until seven at night, at the rate of nearly six miles an hour. The clocks of Sorel, the town at the mouth of the Richelieu, were striking six as the canoes glided13 into the broad St. Lawrence and steered16 for a group of islands distant about a mile from the south shore. It was while crossing the St. Lawrence that they first made the acquaintance of screw-steamers, and learned how dangerous they are to the careless canoeist. A big steamship17, on her way to Montreal, came up the river so noiselessly that the boys did[117] not notice her until they heard her hoarse18 whistle warning them to keep out of her way. A paddle-wheel steamer can be heard while she is a long way off, but screw-steamers glide14 along so stealthily that the English canoeists, who constantly meet them on the Mersey, the Clyde, and the lower Thames, have nicknamed them “sudden death.”
Cramped19 and tired were the canoeists when they reached the nearest island and went ashore20 to prepare a camp, but they were proud of having sailed sixty miles in one day. As they sat around the fire after supper Harry21 said, “Boys, we’ve had experience enough by this time to test our different rigs. Let’s talk about them a little.”
“All right,” said Joe. “I want it understood, however, that my lateen is by all odds22 the best rig in the fleet.”
“Charley,” remarked Tom, “you said the other day that you liked Joe’s rig better than any other. Do you think so still?”
“Of course I do,” answered Charley. “Joe’s sails[118] set flatter than any lug-sail; he can set them and take them in quicker than we can handle ours, and as they are triangular23 he has the most of his canvas at the foot of the sail instead of at the head. But they’re going to spill him before the cruise is over, or I’m mistaken.”
“In what way?” asked Joe.
“You are going to get yourself into a scrape some day by trying to take in your sail when you are running before a stiff breeze. If you try to get the sail down without coming up into the wind it will get overboard, and either you will lose it or it will capsize you; you tried it yesterday when a squall came up, and you very nearly came to grief.”
“But you can say the same about any other rig,” exclaimed Joe.
“Of course you can’t very well get any sail down while the wind is in it; but Tom can take in his sharpie-sail without much danger even when he’s running directly before the wind, and Harry and I can let go our halyards and get our lugs24 down after[119] a fashion, if it is necessary. Still, your lateen is the best cruising rig I’ve ever seen, though for racing25 Harry’s big, square-headed balance-lug is better.”
“You may say what you will,” said Tom, “but give me my sharpie-sails. They set as flat as a board, and I can handle them easily enough to suit me.”
“The trouble with your rig,” said Charley, “is that you have a mast nearly fifteen feet high. Now, when Joe takes in his main-sail he has only two feet of mast left standing26.”
“How do you like your own rig?” asked Harry.
“Oh, it is good enough. I’m not sure that it isn’t better than either yours or Tom’s; but it certainly isn’t as handy as Joe’s lateen.”
“Now that you’ve settled that I’ve the best rig,” said Joe, “you’d better admit that I’ve the best canoe, and then turn in for the night. After the work we’ve done to-day, and the fun we had last night, I’m sleepy.”
“Do you call sitting still in a canoe hard work?” inquired Tom.
[120]
“Is falling down a well your idea of fun?” asked Harry.
“It’s too soon,” said Charley, “to decide who has the best canoe. We’ll find that out by the time the cruise is over.”
The island where the boys camped during their first night on the St. Lawrence was situated27 at the head of Lake St. Peter. This lake is simply an expansion of the St. Lawrence, and though it is thirty miles long and about ten miles wide at its widest part, it is so shallow that steamboats can only pass through it by following an artificial channel dredged out by the government at a vast expense. Its shores are lined with a thick growth of reeds, which extend in many places fully28 a mile into the lake, and are absolutely impassable, except where streams flowing into the lake have kept channels open through the reeds.
On leaving the island in the morning the canoeists paddled down the lake, for there was not a breath of wind. The sun was intensely hot, and the heat reflected[121] from the surface of the water and the varnished decks of the canoes assisted in making the boys feel as if they were roasting before a fire. Toward noon the heat became really intolerable, and the Commodore gave the order to paddle over to the north shore in search of shade.
It was disappointing to find instead of a shady shore an impenetrable barrier of reeds. After resting a little while in the canoes, the boys started to skirt the reeds, in hope of finding an opening; and the sun, apparently29 taking pity on them, went under a cloud, so that they paddled a mile or two in comparative comfort.
The friendly cloud was followed before long by a mass of thick black clouds coming up from the south. Soon the thunder was heard in the distance, and it dawned upon the tired boys that they were about to have a thunder-storm, without any opportunity of obtaining shelter.
They paddled steadily30 on, looking in vain for a path through the reeds, and making up their minds[122] to a good wetting. They found, however, that the rain did not come alone. With it came a fierce gust31 of wind, which quickly raised white-caps on the lake. Instead of dying out as soon as the rain fell the wind blew harder and harder, and in the course of half an hour there was a heavy sea running.
The wind and sea coming from the south, while the canoes were steering32 east, placed the boys in a very dangerous position. The seas struck the canoes on the side and broke over them, and in spite of the aprons33, which to some extent protected the cockpits of all except the Twilight34, the water found its way below. It was soon no longer possible to continue in the trough of the sea, and the canoes were compelled to turn their bows to the wind and sea—the boys paddling just sufficiently35 to keep themselves from drifting back into the reeds.
The Sunshine and the Midnight behaved admirably, taking very little water over their decks. The Twilight “slapped” heavily, and threw showers of spray over herself, while the Dawn showed a tendency[123] to dive bodily into the seas, and several times the whole of her forward of the cockpit was under the water.
“What had we better do?” asked Harry, who, although Commodore, had the good-sense always to consult Charley in matters of seamanship.
“It’s going to blow hard, and we can’t sit here and paddle against it all day without getting exhausted36.”
“But how are we going to help ourselves?” continued Harry.
“Your canoe and mine,” replied Charley, “can live out the gale37 well enough under sail. If we set our main-sails close-reefed, and keep the canoes close to the wind, we shall be all right. It’s the two other canoes that I’m troubled about.”
“My canoe suits me well enough,” said Joe, “so long as she keeps on the top of the water, but she seems to have made up her mind to dive under it.”
“Mine would be all right if I could stop paddling long enough to bail38 her out, but I can’t,” remarked Tom. “She’s nearly half full of water now.”
[124]
“We can’t leave the other fellows,” said Harry, “so what’s the use of our talking about getting sail on our canoes?”
“It’s just possible that Tom’s canoe would live under sail,” resumed Charley; “but it’s certain that Joe’s won’t. What do you think about those reeds, Tom—can you get your canoe into them?”
“Of course I can, and that’s what we’d better all do,” exclaimed Tom. “The reeds will break the force of the seas, and we can stay among them till the wind goes down.”
“Suppose you try it,” suggested Charley, “and let us see how far you can get into the reeds? I think they’re going to help us out of a very bad scrape.”
Tom did not dare to turn his canoe around, so he backed water and went at the reeds stern-first. They parted readily, and his canoe penetrated39 without much difficulty some half-dozen yards into the reeds where the water was almost quiet. Unfortunately, he shipped one heavy sea just as he entered the reeds, which filled his canoe so full that another such[125] sea would certainly have sunk her, had she not been provided with the bladders bought at Chambly.
Joe followed Tom’s example, but the Dawn perversely40 stuck in the reeds just as she was entering them, and sea after sea broke over her before Joe could drive her far enough into the reeds to be protected by them.
Joe and Tom were now perfectly safe, though miserably41 wet; but, as the rain had ceased, there was nothing to prevent them from getting dry clothes out of their water-proof bags, and putting them on as soon as they could bail the water out of their canoes. Harry and Charley, seeing their comrades in safety, made haste to get up sail and to stand out into the lake—partly because they did not want to run the risk of being swamped when entering the reeds, and partly because they wanted the excitement of sailing in a gale of wind.
When the masts were stepped, the sails hoisted42, and the sheets trimmed, the two canoes, sailing close to the wind, began to creep away from the reeds.[126] They behaved wonderfully well. The boys had to watch them closely, and to lean out to windward from time to time to hold them right side up. The rudders were occasionally thrown out of the water, but the boys took the precaution to steer15 with their paddles. The excitement of sailing was so great, that Charley and Harry forgot all about the time, and sailed on for hours. Suddenly they discovered that it was three o’clock, that they had had no lunch, and that the two canoeists who had sought refuge in the reeds had absolutely nothing to eat with them. Filled with pity, they resolved to return to them without a moment’s delay. It was then that it occurred to them that in order to sail back they must turn their canoes around, bringing them while so doing in the trough of the sea. Could they possibly do this without being swamped? The question was a serious one, for they were fully four miles from the shore, and the wind and sea were as high as ever.
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1
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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2
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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3
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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varnished
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| 浸渍过的，涂漆的 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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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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7
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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8
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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9
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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10
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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11
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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12
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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13
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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14
glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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15
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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16
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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17
steamship
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| n.汽船，轮船 | |
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18
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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19
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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22
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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23
triangular
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| adj.三角（形）的，三者间的 | |
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24
lugs
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| 钎柄 | |
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25
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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26
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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27
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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28
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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29
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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30
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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31
gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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32
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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33
aprons
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| 围裙( apron的名词复数 )； 停机坪，台口（舞台幕前的部份） | |
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34
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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35
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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36
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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37
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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38
bail
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| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
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39
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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40
perversely
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| adv. 倔强地 | |
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41
miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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42
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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