English
Itlackedafewminutesofnineo’clockwhenthestageinwhichtheElmershadleftNortondrewupbesidetheplatformoftherailwaystationinSkowhegan.
Therewasonlytimetopurchaseticketsandcheckthebaggage,andthenMarkandRuthstepped,forthefirsttimeintheirlives,onboardatrainofcars,andweresoonenjoyingthenovelsensationofbeingwhirledalongatwhatseemedtothematremendousrateofspeed.
Tothemthetrain-boy,whocamethroughthecarwithbooks,papers,apples,andoranges,andworeacapwithagiltbandaroundit,seemedsomuchsuperiortoordinaryboys,that,hadtheynotbeengoingonsuchawonderfuljourney,theythemselveswouldhaveenviedhimhislifeofconstanttravelandexcitement.
AtWatervilletheyadmiredthegreatmills,whichtheyfanciedmustbeamongthelargestintheworld;andwhen,shortlyafternoon,theyreachedBangor,andsawrealships,lookingverylikethepicturesintheirgeographies,onlymanytimesmoreinteresting,theircupofhappinesswasfull.
MarkandRuthcalledallthevesselstheysaw“ships;”buttheirfather,whohadmadeseveralsea-voyagesasayoungman,saidthatmostofthemwereschooners,andthathewouldexplainthedifferencetothemwhentheygottoseaandhehadplentyoftime.
Thechildrenwerebewilderedbythenoiseoftherailroadstationandthecriesofthedriversandhotelrunners—allofwhommadeviolenteffortstoattracttheattentionoftheElmerparty.
Atlengththeygotthemselvesandtheirbagssafelyintooneofthebigyellowomnibuses,andweredriventoahotel,wheretheyhaddinner.
MarkandRuthdidnotenjoythisdinnermuch,onaccountofitsmanycoursesandtheconstantattentionsofthewaiters.
Ithadstoppedsnowing,andafterdinnerthepartysetforthinsearchoftheNancyBell.
Bymakingafewinquiriestheysoonfoundher,andwerewelcomedonboardbyheryoung,pleasant-facedcaptain,whosenamewasEliDrew,butwhomallhisfriendscalled“CaptainLi.”
TheNancyBellwasalargethree-mastedschooner,almostnew,andasshewasthefirstvessel“CaptainLi”hadevercommanded,hewasveryproudofher.
Hetookthematonceintohisowncabin,whichwasroomyandcomfortable,andfromwhichopenedfourstate-rooms—twooneachside.
Ofthesethecaptainandhismate,JohnSomers,occupiedthoseonthestarboard,orright-handside,andthoseontheother,orportside,hadbeenfittedup,bythethoughtfulkindnessofUncleChristopher,fortheElmers—oneforMrs.ElmerandRuth,andtheotherforMarkandhisfather.
“Ain’ttheyperfectlylovely?”exclaimedRuth.“Didyoueverseesuchcunninglittlebeds?Theywouldn’tbemuchtoobigforEdnaMay’slargestdoll.”
“Youmustn’tcallthem‘beds,’Ruth;therightnameisberths,”saidMark,withtheairofaboytowhomseatermswerefamiliar.
“Idon’tcare,”answeredhissister;“theyarebedsforallthat,andhavegotpillowsandsheetsandcounterpanes,justlikethebedsathome.”
Mr.Elmerfoundthathisfurniture,andthevariouspackagesoftoolsintendedfortheirSouthernhome,wereallsafeonboardtheschoonerandstoweddowninthehold,andhesoonhadthetrunksfromthestationandthebagsfromthehotelbroughtdowninawagon.
Thecaptainsaidtheyhadbetterspendthenightonboard,ashewantedtobeoffbydaylight,andtheymightaswellgettofeelingathomebeforetheystarted.
Theythoughtsotoo;andso,afterawalkthroughthecity,where,amongothercurioussights,theysawapost-officebuiltonabridge,theyreturnedtotheNancyBellforsupper.
PoorMr.Elmer,exhaustedbytheunusualexertionsoftheday,layawakeandcoughedmostofthenight,butthechildrensleptliketops.
WhenMarkdidwakeheforgotwherehewas,andintryingtositupandlookaround,bumpedhisheadagainstthelowceilingofhisberth.
Daylightwasstreaminginattheroundglassdead-eyethatservedasawindow,andtoMark’sgreatsurprisehefeltthattheschoonerwasmoving.
Slippingdownfromhisberth,andquietlydressinghimself,soasnottodisturbhisfather,hehurriedondeck,wherehewasgreetedby“CaptainLi,”whotoldhimhehadcomejustintimetoseesomethinginteresting.
TheNancyBellwasintowofalittlepuffingsteam-tug,andwasalreadysomemilesfromBangordownthePenobscotRiver.
Thecloudsofsteamrisingintothecoldairfromthesurfaceofthewarmerwaterweretingedwithgoldbythenewly-risensun.
Aheavyfrostrestedonthesprucesandbalsamsthatfringedthebanksoftheriver,andasthesunlightstruckonetwigafteranother,itcoveredthemwithmillionsofpointslikediamonds.
Manycakesoficewerefloatingintheriver,showingthatitsnavigationwouldsoonbeclosedforthewinter.
Tooneofthesecakesofice,towardswhichaboatfromtheschoonerwasmakingitsway,thecaptaindirectedMark’sattention.
Onthiscake,whichwasaboutaslargeasadinner-table,stoodamananxiouslywatchingtheapproachoftheboat.
“WhatIcan’tunderstand,”saidthecaptain,“iswhereheeverfoundacakeoficeatthistimeofyearstrongenoughtobearhimup.”
“Whoishe?Howdidhegetthere,andwhatishedoing?”askedMark,greatlyexcited.
“Whoheis,andhowhegotthere,aremorethanIknow,”answered“CaptainLi.”
“Whatheisdoing,iswaitingtobetakenoff.
Themenonthetugsightedhimjustbeforeyoucameondeck,andsungouttometosendaboatforhim.
It’samercywedidn’tcomealonganhoursooner,orweneverwouldhaveseenhimthroughthemist.”
“Youmeanwewouldhavemissedhim,”saidMark,who,evenuponsoseriousanoccasion,couldnotresistthetemptationtomakeapun.
Bythistimetheboathadrescuedthemanfromhisunpleasantposition,andwasreturningwithhimonboard.
BeforeitreachedtheschoonerMarkrusheddownintothecabinandcalledtohisparentsandRuthtohurryondeck.
Astheywerealreadyupandnearlydressed,theydidso,andreacheditintimetoseethestrangerhelpedfromtheboatandupthesideofthevessel.
Hewassoexhaustedthathewastakenintothecabin,rolledinwarmblankets,andgivenrestorativesandhotdrinksbeforehewasquestionedinregardtohisadventure.
Meantimetheschoonerwasagainslippingrapidlydownthebroadriver,andMark,whoremainedondeckwithhisfather,questionedhimaboutthe“river’sbreath,”ashecalledthecloudsofsteamthatarosefromit.
“That’sexactlywhatitis,the‘river’sbreath,’”saidMr.Elmer.
“Warmairislighterthancold,andconsequentlyalwaysrises;andthewarm,dampairrisingfromthesurfaceoftheriverintothecoldairaboveiscondensedintovapor,justasyourwarm,dampbreathisatthisverymoment.”
“ButIshouldthinkthewaterwouldbecoldwithallthaticefloatinginit,”saidMark.
“Itwouldseemcoldifweweresurroundedbytheairofahotsummerday,”answeredhisfather;“butbeingofamuchhighertemperaturethantheairaboveit,itwouldseemquitewarmtoyounowifyoushouldputyourbarehandintoit.
Wecanonlysaythatathingiswarmbycomparingitwithsomethingthatiscolder,orcoldbycomparisonwiththatwhichiswarmer.”
WhenMarkandhisfatherwentdowntobreakfasttheyfoundtherescuedmanstillwrappedinblankets,buttalkinginafaintvoicetothecaptain;andatthetablethelattertoldtheElmerswhathehadlearnedfromhim.
HisnamewasJanJansen,andhewasaSwede,buthadservedforseveralyearsintheUnitedStatesNavy.
OnbeingdischargedfromithehadmadehiswaytoNewSweden,inthenorthernpartofMaine;but,aweekbefore,hehadcometoBangor,hopingtoobtainemploymentforthewinterinoneofthesaw-mills.
Inthishehasbeenunsuccessful;andthepreviousnight,whilereturningfromthecitytothehouseonitsoutskirtsinwhichhewasstaying,heundertooktocrossasmallcreek,inthemouthofwhichwereanumberoflogs;theseweresocementedtogetherbyrecentlyformedicethathefanciedtheywouldformasafebridge,andtriedtocrossonit.
Whennearthemiddleofthecreek,tohishorrortheicegavewaywithacrash,andinanothermomenthewasfloatingawayinthedarknessonthecakefromwhichhehadbeensorecentlyrescued.
Thatithadsupportedhimwasowingtothefactthatitstillheldtogethertwoofthelogs.
Hehadnotdaredattempttoswimashoreinthedark,andsohaddriftedonduringthenight,keepinghisfeetfromfreezingbyholdingthemmostofthetimeinthewater.
AfterbreakfastMr.Elmerandthecaptainheldaconsultation,theresultofwhichwasthattheformerofferedJanJansenworkinFlorida,ifhechosetogototheSt.Mark’swiththem;andCaptainDrewofferedtolethimworkhispassagetothatplaceasoneofthecrewoftheNancyBell.
WithoutmuchhesitationthepoorSwedeacceptedboththeseoffers,andassoonashehadrecoveredfromtheeffectsofhisexperienceontheiceraftwasprovidedwithabunkintheforecastle.
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