English
WELL,Icatchedmybreathandmostfainted.
Shutuponawreckwithsuchagangasthat!
Butitwarn’tnotimetobesentimentering.
We’dGOTtofindthatboatnow–hadtohaveitforourselves.
Sowewenta-quakingandshakingdownthestabboardside,andslowworkitwas,too–seemedaweekbeforewegottothestern.Nosignofaboat.
Jimsaidhedidn’tbelievehecouldgoanyfurther–soscaredhehadn’thardlyanystrengthleft,hesaid.
ButIsaid,comeon,ifwegetleftonthiswreckweareinafix,sure.Soonweprowledagain.
Westruckforthesternofthetexas,andfoundit,andthenscrabbledalongforwardsontheskylight,hangingonfromshuttertoshutter,fortheedgeoftheskylightwasinthewater.
Whenwegotprettyclosetothecross-halldoortherewastheskiff,sureenough!Icouldjustbarelyseeher.Ifelteversothankful.
InanothersecondIwouldabeenaboardofher,butjustthenthedooropened.
Oneofthemenstuckhisheadoutonlyaboutacoupleoffootfromme,andIthoughtIwasgone;buthejerkeditinagain,andsays:
“Heavethatblamelanternouto’sight,Bill!”
Heflungabagofsomethingintotheboat,andthengotinhimselfandsetdown.ItwasPackard.ThenBillHEcomeoutandgotin.Packardsays,inalowvoice:
“Allready–shoveoff!”
Icouldn’thardlyhangontotheshutters,Iwassoweak.ButBillsays:
“Holdon–‘dyougothroughhim?”
“No.Didn’tyou?”
“No.Sohe’sgothisshareo’thecashyet.”
“Well,then,comealong;nousetotaketruckandleavemoney.”
“Say,won’thesuspicionwhatwe’reupto?”
“Maybehewon’t.Butwegottohaveitanyway.Comealong.”
Sotheygotoutandwentin.
Thedoorslammedtobecauseitwasonthecareenedside;andinahalfsecondIwasintheboat,andJimcometumblingafterme.Ioutwithmyknifeandcuttherope,andawaywewent!
Wedidn’ttouchanoar,andwedidn’tspeaknorwhisper,norhardlyevenbreathe.
Wewentglidingswiftalong,deadsilent,pastthetipofthepaddlebox,andpastthestern;theninasecondortwomorewewasahundredyardsbelowthewreck,andthedarknesssoakedherup,everylastsignofher,andwewassafe,andknowedit.
Whenwewasthreeorfourhundredyardsdownstreamweseethelanternshowlikealittlesparkatthetexasdoorforasecond,andweknowedbythatthattherascalshadmissedtheirboat,andwasbeginningtounderstandthattheywasinjustasmuchtroublenowasJimTurnerwas.
ThenJimmannedtheoars,andwetookoutafterourraft.
NowwasthefirsttimethatIbeguntoworryaboutthemen–IreckonIhadn’thadtimetobefore.
Ibeguntothinkhowdreadfulitwas,evenformurderers,tobeinsuchafix.
Isaystomyself,thereain’tnotellingbutImightcometobeamurderermyselfyet,andthenhowwouldIlikeit?SosaysItoJim:
“Thefirstlightweseewe’lllandahundredyardsbelowitoraboveit,inaplacewhereit’sagoodhiding-placeforyouandtheskiff,andthenI’llgoandfixupsomekindofayarn,andgetsomebodytogoforthatgangandgetthemoutoftheirscrape,sotheycanbehungwhentheirtimecomes.”
Butthatideawasafailure;forprettysoonitbeguntostormagain,andthistimeworsethanever.
Therainpoureddown,andneveralightshowed;everybodyinbed,Ireckon.
Weboomedalongdowntheriver,watchingforlightsandwatchingforourraft.
Afteralongtimetherainletup,butthecloudsstayed,andthelightningkeptwhimpering,andbyandbyaflashshowedusablackthingahead,floating,andwemadeforit.
Itwastheraft,andmightygladwaswetogetaboardofitagain.
Weseenalightnowawaydowntotheright,onshore.SoIsaidIwouldgoforit.
Theskiffwashalffullofplunderwhichthatganghadstolethereonthewreck.
Wehustleditontotheraftinapile,andItoldJimtofloatalongdown,andshowalightwhenhejudgedhehadgoneabouttwomile,andkeepitburningtillIcome;thenImannedmyoarsandshovedforthelight.
AsIgotdowntowardsitthreeorfourmoreshowed–uponahillside.Itwasavillage.
Iclosedinabovetheshorelight,andlaidonmyoarsandfloated.
AsIwentbyIseeitwasalanternhangingonthejackstaffofadouble-hullferryboat.
Iskimmedaroundforthewatchman,awonderingwhereaboutsheslept;andbyandbyIfoundhimroostingonthebittsforward,withhisheaddownbetweenhisknees.
Igavehisshouldertwoorthreelittleshoves,andbeguntocry.
Hestirredupinakindofastartlishway;butwhenheseeitwasonlymehetookagoodgapandstretch,andthenhesays:
“Hello,what’sup?Don’tcry,bub.What’sthetrouble?”
Isays:
“Pap,andmam,andsis,and–”
ThenIbrokedown.Hesays:
“Oh,dangitnow,DON’Ttakeonso;weallhastohaveourtroubles,andthis‘n‘llcomeoutallright.What’sthematterwith‘em?”
“They’re–they’re–areyouthewatchmanoftheboat?”
“Yes,”hesays,kindofpretty-well-satisfiedlike.
“I’mthecaptainandtheownerandthemateandthepilotandwatchmanandheaddeck-hand;andsometimesI’mthefreightandpassengers.
Iain’tasrichasoldJimHornback,andIcan’tbesoblame’generousandgoodtoTom,Dick,andHarryaswhatheis,andslamaroundmoneythewayhedoes;butI’vetoldhimamanyatime‘tIwouldn’ttradeplaceswithhim;for,saysI,asailor’slife’sthelifeforme,andI’mdernedifI’Dlivetwomileouto’town,wherethereain’tnothingevergoin’on,notforallhisspondulicksandasmuchmoreontopofit.
SaysI–”
Ibrokeinandsays:
“They’reinanawfulpeckoftrouble,and–”
“WHOis?”
“Why,papandmamandsisandMissHooker;andifyou’dtakeyourferryboatandgoupthere–”
“Upwhere?Wherearethey?”
“Onthewreck.”
“Whatwreck?”
“Why,thereain’tbutone.”
“What,youdon’tmeantheWalterScott?”
“Yes.”
“Goodland!whataretheydoin’THERE,forgracioussakes?”
“Well,theydidn’tgotherea-purpose.”
“Ibettheydidn’t!Why,greatgoodness,thereain’tnochancefor‘emiftheydon’tgitoffmightyquick!Why,howinthenationdidtheyevergitintosuchascrape?”
“Easyenough.MissHookerwasa-visitinguptheretothetown–”
“Yes,Booth’sLanding–goon.”
“Shewasa-visitingthereatBooth’sLanding,andjustintheedgeoftheeveningshestartedoverwithherniggerwomaninthehorse-ferrytostayallnightatherfriend’shouse,MissWhat-you-may-call-herIdisrememberhername–andtheylosttheirsteeringoar,andswungaroundandwenta-floatingdown,sternfirst,abouttwomile,andsaddle-baggsedonthewreck,andtheferrymanandtheniggerwomanandthehorseswasalllost,butMissHookershemadeagrabandgotaboardthewreck.
Well,aboutanhourafterdarkwecomealongdowninourtrading-scow,anditwassodarkwedidn’tnoticethewrecktillwewasrightonit;andsoWEsaddle-baggsed;butallofuswassavedbutBillWhipple–andoh,heWASthebestcretur!–Imostwish‘tithadbeenme,Ido.”
“MyGeorge!It’sthebeatenestthingIeverstruck.AndTHENwhatdidyoualldo?”
“Well,weholleredandtookon,butit’ssowidetherewecouldn’tmakenobodyhear.
Sopapsaidsomebodygottogetashoreandgethelpsomehow.
Iwastheonlyonethatcouldswim,soImadeadashforit,andMissHookershesaidifIdidn’tstrikehelpsooner,comehereandhuntupheruncle,andhe’dfixthething.
Imadethelandaboutamilebelow,andbeenfoolingalongeversince,tryingtogetpeopletodosomething,buttheysaid,‘What,insuchanightandsuchacurrent?
Thereain’tnosenseinit;goforthesteamferry.’Nowifyou’llgoand–”
“ByJackson,I’dLIKEto,and,blameit,Idon’tknowbutIwill;butwhointhedingnation’sa-going’toPAYforit?Doyoureckonyourpap–”
“WhyTHAT’Sallright.MissHookershetoleme,PARTICULAR,thatheruncleHornback–”
“Greatguns!isHEheruncle?
Lookyhere,youbreakforthatlightoveryonder-way,andturnoutwestwhenyougitthere,andaboutaquarterofamileoutyou’llcometothetavern;tell‘emtodartyououttoJimHornback’s,andhe’llfootthebill.
Anddon’tyoufoolaroundany,becausehe’llwanttoknowthenews.
TellhimI’llhavehisnieceallsafebeforehecangettotown.
Humpyourself,now;I’magoinguparoundthecornerheretoroustoutmyengineer.”
Istruckforthelight,butassoonasheturnedthecornerIwentbackandgotintomyskiffandbailedherout,andthenpulledupshoreintheeasywateraboutsixhundredyards,andtuckedmyselfinamongsomewoodboats;forIcouldn’tresteasytillIcouldseetheferryboatstart.
Buttakeitallaround,Iwasfeelingruthercomfortableonaccountsoftakingallthistroubleforthatgang,fornotmanywouldadoneit.Iwishedthewidowknowedaboutit.
Ijudgedshewouldbeproudofmeforhelpingtheserapscallions,becauserapscallionsanddeadbeatsisthekindthewidowandgoodpeopletakesthemostinterestin.
Well,beforelongherecomesthewreck,dimanddusky,slidingalongdown!
Akindofcoldshiverwentthroughme,andthenIstruckoutforher.
Shewasverydeep,andIseeinaminutetherewarn’tmuchchanceforanybodybeingaliveinher.
Ipulledallaroundherandholleredalittle,buttherewasn’tanyanswer;alldeadstill.
Ifeltalittlebitheavy-heartedaboutthegang,butnotmuch,forIreckonediftheycouldstanditIcould.
Thenherecomestheferryboat;soIshovedforthemiddleoftheriveronalongdown-streamslant;andwhenIjudgedIwasoutofeye-reachIlaidonmyoars,andlookedbackandseehergoandsmellaroundthewreckforMissHooker’sremainders,becausethecaptainwouldknowheruncleHornbackwouldwantthem;andthenprettysoontheferryboatgiveitupandwentfortheshore,andIlaidintomyworkandwenta-boomingdowntheriver.
ItdidseemapowerfullongtimebeforeJim’slightshowedup;andwhenitdidshowitlookedlikeitwasathousandmileoff.
BythetimeIgottheretheskywasbeginningtogetalittlegrayintheeast;sowestruckforanisland,andhidtheraft,andsunktheskiff,andturnedinandsleptlikedeadpeople.
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