a far country-第6章
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appeal。 〃I s'y； carn't yer stand back and let a chap 'ave a charnst？〃
The head…hunters only jeered。 And what shall be said of the Captain in
this moment of peril？ Shall it be told that his heart was beating
wildly？bumping were a better word。 He was trying to remember that he
was the Captain。 Otherwise； he must admit with shame that he； too；
should have fled。 So much for romance when the test comes。 Will he
remain to fall fighting for his ship？ Like Horatius； he glanced up at
the hill； where； instead of the porch of the home where he would fain
have been； he beheld a wisp of a girl standing alone； her hat on the back
of her head； her hair flying in the wind； gazing intently down at him in
his danger。 The renegade crew was nowhere to be seen。 There are those
who demand the presence of a woman in order to be heroes。。。。
〃Give us a chance； can't you？〃 he cried； repeating Grits's appeal in not
quite such a stentorian tone as he would have liked； while his hand
trembled on the gunwale。 Tom Peters； it must be acknowledged； was much
more of a buccaneer when it was a question of deeds； for he planted
himself in the way of the belligerent chief of the head…hunters （who
spoke with a decided brogue）。
〃Get out of the way！〃 said Tom； with a little squeak in his voice。 Yet
there he was； and he deserves a tribute。
An unlooked…for diversion saved us from annihilation； in the shape of one
who had a talent for creating them。 We were bewilderingly aware of a
girlish figure amongst us。
〃You cowards！〃 she cried。 〃You cowards！〃
Lithe； and fairly quivering with passion； it was Nancy who showed us how
to face the head…hunters。 They gave back。 They would have been brave
indeed if they had not retreated before such an intense little nucleus of
energy and indignation！。。。
〃Ah； give 'em a chanst；〃 said their chief； after a moment。。。。 He even
helped to push the boat towards the water。 But he did not volunteer to
be one of those to man the Petrel on her maiden voyage。 Nor did Logan's
pond； that wild March day； greatly resemble the South Seas。
Nevertheless； my eye on Nancy； I stepped proudly aboard and seized an
〃oar。〃 Grits and Tom followed；when suddenly the Petrel sank
considerably below the water…line as her builders had estimated it。 Ere
we fully realized this； the now friendly head…hunters had given us a
shove； and we were off！ The Captain； who should have been waving good…
bye to his lady love from the poop； sat down abruptly；the crew
likewise； not； however； before she had heeled to the scuppers； and a
half…bucket of iced water had run it。 Head…hunters were mere daily
episodes in Grits's existence； but water。。。 He muttered something in
cockney that sounded like a prayer。。。。 The wind was rapidly driving us
toward the middle of the pond； and something cold and ticklish was
seeping through the seats of our trousers。 We sat like statues。。。。
The bright scene etched itself in my memorythe bare brown slopes with
which the pond was bordered； the Irish shanties； the clothes…lines with
red flannel shirts snapping in the biting wind； Nancy motionless on the
bank； the group behind her； silent now； impressed in spite of itself at
the sight of our intrepidity。
The Petrel was sailing stern first。。。。 Would any of us； indeed； ever see
home again？ I thought of my father's wrath turned to sorrow because he
had refused to gratify a son's natural wish and present him with a real
rowboat。。。。 Out of the corners of our eyes we watched the water creeping
around the gunwale； and the very muddiness of it seemed to enhance its
coldness； to make the horrors of its depths more mysterious and hideous。
The voice of Grits startled us。
〃O Gawd；〃 he was saying； 〃we're a…going to sink； and I carn't swim！ The
blarsted tar's give way back here。〃
〃Is she leaking？〃 I cried。
〃She's a…filling up like a bath tub；〃 he lamented。
Slowly but perceptibly； in truth； the bow was rising； and above the
whistling of the wind I could hear his chattering as she settled。。。。
Then several things happened simultaneously： an agonized cry behind me；
distant shouts from the shore； a sudden upward lunge of the bow； and the
torture of being submerged； inch by inch； in the icy； yellow water。
Despite the splashing behind me； I sat as though paralyzed until I was
waist deep and the boards turned under me； and then； with a spasmodic
contraction of my whole being I struck outonly to find my feet on the
muddy bottom。 Such was the inglorious end of the good ship Petrel！ For
she went down； with all hands； in little more than half a fathom of
water。。。。 It was not until then I realized that we had been blown clear
across the pond！
Figures were running along the shore。 And as Tom and I emerged dragging
Grits between us；for he might have been drowned there abjectly in the
shallows；we were met by a stout and bare…armed Irishwoman whose scanty
hair； I remember； was drawn into a tight knot behind her head； and who
seized us； all three； as though we were a bunch of carrots。
〃Come along wid ye！〃 she cried。
Shivering； we followed her up the hill； the spectators of the tragedy；
who by this time had come around the pond； trailing after。 Nancy was not
among them。 Inside the shanty into which we were thrust were two small
children crawling about the floor； and the place was filled with steam
from a wash…tub against the wall and a boiler on the stove。 With a
vigorous injunction to make themselves scarce； the Irishwoman slammed the
door in the faces of the curious and ordered us to remove our clothes。
Grits was put to bed in a corner； while Tom and I； provided with various
garments； huddled over the stove。 There fell to my lot the red flannel
shirt which I had seen on the clothes…line。 She gave us hot coffee； and
was back at her wash…tub in no time at all； her entire comment on a
proceeding that seemed to Tom and me to have certain elements of gravity
being； 〃By's will be by's！〃 The final ironical touch was given the anti…
climax when our rescuer turned out to be the mother of the chief of the
head…hunters himself！ He had lingered perforce with his brothers and
sister outside the cabin until dinner time； and when he came in he was
meek as Moses。
Thus the ready hospitality of the poor； which passed over the heads of
Tom and me as we ate bread and onions and potatoes with a ravenous
hunger。 It must have been about two o'clock in the afternoon when we
bade good…bye to our preserver and departed for home。。。。
At first we went at a dog…trot； but presently slowed down to discuss the
future looming portentously ahead of us。 Since entire concealment was
now impossible； the question was；how complete a confession would be
necessary？ Our cases； indeed； were dissimilar； and Tom's incentive to
hold back the facts was not nearly so great as mine。 It sometimes seemed
to me in those days unjust that the Peterses were able on the whole to
keep out of criminal difficulties； in which I was more or less
continuously involved： for it did not strike me that their sins were not
those of the imagination。 The method of Tom's father was the slipper。
He and Tom understood each other； while between my father and myself was
a great gulf fixed。 Not that Tom yearned for the slipper； but he
regarded its occasional applications as being as inevitable as changes in
the weather； lying did not come easily to him； and left to himself he
much preferred to confess and have the matter over with。 I have already
suggested that I had cultivated lying； that weapon of the weaker party；
in some degree； at least； in self…defence。
Tom was loyal。 Moreover； my conviction would probably deprive him for
six whole afternoons of my company； on which he was more or less
dependent。 But the defence of this case presented unusual difficulties；
and we stopped several times to thrash them out。 We had been absent from
dinner； and doubtless by this time Julia had informed Tom's mother of the
expedition； and anyone could see that our clothing had been wet。 So I
lingered in no little anxiety behind the Peters stable while he made the
investigation。 Our spirits rose considerably when he returned to repor
