to have and to hold-第31部分

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〃There　are　worse　places；〃　I　replied。

He　left　his　seat；　and　moved；　though　with　caution；　to　one　nearer　Mistress　Percy。　〃Are　cold　and　storm　and　peril　sweeter　to　you；　lady；　than　warmth　and　safety；　and　a　love　that　would　guard　you　from；　not　run　you　into；　danger？〃　he　said　in　a　whisper。　〃Do　you　not　wish　this　boat　the　Santa　Teresa；　these　rude　boards　the　velvet　cushions　of　her　state　cabin；　this　darkness　her　many　lights；　this　cold　her　warmth；　with　the　night　shut　out　and　love　shut　in？〃

His　audacity；　if　it　angered　me；　yet　made　me　laugh。　Not　so　with　the　King's　ward。　She　shrank　from　him　until　she　pressed　against　the　tiller。　Our　flight；　the　pursuing　feet；　the　struggle　at　the　wharf；　her　wounded　arm　of　which　she　had　not　told；　the　terror　of　the　white　sail　rising　as　if　by　magic；　the　vision　of　the　man　she　　hated　lying　as　one　dead　before　her　in　the　moonlight；　the　cold；　the　hurry　of　the　night；　…　small　wonder　if　her　spirit　failed　her　for　some　time。　I　felt　her　hand　touch　mine　where　it　rested　upon　the　tiller。　〃Captain　Percy；〃　she　murmured；　with　a　little　sobbing　breath。

I　leaned　across　the　tiller　and　addressed　the　favorite。　〃My　lord；〃　I　said；　〃courtesy　to　prisoners　is　one　thing；　and　freedom　from　restraint　and　license　of　tongue　is　another。　Here　at　the　stern　the　boat　is　somewhat　heavily　freighted。　Your　lordship　will　oblige　me　if　you　will　go　forward　where　there　is　room　enough　and　to　spare。〃

His　black　brows　drew　together。　〃And　what　if　I　refuse；　sir？〃　he　demanded　haughtily。

〃I　have　rope　here；〃　I　answered；　〃and　to　aid　me　the　gentleman　who　once　before　to…night；　and　in　despite　of　your　struggles；　lifted　you　in　his　arms　like　an　infant。　We　will　tie　you　hand　and　foot；　and　lay　you　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat。　If　you　make　too　much　trouble；　there　is　always　the　river。　My　lord；　you　are　not　now　at　Whitehall。　You　are　with　desperate　men；　outlaws　who　have　no　king；　and　so　fear　no　king's　minions。　Will　you　go　free；　or　will　you　go　bound？　Go　you　shall；　one　way　or　the　other。〃

He　looked　at　me　with　rage　and　hatred　in　his　face。　Then；　with　a　laugh　that　was　not　good　to　hear　and　a　shrug　of　the　shoulders；　he　went　forward　to　bear　Diccon　company　in　the　bow。



CHAPTER　XX　　IN　WHICH　WE　ARE　IN　DESPERATE　CASE


〃GOD　walketh　upon　the　sea　as　he　walketh　upon　the　land；〃　said　the　minister。　〃The　sea　is　his　and　we　are　his。　He　will　do　what　it　liketh　him　with　his　own。〃　As　he　spoke　he　looked　with　a　steadfast　soul　into　the　black　hollow　of　the　wave　that　combed　above　us；　threatening　destruction。

The　wave　broke；　and　the　boat　still　lived。　Borne　high　upon　the　shoulder　of　the　next　rolling　hill；　we　looked　north；　south；　east；　and　west；　and　saw　only　a　waste　of　livid；　ever　forming；　ever　breaking　waves；　a　gray　sky　streaked　with　darker　gray　shifting　vapor；　and　a　horizon　impenetrably　veiled。　Where　we　were　in　the　great　bay；　in　what　direction　we　were　being　driven；　how　near　we　might　be　to　the　open　sea　or　to　some　fatal　shore；　we　knew　not。　What　we　did　know　was　that　both　masts　were　gone；　that　we　must　bail　the　boat　without　ceasing　if　we　would　keep　it　from　swamping；　that　the　wind　was　doing　an　apparently　impossible　thing　and　rising　higher　and　higher；　and　that　the　waves　which　buffeted　us　from　one　to　the　other　were　hourly　swelling　to　a　more　monstrous　bulk。

We　had　come　into　the　wider　waters　at　dawn；　and　still　under　canvas。　An　hour　later；　off　Point　Comfort；　a　bare　mast　contented　us；　we　had　hardly　gotten　the　sail　in　when　mast　and　all　went　overboard。　That　had　been　hours　ago。

A　common　peril　is　a　mighty　leveler　of　barriers。　Scant　time　was　there　in　that　boat　to　make　distinction　between　friend　and　foe。　As　one　man　we　fought　the　element　which　would　devour　us。　Each　took　his　turn　at　the　bailing；　each　watched　for　the　next　great　wave　before　which　we　must　cower；　clinging　with　numbed　hands　to　gunwale　and　thwart。　We　fared　alike；　toiled　alike；　and　suffered　alike；　only　that　the　minister　and　I　cared　for　Mistress　Percy；　asking　no　help　from　the　others。

The　King's　ward　endured　all　without　a　murmur。　She　was　cold；　she　was　worn　with　watching　and　terror；　she　was　wounded；　each　moment　Death　raised　his　arm　to　strike；　but　she　sat　there　dauntless；　and　looked　him　in　the　face　with　a　smile　upon　her　own。　If；　wearied　out；　we　had　given　up　the　fight；　her　look　would　have　spurred　us　on　to　wrestle　with　our　fate　to　the　last　gasp。　She　sat　between　Sparrow　and　me；　and　as　best　we　might　we　shielded　her　from　the　drenching　seas　and　the　icy　wind。　Morning　had　shown　me　the　blood　upon　her　sleeve；　and　I　had　cut　away　the　cloth　from　the　white　arm；　and　had　washed　the　wound　with　wine　and　bound　it　up。　If　for　my　fee；　I　should　have　liked　to　press　my　lips　upon　the　blue…veined　marble；　still　I　did　it　not。

When；　a　week　before；　I　had　stored　the　boat　with　food　and　drink　and　had　brought　it　to　that　lonely　wharf；　I　had　thought　that　if　at　the　last　my　wife　willed　to　flee　I　would　attempt　to　reach　the　bay；　and　passing　out　between　the　capes　would　go　to　the　north。　Given　an　open　boat　and　the　tempestuous　seas　of　November；　there　might　be　one　chance　out　of　a　hundred　of　our　reaching　Manhattan　and　the　Dutch；　who　might　or　might　not　give　us　refuge。　She　had　willed　to　flee；　and　ILLUSTRATION　　　　we　were　upon　our　journey；　and　the　one　chance　had　vanished。　That　wan；　monotonous；　cold；　and　clinging　mist　had　shrouded　us　for　our　burial；　and　our　grave　yawned　beneath　us。

The　day　passed　and　the　night　came；　and　still　we　fought　the　sea；　and　still　the　wind　drove　us　whither　it　would。　The　night　passed　and　the　second　morning　came；　and　found　us　yet　alive。　My　wife　lay　now　at　my　feet；　her　head　pillowed　upon　the　bundle　she　had　brought　from　the　minister's　house。　Too　weak　for　speech；　waiting　in　pain　and　cold　and　terror　for　death　to　bring　her　warmth　and　life；　the　knightly　spirit　yet　lived　in　her　eyes；　and　she　smiled　when　I　bent　over　her　with　wine　to　moisten　her　lips。　At　length　she　began　to　wander　in　her　mind；　and　to　speak　of　summer　days　and　flowers。　A　hand　held　my　heart　in　a　slowly　tightening　grip　of　iron；　and　the　tears　ran　down　the　minister's　cheeks。　The　man　who　had　darkened　her　young　life；　bringing　her　to　this；　looked　at　her　with　an　ashen　face。

As　the　day　wore　on；　the　gray　of　the　sky　paled　to　a　dead　man's　hue　and　the　wind　lessened；　but　the　waves　were　still　mountain　high。　One　moment　we　poised；　like　the　gulls　that　now　screamed　about　us；　upon　some　giddy　summit；　the　sky　alone　above　and　around　us；　the　next　we　sank　into　dark　green　and　glassy　caverns。　Suddenly　the　wind　fell　away；　veered；　and　rose　again　like　a　giant　refreshed。

Diccon　started；　put　his　hand　to　his　ear；　then　sprang　to　his　feet。　〃Breakers！〃　he　cried　hoarsely。

We　listened　with　straining　ears。　He　was　right。　The　low；　ominous　murmur　changed　to　a　distant　roar；　grew　louder　yet；　and　yet　louder；　and　was　no　longer　distant。

〃It　will　be　the　sand　islets　off　Cape　Charles；　sir；〃　he　said。　I　nodded。　He　and　I　knew　there　was　no　need　of　words。

The　sky　grew　paler　and　paler；　and　soon　upon　the　woof　of　the　clouds　a　splash　of　dull　yellow　showed　where　the　sun　would　be。　The　fog　rose；　laying　bare　the　desolate　ocean。　Before　us　were　two　very　small　islands；　mere　handfuls　of　sand；　lying　side　by　side；　and　encompassed　half　by　the　open　sea；　half　by　stiller　waters　diked　in　by　marshes　and　sand　bars。　A　coarse；　scanty　grass　and　a　few　stunted　trees　with　branches　bending　away　from　the　sea　lived　upon　them；　but　nothing　else。　Over　them　and　over　the　marshes　and　the　sand　banks　circled　myriads　of　great　white　gulls。　Their　harsh；　unearthly　voices　came　to　us　faintly；　and　increased　the　desolation　of　earth　and　sky　and　sea。

To　the　shell…strewn　beach　of　the　outer　of　the　two　islets　raced　long　lines　of　surf；　and　between　us　and　it　lurked　a　sand　bar；　against　which　the　great　rollers　dashed　with　a　bull…like　roar。　The　wind　drove　us　straight　upon　this　bar。　A　moment　of　deadly　peril　and　it　had　us　fast；　holding　us　for　the　waves　to　beat　our　life　out。　The　boat　listed；　then　rested；　quivering　through　all　its　length。　The　waves　pounded　against　its　side；　each　watery　battering…ram　dissolving　in　foam　and　spray　but　to　give　place　to　another；　and　yet　it　held　together；　and　yet　we　lived。　How　long　it　would　hold　we　could　not　tell；　we　only　knew　it　could　not　be　for　long。　The　inclination　of　the　boat　was　not　so　great　but　that；　with　caution；　we　might　move　about。　There　were　on　board　rope　and　an　axe。　With　the　latter　I　cut　away　the　thwarts　and　the　decking　in　the　bow；　and　Diccon　and　I　made　a　small　raft。　When　it　was　finished；　I　lifted　my　wife　in　my　arms　and　laid　her　upon　　it　and　lashed　her　to　it　with　the　rope。　She　smiled　like　a　child；　then　closed　her　eyes。　〃I　have　gathered　primroses　until　I　am　tired；〃　she　said。　〃I　will　sleep　here　a　little　in　the　sunshine；　and　when　I　awake　I　will　make　you　a　cowslip　ball。〃

Time　passed；　and　the　groaning；　trembling　timbers　still　held　together。　The　wind　fell；　the　sky　became　blue；　and　the　sun　shone。　Another　while；　and　the　waves　were　less　mountainous　and　beat　less　furiously　against　the　boat。　Hope　brightened　before　us。　To　strong　swimmers　the　distance　to　the　islet　was　trifling；　if　the　boat　would　but　last　until　the　sea　subsided；　we　might　gain　the　beach。　What　we　would　do　upon　that　barren　spot；　where　was　neither　man　nor　brute；　food　nor　water；　was　a　thing　that　we　had　not　the　time　to　consider。　It　was　land　that　we　craved。

Another　hour；　and　the　sea　still　fell。　Another；　and　a　wave　struck　the　boat