returning home-第5章

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above　the　water；　and　then　was　seen　to　throw　himself　among　the　broken
wood。　　He　had　seen　the　dress　of　the　poor　woman；　and　made　his　effort
to　save　her。　　The　other　two　men　were　so　caught　by　the　fragments　of
the　boughs；　that　they　could　not　extricate　themselves　so　as　to　make
any　exertions；　ultimately；　however；　they　also　got　out　on　the　further
bank。

Mrs。　Arkwright　had　sunk　at　once　on　being　precipitated　into　the
water；　but　the　buoyancy　of　her　clothes　had　brought　her　for　a　moment
again　to　the　surface。　　She　had　risen　for　a　moment；　and　then　had
again　gone　down；　immediately　below　the　forked　trunk　of　a　huge　tree；…
…had　gone　down；　alas；　alas！　never　to　rise　again　with　life　within　her
bosom。　　The　poor　Indian　made　two　attempts　to　save　her；　and　then　came
up　himself；　incapable　of　further　effort。

It　was　then　that　the　German；　the　owner　of　the　canoes；　who　had　fought
his　way　with　great　efforts　across　the　violence　of　the　waters；　and
indeed　up　against　the　stream　for　some　few　yards；　made　his　effort　to
save　the　life　of　that　poor　frail　creature。　　He　had　watched　the　spot
at　which　she　had　gone　down；　and　even　while　struggling　across　the
river；　had　seen　how　the　Indian　had　followed　her　and　had　failed。　　It
was　now　his　turn。　　His　life　was　in　his　hand；　and　he　was　prepared　to
throw　it　away　in　that　attempt。　　Having　succeeded　in　placing　himself
a　little　above　the　large　tree；　he　turned　his　face　towards　the　bottom
of　the　river；　and　dived　down　among　the　branches。　　And　he　also；　after
that；　was　never　again　seen　with　the　life…blood　flowing　round　his
heart。

When　the　sun　set　that　night；　the　two　swollen　corpses　were　lying　in
the　Commandant's　hut；　and　Abel　Ring　and　Arkwright　were　sitting
beside　them。　　Arkwright　had　his　baby　sleeping　in　his　arms；　but　he
sat　there　for　hours；into　the　middle　of　the　long　night；without
speaking　a　word　to　any　one。

〃Harry；〃　said　his　brother　at　last；　〃come　away　and　lay　down。　　It　will
be　good　for　you　to　sleep。〃

〃Nothing　ever　will　be　good　again　for　me；〃　said　he。

〃You　must　bear　up　against　your　sorrow　as　other　men　do；〃　said　Ring。

〃Why　am　I　not　sleeping　with　her　as　the　poor　German　sleeps？　　Why　did
I　let　another　man　take　my　place　in　dying　for　her？〃　　And　then　he
walked　away　that　the　other　might　not　see　the　tears　on　his　face。

It　was　a　sad　night；that　at　the　Commandant's　hut；　and　a　sad　morning
followed　upon　it。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　they　had　there　none　of
those　appurtenances　which　are　so　necessary　to　make　woe　decent　and
misfortune　comfortable。　　They　sat　through　the　night　in　the　small
hut；　and　in　the　morning　they　came　forth　with　their　clothes　still　wet
and　dirty；　with　their　haggard　faces；　and　weary　stiff　limbs；
encumbered　with　the　horrid　task　of　burying　that　loved　body　among　the
forest　trees。　　And　then；　to　keep　life　in　them　till　it　was　done；　the
brandy　flask　passed　from　hand　to　hand；　and　after　that；　with　slow　but
resolute　efforts；　they　reformed　the　litter　on　which　the　living　woman
had　been　carried　thither；　and　took　her　body　back　to　the　wild
plantation　at　Padregal。　　There　they　dug　for　her　her　grave；　and
repeating　over　her　some　portion　of　the　service　for　the　dead；　left
her　to　sleep　the　sleep　of　death。　　But　before　they　left　her；　they
erected　a　pallisade　of　timber　round　the　grave；　so　that　the　beasts　of
the　forest　should　not　tear　the　body　from　its　resting…place。

When　that　was　done　Arkwright　and　his　brother　made　their　slow　journey
back　to　San　Jose。　　The　widowed　husband　could　not　face　his　darling's
mother　with　such　a　tale　upon　his　tongue　as　that。







End