登陆注册
5142800000087

第87章

As Henry plunged downward he heard behind him a shout of amazement and chagrin poured forth from many Iroquois throats, and, taking a single glance backward, he caught a glimpse of dusky faces stamped with awe.But the bold youth had not made a leap to destruction.In the passage of a second he had calculated rapidly and well.While the cliff at first glance seemed perpendicular, it could not be so.There was a slope coated with two feet of snow, and swinging far back on the heels of his snowshoes, he shot downward like one taking a tremendous slide on a toboggan.Faster and faster he went, but deeper and deeper he dug his shoes into the snow, until he lay back almost flat against its surface.This checked his speed somewhat, but it was still very great, and, preserving his self-control perfectly, he prayed aloud to kindly Providence to save him from some great boulder or abrupt drop.

The snow from his runners flew in a continuous shower behind him as he descended.Yet he drew himself compactly together, and held his rifle parallel with his body.Once or twice, as he went over a little ridge, he shot clear of the snow, but he held his body rigid, and the snow beyond saved him from a severe bruise.

Then his speed was increased again, and all the time the white surface of the lake below, seen dimly through the night and his flight, seemed miles away.

He might never reach that surface alive, but of one thing lie was sure.None of the Iroquois or Tories had dared to follow.

Braxton Wyatt could have no triumph over him.He was alone in his great flight.Once a projection caused him to turn a little to one side.He was in momentary danger of turning entirely, and then of rolling head over heels like a huge snowball, but with a mighty effort he righted himself, and continued the descent on the runners, with the heels plowing into the ice and the snow.

Now that white expanse which had seemed so far away came miles nearer.Presently he would be there.The impossible had become possible, the unattainable was about to be attained.He gave another mighty dig with his shoes, the last reach of the slope passed behind him, and he shot out on the frozen surface of the lake, bruised and breathless, but without a single broken bone.

The lake was covered with ice a foot thick, and over this lay frozen snow, which stopped Henry forty or fifty yards from the cliff.There he lost his balance at last, and fell on his side, where he lay for a few moments, weak, panting, but triumphant.

When he stood upright again he felt his body, but he had suffered nothing save some bruises, that would heal in their own good time.His deerskin clothing was much torn, particularly on the back, where he had leaned upon the ice and snow, but the folded blanket had saved him to a considerable extent.One of his shoes was pulled loose, and presently he discovered that his left ankle was smarting and burning at a great rate.But he did not mind these things at all, so complete was his sense of victory.He looked up at the mighty white wall that stretched above him fifteen hundred feet, and he wondered at his own tremendous exploit.The wall ran away for miles, and the Iroquois could not reach him by any easier path.He tried to make out figures on the brink looking down at him, but it was too far away, and he saw only a black line.

He tightened the loose shoe and struck out across the lake.He was far away from "The Alcove," and he did not intend to go there, lest the Iroquois, by chance, come upon his trail and follow it to the refuge.But as it was no more than two miles across the lake at that point, and the Iroquois would have to make a great curve to reach the other side, he felt perfectly safe.He walked slowly across, conscious all the time of an increasing pain in his left ankle, which must now be badly swollen, and he did not stop until he penetrated some distance among low bills.Here, under an overhanging cliff with thick bushes in front, he found a partial shelter, which he cleared out yet further.Then with infinite patience he built a fire with splinters that he cut from dead boughs, hung his blanket in front of it on two sticks that the flame might not be seen, took off his snowshoes, leggins, and socks, and bared his ankles.

Both were swollen, but the left much more badly than the other.

He doubted whether he would be able to walk on the following day, but he rubbed them a long time, both with the palms of his hands and with snow, until they felt better.Then he replaced his clothing, leaned back against the faithful snowshoes which had saved his life, however much they had hurt his ankles, and gave himself up to the warmth of the fire.

It was very luxurious, this warmth and this rest, after so long and terrible a flight, and he was conscious of a great relaxation, one which, if he yielded to it completely, would make his muscles so stiff and painful that he could not use them.

Hence he stretched his arms and legs many times, rubbed his ankles again, and then, remembering that he had venison, ate several strips.

He knew that he had taken a little risk with the fire, but a fire he was bound to have, and he fed it again until he had a great mass of glowing coals, although there was no blaze.Then he took down the blanket, wrapped himself in it, and was soon asleep before the fire.He slept long and deeply, and although, when he awoke, the day had fully come, the coals were not yet out entirely.He arose, but such a violent pain from his left ankle shot through him that he abruptly sat down again.As he bad feared, it had swollen badly during the night, and he could not walk.

同类推荐
  • 重订西方公据

    重订西方公据

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Complete Plays

    The Complete Plays

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 坐花志果

    坐花志果

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医心方

    医心方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 法藏碎金录诗话辑录

    法藏碎金录诗话辑录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 迷失荒野的女知青

    迷失荒野的女知青

    拖拉机都陷在了冰河里“咔嚓”一声,正在欢唱的马达声突然憋住了,戛然而止。王建荒立刻意识到事情有点不妙。刚想探起身来,朝外看个明白,可还没等到他直起身子,随后忽悠了一下,他的脑袋撞在旁边车门上,接着便觉得车身歪斜了,陷进了冰窟窿里。紧跟着那只装满了木头的大爬犁又从后面撞上来,只听见“咣当”一声,拖拉机被死死地卡在了塌陷的冰河里,一股清澈的河水随后漫进了驾驶室。王建荒本能地抓住门把手,用力将车门拉开,一个箭步跳到驾驶室外面,随手把坐在三个人中间、早已吓得不知所措的女卫生员蔡芸丽从里面拽了出来。
  • 马克思主义与当代(2009)

    马克思主义与当代(2009)

    本书是关于研究马克思主义与当代关系的论文集,书中主要体收录了:《浅析马克思主义关于人与自然的思想与我国生态文明建设》,《人权与社会主义法治》,《美学视阈下的高职思想政治课教学新探》,《大学生思想政治工作的柔性管理刍议》,《浅析农村留守妇女面临的问题、发展趋势及其解决建议》等文章。本书适合从事相关研究工作的人员参考阅读。
  • 活着是用来生活的,不是用来生气的

    活着是用来生活的,不是用来生气的

    生活中没有值得让我们生气的小事,只有愿不愿意为小事生气的人。当快乐占据了我们的心胸,生气的空间才会越来越小。热爱生活,才能去享受人生,而人生也才会变得有意义!
  • 骨科速查手册

    骨科速查手册

    随着人们活动半径的扩大,交通事故频发,骨科疾病发病率逐年上升,骨科图书的出版也不断丰富。目前,骨科临床用书大多分为两类:一类内容“广而全”,涵盖了骨科各种常见疾病,从病因、病理到诊断、治疗,内容详尽。
  • 妖殇

    妖殇

    段云枫,一个修真门派青云观的普通弟子,因为上一辈的恩怨,卷入了门派之争、种族之争、人妖之争中。巫尊,为了族人的利益,不惜帮助妖皇重生,并借助他的力量,率族人重返故土,不料此举令族人陷入血海之中,也使一场灭顶的浩劫席卷神州。危难之中,段云枫与伙伴踏上拯救神州之路。在这段艰难坎坷的漫漫旅途,会有什么样的考验等待着他们。而陷于两难的巫尊,又会做何抉择……《妖殇》,中国版的《魔戒》。
  • 梦神之境

    梦神之境

    我叫雷少武,大二学生,性别男,年龄保密,爱好是女生和“做梦”。什么?你不知道什么是“做梦?”切,土包子,“做梦”就是玩超仿真虚拟现实网络游戏“梦神之境”,我在那里面可是整个拥有1亿2千万玩家的“梦神之境”中配名第三十二位的高手啊,游戏ID“流浪者雷神”,职业:剑士类东方剑仙,职业等级69……
  • 权谋天下之为后

    权谋天下之为后

    一朝重生,她弃了荣华与富贵,生来呆滞,她被亲生父亲视为灾星,母亲早亡,她只待笈?之年便可踏出家族的牢笼,怎奈姊妹横刀夺爱,断了她命中良人,巇险之世,步步惊心,究竟她该何去何从....“如果命运,从不曾淡薄,我又何来丑戏一生。”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 纪实故事

    纪实故事

    无数事实、经验和理性已经证明:好故事可以影响人的一生。而以我们之见,所谓好故事,在内容上讲述的应是做人与处世的道理,在形式上也应听得进、记得住、讲得出、传得开,而且不会因时代的变迁而失去她的本质特征和艺术光彩。为了让更多的读者走进好故事,阅读好故事,欣赏好故事,珍藏好故事,传播好故事,我们特编选了一套“故事会5元精品系列”以飨之。其选择标准主要有以下三点:一、在《故事会》杂志上发表的作品。二、有过目不忘的艺术感染力。三、有恒久的趣味,对今天的读者仍有启迪作用。愿好故事伴随你的一生!
  • 蛮妃猎君记

    蛮妃猎君记

    十六岁,我有了一个夫婿,君子国皇上最宠爱的第九个儿子——公子韩嫣。得知这个消息时,他一脸绝望,我也一脸绝望。他咆哮“我绝不娶能和狗熊搏斗的女人为妻!”我错愕“原来你居然是男的啊?”有百般虐待,就有百折不挠!男人婆和娘娘腔,且看他们在斗法中如何改造对方……
  • 一路南北

    一路南北

    我们的青春被钉死在十字架上,只有流血才能涅槃。关于青春十字架。这是我的青春手稿,站在青春的尾巴尖上,陆北,陆南,卫滕这里面是真实的青春,友情,爱情,亲情,理想,未来现在。我们活在众多的期待中,很多的爱里挣扎彷徨,但是终究要走下去。倘若这篇文你能看下去,有点毒舌的吐槽,也许你能找到自己青春里的影子。