登陆注册
5150400000161

第161章

"We shall have very shoal work off those mangroves, Yeo," said Amyas; "I doubt whether we shall do aught now, unless we find a river's mouth.""If the Lord thinks a river good for us, sir, He'll show us one."So on they went, keeping a south-east course, and at last an opening in the mangrove belt was hailed with a cheer from the older hands, though the majority shrugged their shoulders, as men going open-eyed to destruction.

Off the mouth they sent in Drew and Cary with a boat, and watched anxiously for an hour.The boat returned with a good report of two fathoms of water over the bar, impenetrable forests for two miles up, the river sixty yards broad, and no sign of man.The river's banks were soft and sloping mud, fit for careening.

"Safe quarters, sir," said Yeo, privately, "as far as Spaniards go.

I hope in God it may be as safe from calentures and fevers.""Beggars must not be choosers," said Amyas.So in they went.

They towed the ship up about half-a-mile to a point where she could not be seen from the seaward; and there moored her to the mangrove-stems.Amyas ordered a boat out, and went up the river himself to reconnoitre.He rowed some three miles, till the river narrowed suddenly, and was all but covered in by the interlacing boughs of mighty trees.There was no sign that man had been there since the making of the world.

He dropped down the stream again, thoughtfully and sadly.How many years ago was it that he passed this river's mouth? Three days.

And yet how much had passed in them! Don Guzman found and lost--Rose found and lost--a great victory gained, and yet lost--perhaps his ship lost--above all, his brother lost.

Lost! O God, how should he find his brother?

Some strange bird out of the woods made mournful answer--"Never, never, never!"How should he face his mother?

"Never, never, never!" wailed the bird again; and Amyas smiled bitterly, and said "Never!" likewise.

The night mist began to steam and wreathe upon the foul beer-colored stream.The loathy floor of liquid mud lay bare beneath the mangrove forest.Upon the endless web of interarching roots great purple crabs were crawling up and down.They would have supped with pleasure upon Amyas's corpse; perhaps they might sup on him after all; for a heavy sickening graveyard smell made his heart sink within him, and his stomach heave; and his weary body, and more weary soul, gave themselves up helplessly to the depressing influence of that doleful place.The black bank of dingy leathern leaves above his head, the endless labyrinth of stems and withes (for every bough had lowered its own living cord, to take fresh hold of the foul soil below); the web of roots, which stretched away inland till it was lost in the shades of evening--all seemed one horrid complicated trap for him and his; and even where, here and there, he passed the mouth of a lagoon, there was no opening, no relief--nothing but the dark ring of mangroves, and here and there an isolated group of large and small, parents and children, breeding and spreading, as if in hideous haste to choke out air and sky.Wailing sadly, sad-colored mangrove-hens ran off across the mud into the dreary dark.The hoarse night-raven, hid among the roots, startled the voyagers with a sudden shout, and then all was again silent as a grave.The loathly alligators, lounging in the slime, lifted their horny eyelids lazily, and leered upon him as he passed with stupid savageness.Lines of tall herons stood dimly in the growing gloom, like white fantastic ghosts, watching the passage of the doomed boat.All was foul, sullen, weird as witches' dream.If Amyas had seen a crew of skeletons glide down the stream behind him, with Satan standing at the helm, he would have scarcely been surprised.What fitter craft could haunt that Stygian flood?

That night every man of the boat's crew, save Amyas, was down with raging fever; before ten the next morning, five more men were taken, and others sickening fast.

同类推荐
  • 太上十二上品飞天法轮劝戒妙经

    太上十二上品飞天法轮劝戒妙经

    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。
  • 天王水鉴海和尚五会录

    天王水鉴海和尚五会录

    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。
  • 佛吉祥德赞

    佛吉祥德赞

    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。
  • 刘子

    刘子

    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。
  • 题河州赤岸桥

    题河州赤岸桥

    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
  • 上阳子金丹大要列仙志

    上阳子金丹大要列仙志

    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。
  • 让学生勤奋好学的故事(让学生受益一生的故事)

    让学生勤奋好学的故事(让学生受益一生的故事)

    勤奋好学是求知启智的根本途径,也是育人成才的重要条件。本书从“乐学好学”、“刻苦勤学”、“勤学苦练”、“立志勤学”、“虚心好学”、“自学成才”等方面,精选了众多勤奋好学的故事。希望通过阅读本书,能更好地帮助青少年朋友养成勤奋好学的好习惯。用知识来充实自己,武装自己,做一名合格的社会主义事业接班人。本书选取青少年易于接受、便于理解的内容,每个故事结尾都有一个小总结,以加深对故事思想内容的理解,并结合当前形势,告诉青少年应该怎样做,这对于他们人生观和道德观的形成,将起到潜移默化、春风化雨的作用。
  • 太想赢你就输了

    太想赢你就输了

    中国家长对孩子的爱,似乎总在“哺育”,很难上升到“教育”。他们只是无微不至关心孩子的生活起居,很少在意孩子的思想轨迹和世界观的形成。父母为孩子力所能及地挡风遮雨,却适得其反,让孩子丧失了独立处理矛盾,解决问题的机会。本书在正确看待吃苦、孝顺、金钱、熊孩子、网络、恋爱、生死等关键话题中展开,给出了欧式素质教育在这些问题上的教育方法和答案,可供中国父母借鉴。
  • 妖龙古帝

    妖龙古帝

    妖龙古帝苏寒,曾经执掌圣域,镇压一世,为银河星系之巅!却因融合各大修为层次,走火入魔,形神俱灭。手下叛变,挚爱沉睡,好友被追杀!重活一世,定当卷土重来,逆转乾坤,杀尽一切叛变之人!【妖龙古帝】书友群1群:663538422。【妖龙古帝】订阅群:854293507。
  • 恭喜王爷之王妃有喜啦

    恭喜王爷之王妃有喜啦

    传闻,七王妃生性凶残,曾经一拳把护院最凶猛的狼狗给打死了。传闻,七王妃善妒,入王府半年,把七王爷的侧妃姬妾赶的只剩下和七王爷青梅竹马长大的那一个。传闻,七王妃持宠而娇,才确诊有孕,就百般挑剔,骄奢淫逸。据说,她日常用度,不求最好,但求最贵,难得吃次大白菜,还只吃菜心,而且要配以干贝熊掌,不然就难以下咽。因为她用钱实在太厉害,害得七王爷好久没添置新衣了。听到这些传闻,七王妃彻底怒了,赤露露的造谣,她什么时候干过那些事!传闻是传闻,事情的真相其实是这样的。迟静言一觉醒来,发现自己很赶时髦的穿越了。站在她床头那个丫鬟看到她睁开眼睛,吓得一声尖叫,然后一溜烟的不见了。怀着对这个世界的好奇,她整了整身上的衣服,朝花园溜达去。当时她是这样想的,既然也穿越了,就不能给那些已经穿越的前辈丢脸,更要给后来穿越的那些姐姐妹妹们做个好榜样。可是后来…花园偶遇一男子,衣衫如雪,身姿挺拔的立在她不远处。只是大概看清了他的长相,就一阵口感舌燥,难道…她骨子里其实也是一腐女,看到美男就有点把持不住。半个时辰后,某个心满意足地女人,心满意足地躺在床榻上,心满意足地回味着刚才的滋味。在一连三个心满意足后,如果非要问她有什么不满,据说很多男人在兽欲得到满足后,都会来根烟。烟她是不会抽啦,但是,如果能有根牙签剔一下牙,那也是不错的,毕竟刚才那“食物”太秀色可餐了。叼牙签没能如愿,却惊地差点从床上滚下去。为毛她抓到的,用来解身上药性的男人会是这王府的主人,而且还是她名义上的丈夫。于是,随着某女的到来,一向安静有序的七王府,彻底就乱了套。…有一天,七王爷的另一宠妃胸口痛,王府里的大夫均束手无策,某女自告奋勇,然后下了结论,“肚兜太小啦!”宠妃脸色难看,看着七王爷,抬起食指控诉她,“王爷,王妃她冤枉妾身。”迟静言小拇指掏掏耳朵,朝半空弹了弹,不紧不慢地开口,“我说陈侧妃,我是好心帮你找出病源,不带你这么冤枉我的吧,要不是你为了胸部显得更大,而把肚兜做小了一号,你胸口会痛?”顿了顿,转溜着她的眼珠,落到某王爷身上,“王爷,你要不相信我说的,可以亲自替陈侧妃检查一下她的…肚兜!”最后两个字,她特地加重了口气,该死的男人,人长得帅也不需要纳那么多侧妃吧。女人多,是非就多,难道连这个道理都不知道吗?…又某一天,七王爷带着七王妃去皇宫参加宴会。
  • 这样做女孩最命好

    这样做女孩最命好

    时间是女人最大的敌人,再漂亮的女孩也有美人迟暮的那天,年轻不是我们的王牌,如果把青春拿来寻欢作乐,以为年轻就可以肆意妄为,一再放纵自己,那就大错特错了,因为你不可能一直都拥有年轻,不可能做一辈子的天真少女!
  • 妖妃火辣辣:王爷放肆宠

    妖妃火辣辣:王爷放肆宠

    她倾尽全力,助他走上巅峰,换来的却是残酷的背叛。含恨重生,她发誓一定要擦亮眼,将所有背叛她的人全部都送进地狱!只是,这一路虐渣,一路报复的过程中,那个慵懒随性,邪魅狷狂的男人,为何总是用那一双不怀好意的眼睛盯着她?“寻儿,累了吧?这些渣渣,交给本王就好,你去边搬个板凳嗑个瓜子喝个茶。”
  • 哈利波特之罪恶之书

    哈利波特之罪恶之书

    当一个穿越者误以为自己穿越回80年代的英国,历经幼时磨难、终将在悔悟中彻底沉沦黑暗的时候,一封陌生而又熟悉的入学通知书,将他的生命重新点亮。可当他接触到更深的黑暗时,他是选择远离深渊、还是义无反顾地跳入其中?“你等着,我会很快回来的。”在圣芒戈医院五楼的某张病床边,他终于坚定地握住了她苍白的手。这是一个咬咬牙、连自己都能骗的小骗子,在痛苦与温柔中反复挣扎的故事。——————————————本书有大纲有存稿,固定日更6000+,时刻等待着爆发!请各位小巫师放心收藏。书友群:650483310(有空可以来聊聊)
  • 三国第一军师

    三国第一军师

    熟知三国历史的陈子明穿越到三国,凭着他对三国历史的熟悉和华夏几千年的文明积累,帮助刘备统一三国,成为名满天下的第一军师,凭着华夏几千年的经验,结束分久必合合久必分的乱世华夏,创建绝世大帝国。
  • 或许再见

    或许再见

    二十三岁的徐布凡,在机场偶遇三年未见的曲嘉树,还有他心机重重的现任女友周语桐。原本以为这只是回国假期的一个短暂插曲,谁料从这以后,布凡不得不正视一个疼痛的事实。三年里,她从未忘记过他。无论布凡此后身边有多少男子近近远远,她在失去嘉树的那一刻,也注定丧失了再次爱上别人的能力。她和他的过去,魂牵梦绕的一直折磨着她。嘉树和语桐的婚礼将至,面对命运赐给她的一个机会,布凡必须做出选择。她好想问嘉树,如果重新来过,你还会不会再爱上我?