登陆注册
5270000000002

第2章 I BABCOCK'S DISCOVERY(2)

At the foot of the derrick, within ten feet of Babcock, stood a woman perhaps thirty-five years of age, with large, clear gray eyes, made all the more luminous by the deep, rich color of her sunburnt skin. Her teeth were snow-white, and her light brown hair was neatly parted over a wide forehead. She wore a long ulster half concealing her well-rounded, muscular figure, and a black silk hood rolled back from her face, the strings falling over her broad shoulders, revealing a red silk scarf loosely wound about her throat, the two ends tucked in her bosom. Her feet were shod in thick-soled shoes laced around her well-turned ankles, and her hands were covered by buckskin gauntlets creased with wear.

From the outside breast-pocket of her ulster protruded a time-book, from which dangled a pencil fastened to a hempen string. Every movement indicated great physical strength, perfect health, and a thorough control of herself and her surroundings.

Coupled with this was a dignity and repose unmistakable to those who have watched the handling of large bodies of workingmen by some one leading spirit, master in every tone of the voice and every gesture of the body. The woman gave Babcock a quick glance of interrogation as he entered, and, receiving no answer, forgot him instantly.

"Come, now, ye blatherin' Dagos,"--this time to two Italian shovelers filling the buckets,--" shall I throw one of ye overboard to wake ye up, or will I take a hand meself? Another shovel there--that bucket's not half full"--drawing one hand from her side pocket and pointing with an authoritative gesture, breaking as suddenly into a good-humored laugh over the awkwardness of their movements.

Babcock, with all his curiosity aroused, watched her for a moment, forgetting for the time his own anxieties. He liked a skilled hand, and he liked push and grit. This woman seemed to possess all three. He was amazed at the way in which she handled her men.

He wished somebody as clearheaded and as capable were unloading his boat. He began to wonder who she might be. There was no mistaking her nationality. Slight as was her accent, her direct descent from the land of the shamrock and the shilla-lah was not to be doubted. The very tones of her voice seemed saturated with its national spirit--"a flower for you when you agree with me, and a broken head when you don't." But underneath all these outward indications of dominant power and great physical strength he detected in the lines of the mouth and eyes a certain refinement of nature. There was, too, a fresh, rosy wholesomeness, a sweet cleanliness, about the woman. These, added to the noble lines of her figure, would have appealed to one as beauty, and only that had it not been that the firm mouth, well-set chin, and deep, penetrating glance of the eye overpowered all other impressions.

Babcock moved down beside her.

"Can you tell me, madam, where I can find Thomas Grogan?"

"Right in front of ye," she answered, turning quickly, with a toss of her head like that of a great hound baffled in hunt. "I'm Tom Grogan. What can I do for ye?"

"Not Grogan the stevedore?" Babcock asked in astonishment.

"Yes, Grogan the stevedore. Come! Make it short,--what can I do for ye?"

"Then this must be my boat. I came down"--"Ye're not the boss?"--looking him over slowly from his feet up, a good-natured smile irradiating her face, her eyes beaming, every tooth glistening. "There's me hand, I'm glad to see ye. I've worked for ye off and on for four years, and niver laid eyes on ye till this minute. Don't say a word. I know it. I've kept the concrete gangs back half a day, but I couldn't help it. I've had four horses down with the 'zooty, and two men laid up with dip'thery. The Big Gray Cully's drivin' over there--the one that's a-hoistin'--ain't fit to be out of the stables. If ye weren't behind in the work, he'd have two blankets on him this minute. But I'm here meself now, and I'll have her out to-night if I work till daylight. Here, cap'n, pull yerself together.

This is the boss."

Then catching sight of the boy turning a handspring behind the horse, she called out again:--"Now, look here, Cully, none of your skylarkin'. There's the dinner whistle. Unhitch the Big Gray; he's as dry as a bone."

同类推荐
  • 病榻遗言

    病榻遗言

    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。
  • 究竟大悲经卷第二

    究竟大悲经卷第二

    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。
  • 庸盦笔记

    庸盦笔记

    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。
  • 须摩提长者经

    须摩提长者经

    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。
  • On Interpretation

    On Interpretation

    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
  • 销售中的心理学策略

    销售中的心理学策略

    俗话说,画龙画虎难画骨,知人知面不知心。在销售工作中,心理那点事儿还真是不得不琢磨,否则很有可能在不经意间就忤逆了客户的“心”。《销售中的心理学策略》并非学术著作,其内容旨在通过故事和案例来揭示现实销售活动中的心理规律,带读者轻松读懂行为背后的心理密码。
  • 超市营销新思维

    超市营销新思维

    本书由企业管理出版社出版,全书共分为十个章节,第一章认识超市营销;第二章超级市场开发策略;第三章超级市场形象营销策略;第四章超级市场促销策略;第五章超级市场价格营销策略;第六章超级市场顾客需求营销策略;第七章超市品牌形象策略;第八章超级市场公关营销策略;第九章超级市场发展营销策略;第十章超级市场营销活动控制与考核。
  • 穿越在聊斋的世界里

    穿越在聊斋的世界里

    新书《完美神话世界》已经上传,请大家支持。书友群:只收学徒以上的书友,群号:65876452喜欢本书的朋友,都可以入群:253282177ps:已经完本三本书《重生在白蛇的世界里》、《穿越在聊斋的世界里》、《世间自在仙》。
  • 汉末之吕布再世

    汉末之吕布再世

    并州飞将吕奉先,身长九尺,膂力过人,手中一杆方天戟,就是天下无双。————————————新书已发《三国之我去买个橘子》简介:奉先,你在此地不要走动。面对战败的诸侯们,董卓伸出了他的大手,脸上带有笑容,不计前嫌的说着:“来,做我儿子吧!”——————————每天早晚两更,请大家多多支持。
  • 夜城旧梦

    夜城旧梦

    她冷漠无情,杀人无数,却在遇见他之后,频频失态,她想,她的报应来了。他装傻充愣了二十年,却在遇见她后放弃所有计划,他想,他要找的人,找到了。
  • 孩子究竟需要什么

    孩子究竟需要什么

    孩子究竟需要什么?本书告诉我们:生命最需要的是最精神的能量,亦即心灵温度;教育之道在于心灵,温暖心灵是教育的核心,因为如果一个人的心灵是温暖的,他的大脑潜能就会自然激发与拓展。说有温度的话,做有温度的教育,上有温度的课……
  • 冷王独宠:宝宝还你一生

    冷王独宠:宝宝还你一生

    这是一部女主前世为报仇与恶势力同归于尽的故事。哪想一朝穿越,那人却是个傻的⊙_⊙,不过还好还好,她是正常的啊。这位冷面王是谁?什么,居然是前世守护她的爱人!好吧,那我就用一生还他的生死相护喽。
  • 当你的才华还撑不起你的梦想时

    当你的才华还撑不起你的梦想时

    《当你的才华还撑不起你的梦想时》,《不要让未来的你,讨厌现在的自己》系列重磅新作。当红励志作家特立独行的猫专为千万迷茫、彷徨而又年轻、充满希望的年轻人所写的人生成长之书。世界是无情的,它不会因为你想要什么就给你什么,也不会因为你迷茫、彷徨、孤独就对你格外开恩;世界又是仁慈的,它给了每个人雄厚而公平的资本。这资本,就是每个人都正拥有或曾拥有的年轻。只要你不虚度年华,只要你不辜负时光,这年轻,便足以让你赢取你所渴望的未来。当你的才华还撑不起你的梦想时,请对自己进行提升与“充电”,立刻,马上。
  • 神武圣魂

    神武圣魂

    本是问鼎天地之人,奈何“兄弟”的毒计,断双臂,挖双目,妻儿惨死,怀着无限的不甘与愤怒。叶枫重生,异造化弄人,重生之人乃是一阶废柴,叶枫究竟是,峥嵘现,亦是是,一蹶不振。昔日的荣华,已成流沙,看叶枫如何再一次叱咤玄天大陆,与“兄弟”血战,究竟谁欲封天。一人一剑,踏歌行。煮酒问情,闯玄天。壮志未泯,溅血魂。一柄剑杀,世间仇。
  • 学会选择,懂得放弃全集

    学会选择,懂得放弃全集

    选择和放弃就像同胞兄弟一样如影随形。选择是人生路上的航标,学会选择是审时度势、扬长避短,只有量力而行的选择才能到达理想的港湾;放弃是人生的隧道,舍得放弃是顾全大局,超然洒脱,只有简单从容的放弃才能左右逢源。