[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
sky.
After what seemed a long time of creeping down the dark Narrows the schooner
slid into the open water beyond. The Neva lay behind ... how long had it
been? Nearly two hours, Kohl said. There aren t any fast passages of the
Neva. Pope came on deck to take over the watch. He glanced at the graying
sky, a thin, silent man who seemed ever discontented with things as they were.
He swore bitterly when he realized they had passed the Neva in his sleep, and
swore again when he learned he must take her through Peril Strait. Finally,
more tired than he could have believed, Jean stumbled down the companionway
and stood in the paneled cabin, watching the brass lamp sway to the ship s
movement. Helena was at the table with a freshly brewed pot of tea. Mr. Kohl
took his to his bunk. Sit down. You looked exhausted. Gratefully, he accepted
the tea. The warmth went through him slowly, taking the chill from his
muscles, the damp from his bones. He was the first to speak and it was of
something he had considered for a long time. There s something you can do for
me, he said. You can do it if anyone can. I want to see the Czar.
She was startled. The Czar! But why?
Maybe ... I don t know ... he might consider selling Alaska to the United
States. If he should agree ... well, Rob Walker could do the rest. I can
promise nothing, but I can try.
She was silent, and he saw how white were her fingers that pressed the cup,
and the shadows under her eyes, shadows he had not been able to see out on the
deck under the clouds. Jean, Jean, she whispered, I wish I knew how he
was. He ll be all right.
Rotcheff had made a tough decision but he had made it without hesitation,
knowing exactly what must be done. It was another reason for admiring the
husband of the woman he loved ... and Rotcheff had a good chance. Familiar as
he was with gunshot wounds, he knew that such a wound, low down on the left
side, was more than likely only a severe flesh wound. With care and proper
food he might make it.
Where are we going, Jean? What is it we have to do? The quickest way would
be through Salisbury Strait to the Pacific, but we might be cut off there, so
we re going east up a passage called Peril Strait. Is it dangerous?
There are tide rips in all these passages, and unexpected currents. Water
piles up in these narrow guts, then comes roaring through, and most of the
rocks are uncharted. By this time Zinnovy undoubtedly has other ships out from
Sitka to cut us off.
Above them the brass lantern swayed and in his bunk behind the small door
Page 90
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Kohl snored in an easy rhythm. Jean s head lowered to his arms for a moment of
rest and at once he was asleep. The night had been long. Outside a small wave
broke over the bow and the water ran along the deck rustling into the scuppers
where it gurgled solemnly. Helena looked across the table at the black, wavy
hair, glistening in the lantern s light, and put out her hand to touch it,
then drew it quickly back, frightened by the impulse. After a moment she got
to her feet and went into her little cubbyhole of a cabin and closed the door.
She stood then, her back to the door and her eyes closed, while the light
from a crack moved slowly back and forth across her face. And then for a long
time there was a silence made more silent by the sound of breathing and the
lonely ship-sounds in the gray light of a breaking day at sea.
24
For two days the Susquehanna crept along through a dense fog that reduced
visibility to zero, a cold penetrating fog that wrapped the schooner in a
depressing cloud. With Zinnovy somewhere behind there was no chance to
heave-to and wait it out, so they continued to creep along, using what little
wind there was. With luck they could get into Icy Strait and so to the
Pacific. No sound reached them except that of breaking surf. Fog had come upon
them in the vicinity of the Hoggat Reefs along Deadman Reach, and they had
crept north to the point, rounded it and sailed southeastward toward Chatham.
Every mile was a mile of danger for fog filled the Strait and tidal currents
were strong. During a brief interval when fog cleared they rounded another
point and started north, ice becoming more frequent. Then the fog closed in
again, thicker and colder than before. Several times, unable to see the floes
in tune, they were struck with brutal force.
Kohl, wrapped in sweaters and oilskins, joined Jean in the bow while the
lookout went below for coffee. We d better heave-to, Cap n. Not even the
Russkies will try moving in this fog.
If it gets colder we ll start icing up, LaBarge said. Damn it, man, if we
get caught in these narrow channels we re through! Kohl agreed gloomily. If
we could only get a couple of hours of sunshine and good wind.
How far do you think we ve come since turning into the Strait? Your guess
is as good as mine. We ve been moving, but with the current against us part of
the time, and there hasn t been a rock or a point to take a sight from.
Do you know these waters?
No ... but Icy Strait can t be far.
Men came and went like wraiths in the gray, dinging fog. Ghostly trailers of
fog lay in the rigging and the great sails dripped water to the deck. Nowhere
was there anything by which to gauge their progress, and much of the time they
could not see beyond the bowsprit.
Yet they could not heave-to. Even now ships might be awaiting them off every
passage to the sea, but if they could get through Icy Strait and Cross Sound
the opening was wide enough for them to slip by ... if they did not go past it [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
sky.
After what seemed a long time of creeping down the dark Narrows the schooner
slid into the open water beyond. The Neva lay behind ... how long had it
been? Nearly two hours, Kohl said. There aren t any fast passages of the
Neva. Pope came on deck to take over the watch. He glanced at the graying
sky, a thin, silent man who seemed ever discontented with things as they were.
He swore bitterly when he realized they had passed the Neva in his sleep, and
swore again when he learned he must take her through Peril Strait. Finally,
more tired than he could have believed, Jean stumbled down the companionway
and stood in the paneled cabin, watching the brass lamp sway to the ship s
movement. Helena was at the table with a freshly brewed pot of tea. Mr. Kohl
took his to his bunk. Sit down. You looked exhausted. Gratefully, he accepted
the tea. The warmth went through him slowly, taking the chill from his
muscles, the damp from his bones. He was the first to speak and it was of
something he had considered for a long time. There s something you can do for
me, he said. You can do it if anyone can. I want to see the Czar.
She was startled. The Czar! But why?
Maybe ... I don t know ... he might consider selling Alaska to the United
States. If he should agree ... well, Rob Walker could do the rest. I can
promise nothing, but I can try.
She was silent, and he saw how white were her fingers that pressed the cup,
and the shadows under her eyes, shadows he had not been able to see out on the
deck under the clouds. Jean, Jean, she whispered, I wish I knew how he
was. He ll be all right.
Rotcheff had made a tough decision but he had made it without hesitation,
knowing exactly what must be done. It was another reason for admiring the
husband of the woman he loved ... and Rotcheff had a good chance. Familiar as
he was with gunshot wounds, he knew that such a wound, low down on the left
side, was more than likely only a severe flesh wound. With care and proper
food he might make it.
Where are we going, Jean? What is it we have to do? The quickest way would
be through Salisbury Strait to the Pacific, but we might be cut off there, so
we re going east up a passage called Peril Strait. Is it dangerous?
There are tide rips in all these passages, and unexpected currents. Water
piles up in these narrow guts, then comes roaring through, and most of the
rocks are uncharted. By this time Zinnovy undoubtedly has other ships out from
Sitka to cut us off.
Above them the brass lantern swayed and in his bunk behind the small door
Page 90
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Kohl snored in an easy rhythm. Jean s head lowered to his arms for a moment of
rest and at once he was asleep. The night had been long. Outside a small wave
broke over the bow and the water ran along the deck rustling into the scuppers
where it gurgled solemnly. Helena looked across the table at the black, wavy
hair, glistening in the lantern s light, and put out her hand to touch it,
then drew it quickly back, frightened by the impulse. After a moment she got
to her feet and went into her little cubbyhole of a cabin and closed the door.
She stood then, her back to the door and her eyes closed, while the light
from a crack moved slowly back and forth across her face. And then for a long
time there was a silence made more silent by the sound of breathing and the
lonely ship-sounds in the gray light of a breaking day at sea.
24
For two days the Susquehanna crept along through a dense fog that reduced
visibility to zero, a cold penetrating fog that wrapped the schooner in a
depressing cloud. With Zinnovy somewhere behind there was no chance to
heave-to and wait it out, so they continued to creep along, using what little
wind there was. With luck they could get into Icy Strait and so to the
Pacific. No sound reached them except that of breaking surf. Fog had come upon
them in the vicinity of the Hoggat Reefs along Deadman Reach, and they had
crept north to the point, rounded it and sailed southeastward toward Chatham.
Every mile was a mile of danger for fog filled the Strait and tidal currents
were strong. During a brief interval when fog cleared they rounded another
point and started north, ice becoming more frequent. Then the fog closed in
again, thicker and colder than before. Several times, unable to see the floes
in tune, they were struck with brutal force.
Kohl, wrapped in sweaters and oilskins, joined Jean in the bow while the
lookout went below for coffee. We d better heave-to, Cap n. Not even the
Russkies will try moving in this fog.
If it gets colder we ll start icing up, LaBarge said. Damn it, man, if we
get caught in these narrow channels we re through! Kohl agreed gloomily. If
we could only get a couple of hours of sunshine and good wind.
How far do you think we ve come since turning into the Strait? Your guess
is as good as mine. We ve been moving, but with the current against us part of
the time, and there hasn t been a rock or a point to take a sight from.
Do you know these waters?
No ... but Icy Strait can t be far.
Men came and went like wraiths in the gray, dinging fog. Ghostly trailers of
fog lay in the rigging and the great sails dripped water to the deck. Nowhere
was there anything by which to gauge their progress, and much of the time they
could not see beyond the bowsprit.
Yet they could not heave-to. Even now ships might be awaiting them off every
passage to the sea, but if they could get through Icy Strait and Cross Sound
the opening was wide enough for them to slip by ... if they did not go past it [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]