Читать книгу Talmud - Ivan Dexter - Страница 5

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The unpleasant fact that the torrent was sweeping them down the stream was immediately apparent to them all. They were absolutely powerless to cross the centre of the current and they were astonished at the speed with which the water was running.

"Keep at it lads," shouted Strangway. "We may meet a break directly."

"There is no fear of that," answered Stanley. "The current will be stronger directly we meet the Finke Creek waters."

This prediction was soon fulfilled, for in a few minutes when they came into the additional flood of the tributary they were caught with irresistible force, and the speed accelerated.

"We must do something with the horses or they will be drowned," O'Halloran remarked.

"Let us cut them adrift," suggested Stanley.

"Then we will lose both them and the stores," objected the leader.

"They may reach the shore and we can afterwards pick them up," replied O'Halloran.

"Small chance of that I think," returned Strangway gloomily.

An effort was then made to get the horses close up to the raft but it proved futile, and after swimming for over two miles they were at length released. The first one cut loose at once headed for the west bank and made some slight progress towards it. This animal was followed by the others, but for a long time it seemed as if the current would overpower them. Gradually, however, they got out of its centre and at last reached the stiller water, and managed to get to the bank. For some time they remained motionless as if exhausted with their long struggle, and then they started along the river after the raft.

It is a remarkable fact which has often been proved by explorers, that in the solitudes of Central Australia horses will not voluntarily leave the presence of man. On numberless occasions this has been verified, and it shows how the barren, lonely wastes—want of food and precariousness of water supply affect these animals. The men on the raft noticed that the horses were following them, and it afforded a gleam of hope in their desperate condition.

"Our only chance," Stanley at length said, "Is that the river may run into some lagoon, or broaden out, so that the current will be lessened, and if so, we will be able to make for the bank and perhaps pick up the horses again."

"I am afraid the first place we will meet is the Great Lake Eyre, and goodness knows how we will get out of that place," responded Strangway.

"How far do you think Eyre is away from here?" asked O'Halloran.

"I believe it is nearly a hundred miles distant," was the reply.

"We must be travelling nearly ten miles an hour, so that we should reach it before to-morrow morning," broke in Stanley.

"The raft seems to be holding up, that is one consolation at any rate," said the leader.

It was now a couple of hours after noon, and the men being hungry, had their dinner. Fortunately they had placed the provisions on the raft, and if the latter held together they need have no fear of starving. The driftwood and debris had been washed down when the flood was at its height so that there was nothing in the shape of floating wreckage to interfere with them. When night fell they could still see the horses on the bank of the river following them down, and during the earlier part of the evening their neighing was heard. As the night crept on this ceased and they naturally concluded that the animals were exhausted. This was little to be wondered at when it is remembered that in addition to their terrible battle with the stream they must have followed the raft for about fifty miles.

The declining moon did not rise until a couple of hours after midnight, and up till then the occupants of the raft maintained a vigilant watch. About an hour before the moon rose they were sensible that the motion of their clumsy craft had altered, and when the light got brighter they knew that they had either entered Eyre or some great lagoon. The sweeps of the current was no longer apparent and they floated calmly and quietly along. The swirl of the water was also absent, and eagerly the castaways waited for daylight.

As the moon rose higher in the heavens they could see by its rays that far as vision reached there was nothing but water.

"We are surely in the lake," Stanley observed to Strangway.

"We should be if the distance I said was correct. Of course I have never been down here myself but it is generally understood that the length between the true mouth of the Finke and the lake is about one hundred miles."

"We will know in another hour," observed O'Halloran looking at his watch, "The sun should be rising by then."

When day broke a strange scene presented itself. They appeared to be drifting about on an inland sea. The beams of the rising sun tipped the heaving water with almost rainbow hues. Close by the raft it appeared almost green, whilst towards the east quite a chromatic scale showed out. The most distant was a deep yellow, and it gradually changed in color until the clear light green was reached. Far distant to the north, the low outline of land could be seen, but in every other direction nothing but an interminable waste of waters met the eye like unto the ocean itself.

"We have been swept out a long distance, but we must get back somehow. That yellow streak is where the river empties itself, and that distant land is the place we must reach," said Stanley, as standing on the raft, with his hands shading his eyes he carefully scanned the surrounding horizon. As he finished speaking, he took up one of the poles and put it into the water.

"Ah, it is not above ten feet deep here, and that will be a help to us. We can use these poles with some effect," he spoke aloud.

O'Halloran seized the other pole, and going to the end of the raft, he began to assist his companion in propelling or pushing back the raft.

"If we had come out in daylight all this could have been avoided," Strangway muttered, as he looked first at the efforts of his companions, and then at the far distant shore.

Whilst the two men worked at the poles, the leader busied himself preparing a much needed breakfast. There were wildfowl on the watery expanse, but there was no use in shooting them, as they could not be cooked.

"We will get a few when we are near the land, and can utilise them," Strangway said, as O'Halloran suggested taking a shot at some of the game.

Although there was no outward current apparently the progress made was very slow, but shortly before noon a slight breeze sprang up from the south, and Stanley with the remaining tent and the poles, managed to rig up a sort of a shoulder of mutton sail. More speed was now obtained without manual exertion, but as the wind veered round to the west during the afternoon, this method had to be abandoned.

"If we only had a stiff breeze from the south, we would soon be ashore," grumbled the leader.

"I hope the wind does not rise," replied Stanley. "On such a sheet of water as this, we would, most likely, be swamped. The waves would sweep us off this float."

"Yes," broke in O'Halloran in some alarm, "I never thought of that. A storm might rise at any moment, and the sooner we get to land the better."

As he spoke he took one of the poles and worked with energy to run the raft towards the land. As evening approached, they were still full three miles away from the land, and a new danger presented itself to complicate the position. The immense inrush of flood water had caused the lake to encroach a long distance on the surrounding country. Evidently it was some years since the lake had been so high, for a growth of tangled scrub was observed on the old bed—or rather the high water area. When within two miles of the water's edge, the raft was nearly snagged in some of this undergrowth, and as it was almost dark, on the advice of Stanley it was decided to 'anchor for the night.' The raft was secured, by having the poles forced into the bottom at either end, and the oar was similarly fixed on the side opposite the land. The situation was not by any means a pleasant one. Leaks were showing themselves in various places, and the stores had to be continually shifted, so as to prevent loss or damage by the water. During the night too, a stormy wind blew, and the three men were kept occupied in preventing the waves sweeping over the raft. Soon after midnight, it became apparent that the wind was increasing in violence. Fortunately it blew from the south, or the situation of the party would have been perilously desperate.

"We must chance being driven ashore. If not we may be washed over. The full force of the waves has not yet come," Stanley at length said, after an anxious silence.

"We may lose our stores," objected the leader.

"We are sure to lose them here, but if we are swept ashore we may save some of them," promptly answered the ex-seaman.

This argument was conclusive, and without more ado, the frail anchors were lifted out, and each man taking one took up a position on either side, at the aft end, and proceeded to guide as best they could their clumsy craft. The wind and waves forced it rapidly towards the land, and the latter occasionally broke over it, and on to the stores. These were secured as well as possible, and little damage was done them. They had begun to congratulate themselves on the success of their move, for they were fast nearing the shore, when a sudden shock threw O'Halloran into the water, and prostrated the other two men on the deck of the raft. In a few moments the waves had swung the craft broadside on, and later it became apparent that the shock had loosened the fastenings, and the logs were coming apart. The night was intensely dark, and for some moments neither Stanley or Strangway noticed the absence of O'Halloran. Calling to him for aid in righting the raft, and receiving no response, they soon discovered that he was missing.

"He must have made for the bank," Stanley called out.

"The raft is going to pieces. We must do the same," returned the leader.

"Yes, there is no use staying here. We can do nothing," was Stanley's answer.

The land could be seen, not far distant, looming like a black line on the horizon. The water they knew was not more than three or four feet deep, but the tangled undergrowth was to be feared. Seizing what lay nearest them, the two men dropped into the water, and, side by side made their way to the land. Contrary to their expectations they did not meet with the submerged scrub they expected to encounter, and in a few minutes they stood on dry land. The shore was not more than a hundred yards from where the raft had come to grief.

The first thing they did was to call loudly for O'Halloran, but no response came. This did not surprise them much, for it was quite likely he had mistaken the direct landing place, and had gone further east or west. Moreover the noise made by the beating of the waves on the land and the sighing of the wind amongst the pendulous leaves—or rather pendant fringe of the casuarina or she-oak, those aeolian harps of the Australian bush, almost drowned their voices.

"Let us make a fire if we can, I have dry matches and the light will soon bring Ted to us," Strangway said.

A fire was much needed by the two men, for in addition to being wet the wind blowing off the vast lake was exceedingly keen, and both the pastoral explorers were shivering in spite of their recent exertions. There was plenty of wood obtainable, and soon a pile was gathered and set on fire without much trouble. It blazed rapidly and threw a grateful warmth as well as a bright light around. Somewhat cheered by the genial presence of the fire the two men forgot their troubles for the moment, and whilst they waited for the return of their absent comrade, began to dry their dripping garments. Stanley was standing with his back to the blaze close to the end of a large log which projected from the burning pile when Strangway who was pushing the flaming sticks together suddenly seized and pulled him away.

"Look out! A snake," he cried to his surprised companion.

As the latter jumped away he looked round and saw that a large tiger snake which must have been ensconsed in the log had been forced out by the heat. It was soon despatched, but a sharp look out was kept for other reptiles.

"I wonder what has become of Ted?" Stanley asked after a long pause.

"He cannot be far away. Perhaps he has got behind a ridge and cannot see the fire. He will turn up at daylight," returned Strangway.

"It cannot be far from that now. My watch has stopped, I see," Stanley answered.

"The water has got to it, I suppose, but you can set it by mine. It will be daylight in half an hour."

The fire burned rather low before the day broke, but neither men cared to gather more wood in the dark in a place that was apparently infested with snakes, and they waited for sunrise. When is came they could see that the raft had struck against the stump of a tree on one side, and a broken limb near by prevented it drifting in. Apparently it was partly in pieces, as several of the logs of which it was composed were lying on the bank.

"We must go out as soon as possible and try what we can save. Some of the tinned articles will not be injured by the water, and we can easily dry the tent," Strangway said.

"Will we wait for Ted. He is sure to be about soon," answered Stanley.

"There is no need for that. I want to get those preserved meats so that we can have something to eat," replied the leader.

Without further conversation both men divested themselves of their clothing and proceeded to wade out to the snagged raft. It was reached without trouble and a search made for the required articles. Some of them still remained on the timbers but a portion was swept away. Stanley climbed on the raft to hand Strangway a box, and he was in the act of stooping to lift it up when he stopped rigid as one petrified and gazed through the rifted logs of the raft into the water. Divining that something was wrong Strangway climbed beside him and as he looked his eyes met the ghastly dead face of O'Halloran staring with wide open eyes from beneath the water through the opening in the logs.