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第13章 被遗忘的时光7（第1页）

第13章被遗忘的时光（7）

Imadeasketchoftheturnout。ItisnotaWork，itisonlywhatartistscalla“study”—athingtomakeafiurefrom。Thissketchhasseveralblemishesinit;forihewagonisnasfastasthehorseis。Thisisersetoutofthewayistoosmall，heisoutofperspective，aswesay。Thetwoupperlihehorse’sback，theyarethereiobeawheelmissing—thiswouldbecorreafinishedWork，ofcourse。Thatthingflyingoutbehindisnotaflag，itisa。Thatupthereisthesun，butIdidenoughdista。Idonotremember，now，whatthatthingisthatisinfrontofthemanwh，butIthinkitisahaystaan。ThisstudywasexhibitedintheParisSalonof1879，butdidnottakeaheydonotgivemedalsforstudies。

Wedischargedthecarriageatthebridge。Theriverwasfulloflogs—long，slender，barklesspinelogs—aherailse，ahemeherintorafts。Theseraftseandstrutosuittheessaremeheheywerefromfiftytoonehundredyardslong，andtheygraduallytaperedfromaniheirsterns，tbreadthattheirbow-ends。Themainpartofthesteeriheboole;thethree-logbreadththerefurnishesroomforoeersmalelogsareneraroundthatanaverageyounglady’swaist。Thesoftheseveralsesoftheraftaresladpliant，sothattheraftmaybereadilybentintoanysortofcurverequiredbytheshapeoftheriver。

TheNemanyplaarroersacrossit，ifhehasoisalsosharplysuchplaces，theraftsmanhastodosomeprettyniugpilotiurns。Theriverisnotalwaysallowedtospreadoveritswholebed—whichisasmuchasthirty，aimesfortyyardswide—butissplitintothreeequalbodiesofwater，bystohrowthemaih，ahee。Ihesenarrow-edgeddikesprojectfourorfiveihesurface，liketheergedroof，butinhighwatertheyareoverflowed。AhatfulofrainmakeshighwaterintheNedabasketfulproduoverflow。

TherearedikesabreasttheSchlossHotel，aisviolentlysoiflasscage，watgthelong，narroalhthetralel，grazi-bankdikeandaimingcarefullyforthemiddlearchofthestebelow;Iwatchedtheminthisway，andlostallthistimehopihemhitthebridge-pieraselfsometimeorother，butointed。Onewassmashedthere，butIhadjuststeppedintomyroomamomenttolightapipe，soIlostit。

WhileIwaslookingdowhatminHeilbronn，thedaredevilspiritofadventurecamesuddenlyuponme，andIsaidtomyrades:

“IamgoingtoHeidelbergonaraft。Willyouvehme?”

Theirfacespaledalittle，buttheyassehasgoodagraceastheycould。Harriswaocablehismhtithisdutytodothat，ashewasallshehadinthisworld—so，whileheattehis，Iwentdowaahewithahearty“Ahoy，shipmate!”whichputusupoermsatondweentereduponbusiness。IsaidweedestriantourtoHeidelberg，andwouldliketotakepassagewithhim。IsaidthispartlythroughyoungZ，whospokeGermanveryartlythroughMr。Xwhospokeitpeculiarly。IderstandGermahemaniaveItalkitbestthroughaer。

&ainhitcheduphistrousers，thenshiftedhisquidthoughtfully。Presentlyhesaidjusteghewouldsay—thathehaders，andthereforewasafraidthelawwouldbeafterhimiergotorahappened。SoIcharteredtheraftaookalltheresponsibilitiesonmyself。

Witharattlingsoarboardwatttotheirworkahecableshottheane，andourbarkmovedoffwithastatelystride，andsoonwasbowlingalongatabouttwoknotsanhour。

roupedamidships。Atfirstthetalkwasalittlegloomy，andranmainlyuponessoflife，theuyofit，theperilswhichbesetit，andtheneedandwisdomofbeingalaredfortheworst;thisshadedoffintolow-voicedreferehedahedeep，aers;butasthegrayeastbegahemysterioussolemnityahedawothejoy-sohetalktookacheeriertone，andaeadily。

Germany，inthesummer，istheperfeofthebeautiful，butnobodyhasuood，andrealized，amostpossibilitiesofthissoftayunlesshehasvoyageddowntheNearaft。Themotionofaraftistheion;itisgentle，andgliding，andsmooth，aallfeverishactivities，itsoothestosleepallnervoushurryandimpatiesrestfulihetroublesaionsandsorrowsthatharassthemindvanishaway，aenesadream，acharm，adeepandtraasy。Howittrastsiririanism，anddustyanddeafeningrailroadrush，andtediousjoltiiredh