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Файл:Satanstoe; or, The Littlepage Manuscripts
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
acted in perfect concert, every effort of mine being aided by
one of her own, directed by my advice and greater experience.
«God has not deserted us, dearest Anneke», I said, now that
my companion’s strength appeared to have returned, «and
we may yet hope to escape. I can anticipate the joy we shall
bring to your father’s heart, when he again takes you to his
arms, safe and uninjured».
«Dear, dear father! – What agony he must now be suffering on my account. – Come, Corny, let us go to him at once, if
it be possible».
As this was said, the precious girl arose, and adjusted her
tippet in a way that should cause her no encumbrance; like
one ready to set about the execution of a serious task with all
her energies. The muff had been dropped on the river; for neither of us had any sensibility to cold. The night, however, was
quite mild, for the season; and we probably should not have
suffered, had our exertions been less violent. Anneke declared
herself ready to proceed, and I commenced the diffi cult and
delicate task of aiding her across an island composed of icy
fragments, in order to reach its western margin. We were quite
thirty feet in the air; and a fall into any of the numerous caverns, among which we had to proceed, might have been fatal;
certainly would have crippled the sufferer. Then the surface of
the ice was so smooth as to render walking on it an exceedingly delicate operation; more especially as the cakes lay at all
manner of inclinations to the plane of the horizon. Fortunately, I wore buckskin moccasins over my boots; and their rough
leather aided me greatly in maintaining my footing. Anneke,
too, had socks of cloth; without which, I do not think, she could
341
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
have possibly moved. By these aids, however, and by proceeding with the utmost caution, we had actually succeeded in attaining our object, when the fl oating mass shot into an eddy,
and, turning slowly round, under this new infl uence, placed
us on the outer side of the island again! Not a murmur escaped Anneke, at this disappointment; but, with a sweetness of
temper that spoke volumes in favour of her natural disposition, and a resignation that told her training, she professed
a readiness to renew her efforts. To this I would not consent,
however; for I saw that the eddy was still whirling us about;
and I thought it best to escape from its infl uence altogether,
before we threw away our strength fruitlessly. Instead of recrossing the pile, therefore, I told my fair companion that we
would descend to a cake that lay level on the water, and which
projected from the mass to such a distance, as to be close to
the shore, should we again get near it. This descent was made,
after some trouble, though I was compelled to receive Anneke
entirely into my arms, in order to effect it. Effect it I did; placing the sweet girl safely at my side, on the outermost and lowest of all the cakes in our confused pile.
In some respects this change was for the better; while it did
not improve our situation in others. It placed both Anneke and
myself behind a shelter, as respected the wind; which, though
neither very strong nor very cold, had enough of March about
it to render the change acceptable. It took my companion, too,
from a position where motion was diffi cult, and often dangerous; leaving her on a level, even spot, where she could walk
with ease and security, and keep the blood in motion by exercise. Then it put us both in the best possible situation to prof-
342
SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
it by any contact with that shore, along and near which our
island was now slowly moving.
There could no longer be any doubt of the state of the river in general. It had broken up; spring had come, like a thief in
the night; and the ice below having given way, while the mass
above had acquired too much power to be resisted, everything
was set in motion; and, like the death of the strong man, the disruption of fi elds in themselves so thick and adhesive, had produced an agony surpassing the usual struggle of the seasons.
Nevertheless, the downward motion had begun in earnest,
and the centre of the river was running like a sluice, carrying
away, in its current, those masses which had just before formed
so menacing an obstacle above.
Luckily, our own pile was a little aside from the great
downward rush. I have since thought, that it touched the bottom, which caused it to turn, as well as retarded its movement.
Be this as it might, we still remained in a little bay, slowly
turning in a circle; and glad was I to see our low cake coming round again, in sight of the western shore. The moment
now demanded decision; and I prepared Anneke to meet it.
A large, low, level cake had driven up on the shore, and extended out so far as to promise that our own cake would touch
it, in our evolutions. I knew that the ice, in general, had not
broken in consequence of any weakness of its own, but purely
under the weight of the enormous pressure from above, and
the mighty force of the current; and that we ran little, or no
risk, in trusting our persons on the uttermost limits of any
considerable fragment. A station was taken, accordingly, near
a projection of the cake we were on; when we waited for the ex-
343
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
pected contact. At such moments, the slightest disappointment
carries with it the force of the greatest circumstances. Several
times did it appear, to us, that our island was on the point of
touching the fastened cake, and as often did it incline aside; at
no time coming nearer than within six or eight feet. This distance it would have been easy enough, for me to leap across,
but, to Anneke, it was a barrier as impassable as the illimitable
void. The sweet girl saw this; and, she acted like herself, under
the circumstances. She took my hand, pressed it, and said earnestly, and with patient sweetness –
«You see how it is, Corny; I am not permitted to escape;
but you can easily reach the shore. Go, then, and leave me in
the hands of Providence. Go; I never can forget what you have
already done; but it is useless to perish together!»
I have never doubted that Anneke was perfectly sincere in
her wish that I should, at least, save my own life. The feeling with which she spoke; the despair that was coming over
her; and the movement of our island, which, at that moment,
gave signs of shooting away from the shore, altogether, roused
me to a sudden, and certainly, to a very bold attempt. I tremble,
even at this distance of time, as I write the particulars. A small
cake of ice was fl oating in between us and that which lay fi rmly fastened to the shore. Its size was such as to allow it to pass
between the two; though not without coming nearly, if not
absolutely, in contact with one, if not with both. I observed
all this; and, saying one word of encouragement to Anneke,
I passed an arm around her waist – waited the proper moment – and sprang forward. It was necessary to make a short
leap, with my precious burthen on my arm, in order to gain
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
this fl oating bridge; but it was done, and successfully. Scarcely
permitting Anneke’s foot to touch this frail support, which
was already sinking under our joint weight, I crossed it at two
or three steps, and threw all my power into a last and desperate effort. I succeeded here, also; and fell, upon the fi rmer cake,
with a heart fi lled with gratitude to God. The touch told me
that we were safe; and, in the next instant, we reached the solid
ground. Under such circumstances, one usually looks back to
examine the danger he has just gone through. I did so; and saw
that the fl oating cake of ice had already passed down, and was
out of reach; while the mass that had been the means of saving
us, was slowly following, under some new impulse, received
from the furious currents of the river. But we were saved; and
most devoutly did I thank my God, who had mercifully aided
our escape from perils so imminent.
I was compelled to wait for Anneke, who fell upon her
knees, and remained there quite a minute, before I could aid
her in ascending the steep acclivity which formed the western bank of the Hudson, at this particular point. We reached
the top, however, after a little delay, and pausing once or
twice to take breath; when we fi rst became really sensible of
the true character of the scene from which we had been delivered. Dim as was the light, there was enough to enable
us to overlook a considerable reach of the river, from that
elevated stand. The Hudson resembled chaos rushing headlong between the banks. As for the cakes of ice – some darting past singly, and others piled as high as houses – of course,
the stream was fi lled with such; but, a large, dark object was
seen coming through that very channel, over which Anneke
345
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
and I had stood, less than an hour before, sailing down the current with fearful rapidity. It was a house; of no great size, it is
true, but large enough to present a singular object on the river.
A bridge, of some size, followed; and a sloop, that had been
borne away from the wharves of Albany, soon appeared in
the strange assemblage, that was thus suddenly collected on
this great artery of the colony.
But the hour was late; Anneke was yet to care for; it was necessary to seek a shelter. Still supporting my lovely companion,
who now began to express her uneasiness on account of her
father, and her other friends, I held the way inland; knowing
that there was a high road parallel to the river, and at no great
distance from it. We reached the highway, in the course of
ten minutes, and turned our faces northward, as the direction
which led towards Albany. We had not advanced far before
I heard the voices of men, who were coming towards us; and
glad was I to recognise that of Dirck Follock among the number. I called aloud, and was answered by a shout of exultation,
which, as I afterwards discovered, spontaneously broke out of
his mouth, when he recognised the form of Anneke. Dirck was
powerfully agitated when we joined him; I had never, previously, seen anything like such a burst of feeling from him; and
it was some time before I could address him.
«Of course, your whole party is safe?» I asked, a little doubtingly; for I had actually given up all who had been in Herman
Mordaunt’s sleigh for lost.
«Yes, thank God! all but the sleigh and horses. But where
are Guert Ten Eyck and Miss Wallace?»
346
SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
«Gone ashore on the other side of the river; we parted, and
they took that direction, while we came hither». I said this to
quiet Anneke’s fears; but I had misgivings about their having
got off the river at all. «But let me know the manner of your
own escape».
Dirck then gave us a history of what had passed; the whole
party turning back to accompany us, as soon as I told them
that their errand – a search for the horses – was useless.
The substance of what we heard was as follows: – In the fi rst
effort to reach the western shore, Herman Mordaunt had been
met by the very obstacle which Guert had foreseen and he
turned south, hoping to fi nd some spot at which to land, by
going farther from the dam that had formed above. After repeated efforts, and having nearly lost his sleigh and the whole
party, a point was reached at which Herman Mordaunt determined to get his female companion on shore, at every hazard.
This was to be done only by crossing fl oating cakes of ice, in
a current that was already running at the rate of four or fi ve
miles in the hour. Dirck was left in charge of the horses while
the experiment was made; but seeing the adventurers in great
danger, he fl ew to their assistance – when the whole party
were immersed, though not in deep water. Left to themselves,
and alarmed with the fl oundering in the river and the grinding of the cakes, Herman Mordaunt’s bays went off in the confusion. Mrs. Bogart was assisted to the land, and was helped to
reach the nearest dwelling – a comfortable farm-house,
about a quarter of a mile beyond the point where we had
met the party. There Mrs. Bogart had been placed in a warm
bed, and the gentlemen were supplied with such dry clothes
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
as the rustic wardrobe of these simple people could furnish.
The change made, Dirck was on his way to ascertain what had
become of the sleigh and horses, as has been mentioned.
On inquiry, I found that the spot where Anneke and myself
had landed was quite three miles below the island on which
Guert and I had drawn the sleigh. Nearly the whole of this distance had we fl oated with the pile of broken ice, in the short
time we were on it; a proof of the furious rate at which the current was setting downward. No one had heard anything of
Guert and Mary; but I encouraged my companion to believe
that they were necessarily safe on the other shore. I certainly
deemed this to be very questionable, but there was no use in
anticipating evil.
On reaching the farm-house, Herman Mordaunt’s delight
and gratitude may more easily be imagined than described.
He folded Anneke to his heart, and she wept like an infant on
his bosom. Nor was I forgotten in this touching scene but
came in for a full share of notice.
«I want no details, noble young man –» I am professing to
write the truth, and must be excused for relating such things
as these, but –» I want no details, noble young man», said
Herman Mordaunt, squeezing my hand, «to feel certain that,
under God, I owe my child’s life, for the second time, to you.
I wish to Heaven! – but, no matter – it is now too late – some
other way may and must offer. I scarce know what I say, Littlepage; but what I mean is, to express faintly, some small portion of the gratitude I feel, and to let you know how sensibly
and deeply your services are felt and appreciated».
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
The reader may think it odd, that this incoherent, but pregnant speech, made little impression on me at the time, beyond
the grateful conviction of having really rendered the greatest of all services to Anneke and her father; though I had better occasion to remember it afterwards.
It is unnecessary to dwell more particularly on the occurrences at the farm-house. The worthy people did what they
could to make us comfortable, and we were all warm in bed, in
the course of the next half-hour.
On the following morning a wagon was harnessed, and
we left these simple countrymen and women – who refused
everything like compensation, as a matter of course – and
proceeded homeward. I have heard it said that we Americans
are mercenary: it may be so, but not a man, probably, exists in
the colonies, who would accept money for such assistance.
We were two hours in reaching Albany, on wheels; and entered the place about ten, in a very different style from that in
which we had quitted it the day before. As we drove along,
the highway frequently led us to points that commanded
views of the river, and we had so many opportunities of noting the effects of the freshet. Of ice, very little remained. Here
and there a cake or a pile was seen still adhering to the shore,
and occasionally fragments fl oated downwards; but, as a rule,
the torrent had swept all before it. I particularly took notice of
the island on which we had sought refuge. It was entirely under water, but its outlines were to be traced by the bushes
which lined its low banks. Most of the trees on its upper end
were cut down, and all that grew on it would unquestionably
have gone, had not the dam given way as early as it did. A great
349
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
number of trees had been broken down on all the islands; and
large tops and heavy trunks were still fl oating in the current,
that were lately tenants of the forest, and had been violently
torn from their places.
We found all the lower part of Albany, too, under water.
Boats were actually moving through the streets; a considerable
portion of its inhabitants having no other means of communicating with their neighbours. A sloop of some size lay up on
one of the lowest spots; and, as the water was already subsiding,
it was said she would remain there until removed by the shipwrights. Nobody was drowned in the place; for it is not usual
for the people of these colonies to remain in their beds, at such
times, to await the appearance of the enemy in at their windows. We often read of such accidents destroying hundreds in
the Old World; but, in the New, human life is of too much account to be unnecessarily thrown away, and so we make some
efforts to preserve it.
As we drove into the street in which Herman Mordaunt
lived, we heard a shout, and turning our heads, we saw Guert
Ten Eyck waving his cap to us, with joy delineated in every
feature of his handsome face. At the next moment he was at
our side.
«Mr. Herman Mordaunt», he cried, shaking that gentleman
most cordially by the hand, «I look upon you as one raised from
the dead; you and my excellent neighbour, Mrs. Bogart, and
Mr. Follock, here! How you got off the river is a mystery to me,
for I well know that the water commonly breaks through fi rst
under the west shore. Corny and Miss Anneke – God bless
you both! Mary Wallace is in terror lest ill news come from
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