我看书斋

岩岛奇遇 an adventure n ind rck（第2页）

Ilookedatmywatch。Itwasaquarterastthree。Thetidewouldbegintoturnaboutfve，butitwouldbeatleasttenbeforetherockwouldbecovered。Ihad，then，littlemorethansixhourstoliveunlessrescued。

Thefatwasbythistimeoutofsightaroundtheoint。Ihoedthatthesightofanemtyflatdriftingdownshoremightattractsomeone‘sattentionandleadtoinvestigation。Thatseemedtobemyonlyhoe。NoalarmwouldbefeltatUncleRichard’sbecauseofmynon-aearance。TheywouldsuoseIhadgonetoUncleAdams。

Ihaveheardoftimeseeminglongtoaersoninmyredicament，buttomeitseemedfairlytofly，foreverymomentdecreasedmychanceofrescue。IdeterminedIwouldnotgivewaytocowardlyfear，so，withamurmuredrayerforhel，Isetmyselftothetaskofwaitingfordeathasbravelyasossible。AtintervalsIshoutedasloudlyasIcouldand，whenthesuncametotheroerangleforthebestviewofthe“HoleintheWall，”Itooktheicture。Itafterwardsturnedouttobeagreatsuccess，butIhaveneverbeenabletolookatitwithoutashudder。

Atfivethetidebegantocomein。Very，veryslowlythewaterrosearoundIslandRock。U，u，uitcame，whileIwatcheditwithfascinatedeyes，feelinglikearatinatra。Thesunfelllowerandlower；ateightoclockthemoonroselargeandbright；atnineitwasalovelynight，dear，calm，brightasday，andthewaterwasswishingoverthehighestledgeoftherock。WithsomedifficultyIclimbedtothetoandsattheretoawaittheend。Ihadnolongeranyhoeofrescuebut，byagreateffort，Ireservedself-control。IfIhadtodie，Iwouldatleastfacedeathstaunchly。ButwhenIthoughtofmymotherathome，ittaskedallmyenergiestokeefrombreakingdownutterly。

SuddenlyIheardawhistle。Neverwassoundsosweet。Istooduandeeredeagerlyshoreward。Comingaroundthe“HoleintheWall”headland，ontoofthecliffs，Isawaboyandadog。Isentawildhallooringingshoreward。

Theboystarted，stoedandlookedouttowardsIslandRock。Thenextmomenthehailedme。ItwasErnestsvoice，anditwasLaddiewhowasbarkingbesidehim。

“Ernest，”Ishoutedwildly，“runforhel-quick!quick！Thetidewillbeovertherockinhalfanhour！Hurry，oryouwillbetoolate！”

Insteadofstartingoffatfullseed，asIexectedhimtodo，Erneststoodstillforamoment，andthenbegantoickhisstesdownanarrowathoverthecliff，followedbyLaddie。

“Ernest，”Ishoutedfrantically，“whatareyoudoing?Whydontyougoforhel?”

Ernesthadbythistimereachedanarrowledgeofrockjustabovethewater-line。Inoticedthathewascarryingsomethingoverhisarm。“Itwouldtaketoolong，”heshouted。“BythetimeIgottotheCoveandaboatcouldrowbackhere，you‘dbedrowned。LaddieandIwillsaveyou。Isthereanythingthereyoucantiearoeto?I’veacoilofroeherethatIthinkwillbelongenoughtoreachyou。IvebeendowntotheCoveandAlecMartinsentitutoyouruncle。”

Ilookedaboutme；asmooth，roundholehadbeenworncleanthroughathinartoftheaexoftherock。

“IcouldfastentheroeifIhadit！”Icalled。“Buthowcanyougetittome?”

ForanswerErnesttiedabitofdriftwoodtotheroeandutitintoLaddiesmouth。Thenextminutethedogwasswimmingouttome。AssoonashecamecloseIcaughttheroe。Itwasjustlongenoughtostretchfromshoretorock，allowingforacouleofhitcheswhichErnestgavearoundasmallboulderontheledge。ItiedmycameracaseonmyheadbymeansofsomestringIfoundinmyocket，thenIsliedintothewaterand，holdingtotheroe，wenthandoverhandtotheshorewithLaddieswimmingbesideme。Ernestheldontotheshorewardendoftheroelikegrimdeath，ataskthatwasnolightoneforhissmallarms。WhenIfinallyscrambledubesidehim，hisfacewasdriingwithersirationandhetrembledlikealeaf。

“Ern，youareabrick！”Iexclaimed。“Youvesavedmylife！”

“No，itwasLaddie。”saidErnest，refusingtotakeanycreditatall。

WehurriedhomeandarrivedatUncleRichardsaboutten，justastheyweregoingtobed。WhenUncleRichardheardwhathadhaened，heturnedveryale，andmurmured，“ThankGod！”AuntKategotmeoutofmywetclothesasquicklyasossible，utmeawaytobedinhotblanketsanddosedmewithgingertea。Isletlikeatoandfeltnonetheworseformyexeriencethenextmorning。

AtthebreakfasttableUncleRichardscarcelysoke。But，justaswefnished，hesaidabrutlytoErnest，“I‘mnotgoingtosellLaddie。YouandthedogsavedNed’slifebetweenyou，andnodogwhoheleddothatisevergoingtobesoldbyme。Henceforthhebelongstoyou。Igivehimtoyouforyourveryown。”

“Oh，Mr。Lawson！”saidErnest，withshiningeyes。

Ineversawaboylooksohay。AsforLaddie，whowassittingbesidehimwithhisshaggyheadonErnestsknee，Ireallybelievethedogunderstood，too。Thelookinhiseyeswasalmosthuman。UncleRichardleanedoverandattedhim。“Gooddog！”hesaid。“Gooddog！”

理查德舅舅进来吃饭时，凯特舅妈问他：“今天我看见的那个在干草地上和你说话的人是谁？”

“鲍勃·马克斯，”理查德舅舅答道，“我把莱迪卖给他了。”

欧内斯特·休斯，那个靠给理查德舅舅做些零工而寄宿在他家的12岁孤儿，听到这些突然停止了吃饭。

他哽咽地哭喊着说：“噢，劳森先生，您别卖掉莱迪！”

理查德舅舅吃惊地看着这个和他一起生活了五年的小男孩，在此之前，欧内斯特一直都沉默寡言，从未主动开口要求过什么，更不必说试图反抗自己的命令了。

“我当然会卖掉，”理查德舅舅决然说道，“鲍勃肯出20块钱买下那只狗，他下个星期就来领走它。”

“噢，劳森先生，”欧内斯特说着站了起来，皱巴巴的小脸涨得通红，“别卖莱迪了，求求你，劳森先生，别卖它！”

“少废话！”理查德舅舅狠狠地说，他是那种不会顾及他人感受的人，他一旦决定的事情，就没人能改变。

“别把莱迪卖掉好吗？”欧内斯特恳求着，“我就这么一个朋友，没了它，我自己还有什么意思？噢，劳森先生，求求你了，别卖了！”

“你给我闭嘴，坐下！”理查德舅舅更严厉了，“狗是我的，我想怎么处置就怎么处置，卖了就卖了，快吃你的饭吧！”

但是，欧内斯特并没有坐下吃饭，这也是他第一次违背叔叔的命令。他猛地拿起椅背后面挂着的帽子，将帽檐拉到眼睛下面，带着哭腔从厨房跑了出去。舅舅看上去很生气，于是凯特赶忙安慰他：

“理查德，别生这个孩子的气了，”她说，“你知道他有多喜欢莱迪。他从小狗出生不久就一直和它玩耍，就这样失去莱迪，他当然会很伤心。听到你要把狗卖掉，就连我都觉得难过。”

“这狗已经卖给人家了，这事到此为止。我嘴上虽没说，可我心里清楚，它真是一条好狗。但它对我们毫无用处。而20美元对我们来说，太有用了。它是只不错的看门狗，对鲍勃是有价值的，我们做了一笔公平、互利的交易。”

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