He opened his eyes, and saw rose and pearl streaks in the sky. The sun
was mounting behind the bluffs. Then a canopy of leaves intervened, and
a whir of bird wings came to his ears. The boat had reached dead water,
and was moving over the submerged roadbed, and groping betwixt the stems
of great pecan-trees,--the great pecan-trees which stood sentinel on the
river borders of his estate. He noticed how the broken limbs flourished
in the water, every leaf satisfied with the moisture it drew.
The colonel realized that he was lying flat in a boat which had not been
bailed dry, and that his head rested on wet homespun, by its odor
belonging to Louis or Jacques; and he saw their black naked arms
paddling with the oars. Beyond them he saw Wachique holding her mistress
carefully and unrestrained; and the negro in her quailed before him at
the deed the Indian had done, scarcely comforted by the twinkle in the
colonel's eye. Tante-gra'mere was sitting up meekly, less affected by
dampness than anybody else in the boat.
Pages:
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174