RaftingDowntheNeckar
馬克·吐溫/MarkTwain
WhenthelandlordlearnedthatIandmyagentswereartists,ourpartyroseperceptiblyinhisesteem;werosestillhigherwhenhelearnedthatweweremakingapedestriantourofEurope.
HetoldusallabouttheHeidelbergroad,andwhichwerethebestplacestoavoidandwhichthebestonestotarryat;hechargedmelessthancostforthethingsIbrokeinthenight;heputupaf?ineluncheonforusandaddedtoitaquantityofgreatlight-greenplums,thepleasantestfruitinGermany;hewassoanxioustodoushonorthathewouldnotallowustowalkoutofHeilbronn,butcalledupGotzVonBerlichingen』shorseandcabandmadeusride.
Imadeasketchoftheturnout.ItisnotaWork.Itisonlywhatartistscalla「study」—athingtomakeaf?inishedpicturefrom.Thissketchhasseveralblemishesinit;forinstance,thewagonisnottravelingasfastasthehorseis.Thisiswrong.Again,thepersontryingtogetoutofthewayistoosmall.Heisoutofperspective,aswesay.Thetwoupperlinesarenotthehorse』sback,theyarethereins;thereseemstobeawheelmissing—thiswouldbecorrectedinaf?inishedwork,ofcourse.Thatthingf?lyingoutbehindisnotaf?lag,itisacurtain.Thatotherthingupthereisthesun,butIdidn』tgetenoughdistanceonit.Idonotremember,now,whatthatthingisthatisinfrontofthemanwhoisrunning,butIthinkitisahaystackorawoman.ThisstudywasexhibitedintheParisSalonof1879,butdidnottakeanymedal;theydonotgivemedalsforstudies.
Wedischargedthecarriageatthebridge.Theriverwasfulloflogs—long,slender,barklesspinelogs—andweleanedontherailsofthebridge,andwatchedthemenputthemtogetherintorafts.TheseraftswereofashapeandconstructiontosuitthecrookednessandextremenarrownessoftheNeckar.Theywerefromf?iftytoonehundredyardslong,andtheygraduallytaperedfromanine-logbreadthattheirsterns,toathree-logbreadthattheirbow-ends.Themainpartofthesteeringisdoneatthebow,withapole;thethree-logbreadththerefurnishesroomforonlythesteersman,fortheselittlelogsarenotlargeraroundthatanaverageyounglady』swaist.Theconnectionsoftheseveralsectionsoftheraftareslackandpliant,sothattheraftmaybereadilybentintoanysortofcurverequiredbytheshapeoftheriver.
TheNeckarisinmanyplacessonarrowthatapersoncanthrowadogacrossit,ifhehasone;whenitisalsosharplycurvedinsuchplaces,theraftsmanhastodosomeprettynicesnugpilotingtomaketheturns.Theriverisnotalwaysallowedtospreadoveritswholebed—whichisasmuchasthirty,andsometimesfortyyardswide—butissplitintothreeequalbodiesofwater,bystonedikeswhichthrowthemainvolume,depth,andcurrentintothecentralone.Inlowwatertheseneatnarrow-edgeddikesprojectfourorf?iveinchesabovethesurface,likethecombofasubmergedroof,butinhighwatertheyareoverf?lowed.AhatfulofrainmakeshighwaterintheNeckar,andabasketfulproducesanoverf?low.
TherearedikesabreasttheSchlossHotel,andthecurrentisviolentlyswiftatthatpoint.Iusedtositforhoursinmyglasscage,watchingthelong,narrowraftsslipalongthroughthecentralchannel,grazingtheright-bankdikeandaimingcarefullyforthemiddlearchofthestonebridgebelow;Iwatchedtheminthisway,andlostallthistimehopingtoseeoneofthemhitthebridge-pierandwreckitselfsometimeorother,butwasalwaysdisappointed.Onewassmashedthereonemorning,butIhadjuststeppedintomyroomamomenttolightapipe,soIlostit.
WhileIwaslookingdownupontheraftsthatmorninginHeilbronn,thedaredevilspiritofadventurecamesuddenlyuponme,andIsaidtomycomrades:
「IamgoingtoHeidelbergonaraft.Willyouventurewithme?」
Theirfacespaledalittle,buttheyassentedwithasgoodagraceastheycould.Harriswantedtocablehismother—thoughtithisdutytodothat,ashewasallshehadinthisworld—so,whileheattendedtothis,Iwentdowntothelongestandf?inestraftandhailedthecaptainwithahearty「Ahoy,shipmate!」whichputusuponpleasanttermsatonce,andweentereduponbusiness.IsaidwewereonapedestriantourtoHeidelberg,andwouldliketotakepassagewithhim.IsaidthispartlythroughyoungZ,whospokeGermanverywell,andpartlythroughMr.Xwhospokeitpeculiarly.IcanunderstandGermanaswellasthemaniacthatinventedit,butItalkitbestthroughaninterpreter.
Thecaptainhitcheduphistrousers,thenshiftedhisquidthoughtfully.PresentlyhesaidjustwhatIwasexpectinghewouldsay—thathehadnolicensetocarrypassengers,andthereforewasafraidthelawwouldbeafterhimincasethemattergotnoisedaboutoranyaccidenthappened.SoIcharteredtheraftandthecrewandtookalltheresponsibilitiesonmyself.
Witharattlingsongthestarboardwatchbenttotheirworkandhovethecableshort,thengottheanchorhome,andourbarkmovedoffwithastatelystride,andsoonwasbowlingalongatabouttwoknotsanhour.