XV
D'ri's narrative was the talk of the garrison. Those who heard thetelling, as I did not, were fond of quoting its odd phrases, and ofdescribing how D'ri would thrust and parry with his jack-knife inthe story of the bouts.
The mystery of that plunge into darkness and invisible water was atrial to my nerves the like of which I had never suffered. Afterthey had pulled his Lordship out of the grave, and I knew therewould be no more fighting, I began to feel the strain he had putupon me. He was not so strong as D'ri, but I had never stoodbefore a quicker man. His blade was as full of life and cunning asa cat's paw, and he tired me. When I went under water I felt sureit was all over, for I was sick and faint. I had been thinking ofD'ri in that quick descent. I wondered if he was the man who hadgot away and gone down the slide. I was not the less amazed,however, to feel his strong hand upon me as I came up. I knewnothing for a time. D'ri has told me often how he bore me up inrapid water until he came into an eddy where he could touch bottom.There, presently, I got back my senses and stood leaning on hisbroad shoulder awhile. A wind was blowing, and we could hear aboat jumping in the ripples near by. We could see nothing, it wasso dark, but D'ri left me, feeling his way slowly, and soon foundthe boat. He whistled to me, and I made my way to him. There wereoars in the bottom of the boat. D'ri helped me in, where I layback with a mighty sense of relief. Then he hauled in a rope andanchor, and shoved off. The boat, overrunning the flow in amoment, shot away rapidly. I could feel it take headway as weclove the murmuring waters. D'ri set the oars and helped it on. Ilay awhile thinking of all the blood and horror in that blacknight--like a dream of evil that leads through dim regions ofsilence into the shadow of death. I thought of the hinted peril ofthe slide that was to be the punishment of poor courage.
D'ri had a plausible theory of the slide. He said that if we hadclung to the sides of it to break our speed we 'd have gone downlike a plummet and shattered our bones on a rocky shore. Comingfast, our bodies leaped far into the air and fell to deep water.How long I lay there thinking, as I rested, I have no satisfactorynotion. Louise and Louison came into my thoughts, and a plan ofrescue. A rush of cavalry and reeking swords, a dash for theboats, with a flying horse under each fair lady, were in thatmoving vision. But where should we find them? for I knew not thename of that country out of which we had come by ways of darknessand peril. The old query came to me, If I had to choose betweenthem, which should I take? There was as much of the old doubt inme as ever. For a verity, I loved them both, and would die foreither. I opened my eyes at last, and, rising, my hands upon thegunwales, could dimly see the great shoulders of D'ri swaying backand forth as he rowed. The coming dawn had shot an arrow into thegreat, black sphere of night, cracking it from circumference tocore, and floods of light shortly came pouring in, sweeping downbridges of darkness, gates of gloom, and massy walls of shadow. Wewere in the middle of a broad river--the St. Lawrence, we knew,albeit the shores were unfamiliar to either of us. The sunlightstuck in the ripples, and the breeze fanned them into flowing fire.The morning lighted the green hills of my native land with a mightysplendor. A new life and a great joy came to me as I filled mylungs with the sweet air. D'ri pulled into a cove, and neithercould speak for a little. He turned, looking out upon the river,and brushed a tear off his brown cheek.
"No use talking" said he, in a low tone, as the bow hit the shore,"ain' no country luk this 'un, don' care where ye go."
As the oars lay still, we could hear in the far timber a call offife and drum. Listening, we heard the faint familiar strains of"Yankee Doodle." We came ashore in silence, and I hugged thenearest tree, and was not able to say the "Thank God!" that fellfrom my lips only half spoken.