Останній з Могікан
Chapter 6
"Inwhatpartofthemarewe?"askedHeyward.
"Why,wearenighthespotthatProvidencefirstplacedthemat,butwhere,itseems,theyweretoorebellioustostay.Therockprovedsofteroneachsideofus,andsotheyleftthecentreoftheriverbareanddry,firstworkingoutthesetwolittleholesforustohidein."
"Wearethenonanisland?"
"Ay!therearethefallsontwosidesofus,andtheriveraboveandbelow.Ifyouhaddaylight,itwouldbeworththetroubletostepupontheheightofthisrock,andlookattheperversityofthewater.Itfallsbynoruleatall;sometimesitleaps,sometimesittumbles;there,itskips;here,itshoots;inoneplace’tiswhiteassnow,andinanother’tisgreenasgrass;hereabouts,itpitchesintodeephollows,thatrumbleandquakethe‘arth;andhereaway,itripplesandsingslikeabrook,fashioningwhirlpoolsandgulleysintheoldstone,asit’twasnoharderthantroddenclay.Thewholedesignoftheriverseemsdisconcerted.Firstitrunssmoothly,asifmeaningtogodownthedescentasthingswereordered;thenitanglesaboutandfacestheshores;norarethereplaceswantingwhereitlooksbackward,asifunwillingtoleavethewilderness,tominglewiththesalt!Ay,lady,thefinecobweb-lookingclothyouwearatyourthroat,iscoarse,andlikeafish-net,tolittlespotsIcanshowyou,wheretheriverfabricatesallsortsofimages,asif,havingbrokeloosefromorder,itwouldtryitshandateverything.
