按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
nking what we said； and with endless promises of what we would send and bring them in the spring。
Here are the scraps of letters from Orcutt； dear fellow； which tell what more there is left to tell：
〃December 10th。 〃。 。 。 After you left we were a little blue； and hung round loose for a day or two。 Sunday we missed you especially； but Asaph made a good substitute； and Mrs。 Leonard led the singing。 The next day we moved the Leonards into L and M； which we christened Leonard and Mary （Mary is for your wife）。 They are pretty dark； but very dry。 Leonard has swung hammocks； as Whitman did。
〃Asaph came to me Tuesday and said he thought they had better turn to and put a shed over the unfinished circle； and so take occasion of warm days for dry work there。 This we have done； and the occupation is good for us。 。 。 。〃
〃December 25th。 I have had no chance to write for a fortnight。 The truth is； that the weather has been so open that I let Asaph go down to No。 7 and to Wilder's； and engage five… and…twenty of the best of the men； who； we knew； were hanging round there。 We have all been at work most of the time since； with very good success。 H is now wholly covered in； and the centring is out。 The men have named it Haliburton。 I is well advanced。 J is as you left it。 The work has been good for us all； morally。〃
〃February 11th。 〃。 。 。 We got your mail unexpectedly by some lumbermen on their way to the 9th Range。 One of them has cut himself； and takes this down。
〃You will be amazed to hear that I and K are both done。 We have had splendid weather； and have worked half the time。 We had a great jollification when K was closed in；called it Kilpatrick； for Seth's old general。 I wish you could just run up and see us。 You must be quick； if you want to put in any of the last licks。
〃March 12th。 〃DEAR FRED；I have but an instant。 By all means make your preparations to be here by the end of the month or early in next month。 The weather has been faultless； you know。 Asaph got in a dozen more men； and we have brought up the surface farther than you could dream。 The ways are well forward； and I cannot see why； if the freshet hold off a little； we should not launch her by the 10th or 12th。 I do not think it worth while to wait for paint or enamel。 Telegraph Brannan that he must be here。 You will be amused by our quarters。 We； who were the last outsiders； move into A and D to…morrow； for a few weeks。 It is much warmer there。 〃Ever yours； G。 O。〃
I telegraphed Brannan； and in reply he came with his wife and his children to Boston。 I told him that he could not possibly get up there； as the roads then were； but Ben said he would go to Skowhegan； and take his chance there。 He would； of course； communicate with me as soon as he got there。 Accordingly I got a note from him at Skowhegan； saying he had hired a sleigh to go over to No。 9； and in four days more I got this letter：
March 27th。 DEAR FRED；I am most glad I came； and I beg you to bring your wife as soon as possible。 The river is very full； the wheels； to which Leonard has added two auxiliaries； are moving as if they could not hold out long； the ways are all but ready； and we think we must not wait。 Start with all hands as soon as you can。 I had no difficulty in coming over from Skowhegan。 We did it in two days。
This note I sent at once to Haliburton； and we got all the children ready for a winter journey； as the spectacle of the launch of the MOON was one to be remembered their life long。 But it was clearly impossible to attempt； at that season； to get the subscribers together。 Just as we started； this despatch from Skowhegan was brought me；the last word I got from them：
Stop for nothing。 There is a jam below us in the stream； and we fear back…water。 ORCUTT。
Of course we could not go faster than we could。 We missed no connection。 At Skowhegan； Haliburton and I took a cutter； leaving the ladies and children to follow at once in larger sleighs。 We drove all night； changed horses at Prospect； and kept on all the next day。 At No。 7 we had to wait over night。 We started early in the morning； and came down the Spoonwood Hill at four in the afternoon； in full sight of our little village。
It was quiet as the grave！ Not a smoke； not a man； not an adze…blow； nor the tick of a trowel。 Only the gigantic fly…wheels were whirling as I saw them last。
There was the lower Coliseum…like centring； somewhat as I first saw it。
But where was the Brick Dome of the MOON？
〃Good Heavens！ has it fallen on them all？〃 cried I。
Haliburton lashed the beast till he fairly ran down that steep hill。 We turned a little point； and came out in front of the centring。 There was no MOON there！ An empty amphitheatre； with not a brick nor a splinter within！
We were speechless。 We left the cutter。 We ran up the stairways to the terrace。 We ran by the familiar paths into the centring。 We came out upon the ways； which we had never seen before。 These told the story too well！ The ground and crushed surface of the timbers； scorched by the rapidity with which the MOON had slid down； told that they had done the duty for which they were built。
It was too clear that in some wild rush of the waters the ground had yielded a trifle。 We could not find that the foundations had sunk more than six inches； but that was enough。 In that fatal six inches' decline of the centring； the MOON had been launched upon the ways just as George had intended that it should be when he was ready。 But it had slid； not rolled； down upon these angry fly…wheels； and in an instant； with all our friends； it had been hurled into the sky！
〃They have gone up！〃 said Haliburton； 〃She has gone up！〃 said I；both in one breath。 And with a common instinct； we looked up into the blue。
But of course she was not there。
Not a shred of letter or any other tidings could we find in any of the shanties。 It was indeed six weeks since George and Fanny and their children had moved into Annie and Diamond；two unoccupied cells of the MOON；so much more comfortable had the cells proved than the cabins； for winter life。 Returning to No。 7； we found there many of the laborers； who were astonished at what we told them。 They had been paid off on the 30th； and told to come up again on the 15th of April； to see the launch。 One of them； a man named Rob Shea； told me that George kept his cousin Peter to help him move back into his house the beginning of the next week。
And that was the last I knew of any of them for more than a year。 At first I expected； each hour； to hear that they had fallen somewhere。 But time passed by； and of such a fall； where man knows the world's surface； there was no tale。 I answered； as best I could； the letters of their friends； by saying I did not know where they were； and had not heard from them。 My real thought was； that if this fatal MOON did indeed pass our atmosphere； all in it must have been burned to death in the transit。 But this I whispered to no one save to Polly and Annie and Haliburton。 In this terrible doubt I remained； till I noticed one day in the 〃Astronomical Record〃 the memorandum； which you perhaps remember； of the observation； by Dr。 Zitta； of