Fast-as-the-Wind.pdf
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1、TheProjectGutenbergEBookofFastastheWind,byNatGouldThiseBookisfortheuseofanyoneanywhereatnocostandwithalmostnorestrictionswhatsoever.Youmaycopyit,giveitawayorre-useitunderthetermsoftheProjectGutenbergLicenseincludedwiththiseBookoronlineatwww.gutenberg.orgTitle:FastastheWindANovelAuthor:NatGouldReleas
2、eDate:March20,2011EBook#35618Language:English*STARTOFTHISPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKFASTASTHEWIND*ProducedbyMatthewWheaton,SuzanneShellandtheOnlineDistributedProofreadingTeamathttp:/(ThisfilewasproducedfromimagesgenerouslymadeavailablebyTheInternetArchive/AmericanLibraries.)FASTASTHEWINDANOVELByNATGOULDAU
3、THOROFTheRiderinKhaki,Etc.DecorationA.L.BURTCOMPANYPublishersNewYorkPublishedbyarrangementwithFrederickA.StokesCompanyCopyright,1918,byFREDERICKA.STOKESCO.AllrightsreservedTranscribersNote:Inconsistentspellingsretained.Minortypographical errors have been corrected andnoted. Errors are indicated with
4、 a mouse-hover.Foracompletelist,pleaseseetheendofthisdocument.CONTENTSCHAPTERPAGEI.THEBOOMOFAGUN1II.STORYOFANESCAPE10III.THEMANONTHEROAD20IV.THEWOMANATTHETABLE30V.PICTONSWINNINGMOUNT40VI.INBRACKSCOTTAGE50VII.ACRITICALMOMENT59VIII.ONBOARDTHESEA-MEW69IX.LENISEELROY79X.HAVERTON88XI.TEARAWAYANDOTHERS97X
5、II.ITHINKHESDEAD106XIII.AWOMANSFEAR115XIV.NOTRECOGNISED124XV.THEST.LEGERSINYOURPOCKET132XVI.HOWHECTORFOUGHTTHEBLOODHOUND140XVII.ANINTRODUCTIONATHURSTPARK149XVIII.CONSCIENCETROUBLES158XIX.WHATWOULDYOUDO?165XX.RITASEESARESEMBLANCE174XXI.BRACKTURNSTRAVELER182XXII.DONCASTER191XXIII.THECROWDINTHERING200X
6、XIV.BYJOVE,SHESWONDERFUL208XXV.FASTASTHEWIND216XXVI.THESTRUGGLEFORTHECUP224XXVII.THERESERVEDCOMPARTMENT233XXVIII.HOWHECTORHADHISREVENGE241XXIX.ANASTONISHINGCOMMUNICATION250XXX.TEARAWAYSPROGENY258FASTASTHEWINDCHAPTERITHEBOOMOFAGUNA small but splendidly built yacht steamed slowly into Torbay, passedBr
7、ixhamandPaignton,andcametoanchorintheouterharboratTorquay.Itwasagloriousspringmorning,early,andthesunshoneonthewaterwithamyriadofdancingreflections;itbathedinlightthebeautifultown,thescoresofvillasnestlingontheheightssurroundingit,thepalmsontheterracewalk,onthemassofgreeneryclothingfoottosummit,onth
8、einnerharbor,andontherockycoaststretching out towards Ansteys Cove and Babbacombe Beach. It was amagnificent sight, the arts of man and nature mingled together, for onceharmonizing,forTorquayhasnotbeenspoiltbybuilders,atleastasseenfromthebay.Behind,Brixhamway,theredsailsofthefishingboatsflappedlazil
9、yinanidlebreeze.Fourmen-of-warlaystillinthebay,guardiansofthepeace,comforting,reassuring,ahintofwhatlaybehind.Howpeacefulthesemonstersofthedeeplooked.Slumberingsurelywerethey.Whatwasthat?Apuffofwhitesmoke,thenasolemnsound,whichspedacrossthebay,andechoedoverthehills.Oneofthemonstershadspoken,justtosh
10、owitwaswideawake.IthadacuriouseffectonthemanleaningoverthesideoftheSea-mew,theyachtthathadjustcometoanchor.Itstartledhimfromhisreverie,fromhiscontemplationofallthatwassobeautifularoundhim.Foramomenthelookedacrossatthewarships,andsawthesmokedriftingaway,thenheturnedandlookedoverthetownanditsheights,a
11、ndhisthoughtswentfarandlandedonDartmoor.Anothergunboomedout.Thistimeitseemedmorenatural.Againtheechoranoverthehills,andagainheturnedandlookedtowardsthatvastmoorwhichlaybehind.Supposingitweretrue,hemuttered.WouldtoGoditwere,andthatheweresafeonboardmyyacht.Allforawoman,andsuchawoman!Heclenchedhisfista
12、ndstrucktherail.PictonWoodridge,owneroftheSea-mew,wasamanofaboutthirty,tall,goodlooking,genial,popular,butlonely,ifapopularmancanbedescribedaslonely,andtherearesuchmen.Hewasrich,asportsman.HisstableatHavertoncontainedgoodhorses:aDerbywinnerinprospect,oneofthebeststayersinEngland,andaboveallTearaway,
13、ablackfilly,threeyearsold,describedbyhertrainer,BrantBlackett,asabeauty,arealgem,andfastasthewind.Heoughttohavebeenahappyman.Toalloutwardappearanceshewas,butbehindasmilingfacethereissometimesaheavyheart.Itwasnotexactlysoinhiscase,yettherewassomethingofit.Therewasoneblackshadowcastoverhisgildedpath,a
14、ndtheechoofthegunfromtheman-of-warhaddeepenedit.WhythedeucedidIcomehere?hemuttered.WhydidIpromiseDickIdrideforhimatTorquayraces?Hesighed;heknewwhyhehadpromisedDickLangfordtorideforhim;hewoulddoagooddealmorethanthisforDick,forthesakeofhissisterRita.HehadnoothercompanionontheyachtthanBenBruce,captaino
15、ftheSea-mew,whostoodtowardshiminthelightofhisbestfriend.BenBrucewasacharacterinhisway.HehadbeenintheNavy,onthesameshipwithPictonsfather,andAdmiralWoodridgeandtheyoungofficerhadesteemandaffectionforeachother.LieutenantBruceoftencametoHavertonintheAdmiralstimeandwasalwaysawelcomeguest.HehadknownPicton
16、fromaboy,andsharedtheAdmiralsfondnessforthesomewhatlonelychild,whosemother died at his birth, and whose elder brother was generally away fromhome,trainingfortheArmy.Brucerememberedtheelderboy,Hector,buthadnotseensomuchofhim,orbecomesoattachedtohimastoPicton.Hectorwasofadifferentdisposition,hasty,hea
17、dstrong,willful,andyetthebrothersweremuchattached,andwhenathometogether,wereseldomapart.Thereweretenyears between them; consequently Hector regarded himself in the light of aprotectortoPicton.TheAdmirallovedthemandendeavoredtotreatthemequallyinhisaffection,butitwasnotdifficulttoseetheyoungerhadthest
18、rongerholdoverhim.Hectorsawitandsmiled.Hewasnotatalljealous;hefeltifitcametochoosing,andoneofthemhadtobereliedupon,hisfatherwouldselecthim.Andsuchwouldprobably have been the case had occasion occurred, but it did not, andeverythingwentontheeventenorofitswayuntilthefataldaywhenaterriblethinghappeneda
19、ndHectorbecame,soPictonwaspositivelycertain,thevictimofawomanswiles.Whatthishappeningwasweshalllearn.Sufficienttosay,itcausedtheAdmiraltoretire.Henevergotovertheshock,anddiedsoonafterhelefttheNavy.ThebulkofhisfortunewaslefttoPicton,whowasdetermined,whenthetimecame,tosurrendertoHectorhispropershare.C
20、aptainBenBrucelefttheservicesoonaftertheAdmiralhehadlovedandserved.Hewas,sotospeak,apoorman,andwhenhecametoHaverton,tohisoldchiefsfuneral,Pictonbeggedhimtostaywithhimforafewmonthstorelievehisloneliness.Thishereadilyconsentedtodo.Themonthsextended,andPictonwouldnotlethimgo;hereliedonthestrongerman,wh
21、ohadcarvedhiswayupwardbyhisownexertions.BenBruceprotested,alltonopurpose.Icantdowithoutyou,saidPicton.Youweremyfathersfriend,hehadeveryconfidenceinyou;youareoneoftheexecutors,youarethepropermantoremainhereandruntheshow.BenBrucelaughed.Runtheshow!hesaid.NotmuchchanceofthatevenifIwishedit.Youveagoodhe
22、adonyourshoulders,andonequitecapableofmanagingyouraffairs.IfIstay,mindIsayif,itwillnotbeonthataccount.Itdoesntmattertomeonwhataccountyoustaysolongasyouconsenttoremain,saidPicton.Theressomuchtodohere;IamshortofacompanionyouknowIdonttaketoeveryone.Theresanotherthingalthoughyoureasailoryouarefondofhors
23、es,andagoodrider,andIsay,Ben,Iveapropositiontomake.AgainBenBrucelaughed.Youvegot afreshproposition almostevery week,and its nearlyalwayssomethinginmyfavor.Thiswillbetoyourliking,aswellas,ifyouthinkso,inyourfavor.Whatisit?TakechargeoftheHavertonhorsesbemymanager.WhataboutBlackett?Hellnotmind;infacthe
24、lllikeit.Iputittohim;heseemedratherenamoredoftheprospectofbeingcloselyconnectedwithCaptainBruce,thefriendofhisadoredAdmiral.TherewasntamanlivingBlackettlovedmorethanmyfather;Ithinkitwasthecombinationoftheseaandthestableappealedtohim.Blackettalwayshadanidea,sohetoldme,untilhebecameacquaintedwiththeAd
25、miral,thatsailorsweredufferswherehorseswereconcerned.ButIsoonfoundoutthedifference,hesaid;theAdmiralknewprettynearasmuchaboutahorseasIdid.OfcourseItaughthimathingortwo,buthewasagoodjudge,heknewthepointsofahorseprettynearaswellashedidthepartsofabattleship.ThatsBlackettsopinion,andhehasanideaCaptainBr
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