第16章
Allnightlongtheyheardinthehousesbesidetheshore，Heard，orseemedtohear，throughthemultitudinousroar，Outofthehelloftherapidsas’twerealostsoul’scriesHeardandcouldnotbelieve；andthemorningmockedtheireyes，ShowingwherewildestandfiercestthewatersleapedupandranRavingroundhimandpast，thevisageofamanClinging，orseemingtocling，tothetrunkofatreethat，caughtFastintherocksbelow，scarceoutofthesurgesraught。
Wasitalife，coulditbe，toyonslenderhopethatclungShrill，aboveallthetumulttheansweringterrorrang。
Underthewelteringrapidsaboatfromthebridgeisdrowned，Overtherocksthelinesofanotheraretangledandwound，Andthelong，fatefulhoursofthemorninghavewastedsoon，Asithadbeeninsomeblessedtrance，andnowitisnoon。
Hurry，nowwiththeraft！ButO，builditstrongandstanch，AndtothelinesandthetreacherousrockslookwellasyonlaunchOverthefoamytopsofthewaves，andtheirfoam-sprentsides，Overthehiddenreefs，andthroughtheembattledtides，Onwardrushestheraft，withmanyalurchandleap，——
Lord！ifitstrikehimloosefromtheholdhescarcecankeep！
No！throughallperilunharmed，itreacheshimharmlessatleast，Andtoitsprovenstrengthhelasheshisweaknessfast。
Now，fortheshore！Butsteady，steady，mymen，andslow；
Taut，now，thequiveringlines；nowslack；andso，lethergo！
Throngingtheshoresaroundstandsthepityingmultitude；
Wanashisownaretheirlooks，andanightmareseemstobroodHeavyuponthem，andheavythesilencehangsonall，Savefortherapids’plunge，andthethunderofthefall。
Butonasuddenthrillsfromthepeoplestillandpale，Chorussinghisunhearddespair，adesperatewailCaughtonalurkingpointofrockitswaysandswings，Sportofthepitilesswaters，therafttowhichheclings。
Allthelongafternoonitidlyswingsandsways；
Andontheshorethecrowdliftsupitshandsandprays:
Liftstoheavenandwringsthehandssohelplesstosave，PraysforthemercyofGodonhimwhomtherockandthewaysBattlefor，fetteredbetwixtthem，andwhoamidsttheirstrifeStragglestohelphishelpers，andfightssohardforhislife，Tuggingatropeandatreef，whilemenweepandwomenswoon。
Pricelesssecondbysecond，sowastestheafternoon。
Anditissunsetnow；andanotherboatandthelastDowntohimfromthebridgethroughtherapidshassafelypassed。
WildthroughthecrowdcomesflyingamanthatnothingcanstayMaddeningagainstthegatethatislockedathwarthisway。
“No！wekeepthebridgeforthemthatcanhelphim。You，Tellus，whoareyou？““Hisbrother！““Godhelpyouboth！Passthrough。“
Wild，withwidearmsofimploringhecallsaloudtohim，Untothefaceofhisbrother，scarceseeninthedistancedim；
ButintheroaroftherapidshisflutteringwordsarelostAsinawindofautumntheleavesofautumnaretossed。
AndfromthebridgeheseeshisbrothersevertheropeHoldinghimtotheraft，andrisesecureinhishope；
Seesallasinadreamtheterriblepageantry，Populousshores，thewoods，thesky，thebirdsflyingfree；
Sees，then，theform——that，spentwitheffortandfastingandfear，Flingsitselffeeblyandfailsoftheboatthatislyingsonear，Caughtinthelong-baffledclutchoftherapids，androlledandhurledHeadlongontothecataract’sbrink，andoutoftheworld。
“OBasil！“saidIsabel，withalongsighbreakingthehushthatbestpraisedtheunknownpoet’sskill，“itisn’ttrue，isit？“
“Everyword，almost，eventothebrother’scomingatthelastmoment。
It’saverywell-knownincident，“headded，andIamsurethereaderwhosememoryrunsbacktwentyyearscannothaveforgottenit。
Niagara，indeed，isanawfulhomicide；nearlyeverypointofinterestabouttheplacehaskilleditsman，andtheremightwellbeadeeperstainofcrimsonthaniteverwearsinthatprettybowoverarchingthefalls。Itsbeautyisrelievedagainstanhistoricalbackgroundasgloomyasthelightest-heartedtouristcoulddesire。Theabominablesavages，reveringthecataractasakindofaugustdevil，andleadingalifeofdemoniacalmiseryandwickedness，whomthefirstJesuitsfoundheretwohundredyearsago；theferociousIroquoisbloodilydrivingoutthesesqualiddevil-worshippers；theFrenchplantingthefortthatyetguardsthemouthoftheriver，andtherewiththeseedsofwarthatfruitedafterwardsinmurderousstrifesthroughoutthewholeNiagaracountry；thestruggleforthemilitarypostsontheriver，duringthewarsofFranceandEngland；theawfulsceneintheconspiracyofPontiac，whereadetachmentofEnglishtroopswasdrivenbytheIndiansovertheprecipicenearthegreatWhirlpool；thesorrowandhavocvisitedupontheAmericansettlementsintheRevolutionbythesavageswhopreparedtheirattacksintheshadowofFortNiagara；thebattlesofChippewaandofLundy’sLane，thatmixedtheroaroftheircannonwiththatofthefall；thesavageforayswithtomahawkandscalping-knife，andtheblazingvillagesoneithershoreintheWarof1812，——thesearethememoriesoftheplace，thelinksinachainoftragicalinterestscarcelybrokenbeforeourtimesincethewhitemanfirstbeheldthemist-veiledfaceofNiagara。ThefactslostnothingoftheirdueeffectasBasil，intherambleacrossGoatIsland，touchedthemwiththereflectedlightofMr。Parkman’shistories，——thosepreciousbooksthatmakeourmeagrepastwearsomethingoftherichromanceofoldEuropeandays，andillumineitssavagesolitudeswiththesplendorofmediaevalchivalry，andthegloryofmediaevalmartyrdom，——andthen，lackingthislight，turneduponthemthefeebleglimmeroftheguide-books。HeandIsabelenjoyedtheluridpicturewithallthezestofsentimentalistsdwellinguponthetroublesofothertimesfromtheshelterofthesafeandpeacefulpresent。Theywerebothpoetsintheirqualityofbridalcouple，andsolongastheirownnerveswereunshakentheycouldtransmuteallfactstoentertainingfables。TheypleasantlyexercisedtheirsympathiesuponthosewhoeveryyearperishatNiagarainthetraditionofitsawfulpower；onlytheyrefusedtheircheapandselfishcompassiontotheHermitofGoatIsland，whodweltsomanyyearsinitsconspicuousseclusion，andwasfinallycarriedoverthecataract。Thispubliccharactertheysuspectedofdesigninhisdeathasinhislife，andtheywouldnotbemovedbyhismemory；thoughtheygaveasightothatdream，halfpathetic，halfludicrous，yetnotignoble，ofMordecaiNoah，whothoughttoassemblealltheJewsoftheworld，andalltheIndians，asremnantsofthelosttribes，uponGrandIsland，theretorebuildJerusalem，andwhoactuallylaidthecorner-stoneofthenewtemplethere。
GoatIslandismarvelouslywildforaplacevisitedbysomanythousandseveryyear。Theshrubberyandundergrowthremainunravaged，andformadeceitfulprivacy，inwhich，evenatthatearlyhouroftheday，theymetmanyotherpairs。Itseemedincrediblethatthevillageandthehotelsshouldbesofull，andthatthewildernessshouldalsoaboundinthem；
yetoneveryemboweredseat，andgoingtoandfromallpointsofinterestanddanger，werethesenew-weddedloverswiththeirinterlacingarmsandtheirfondattitudes，inwhicheachseemedtosupportandleanupontheother。SuchapairstoodprominentbeforethemwhenBasilandIsabelemergedatlastfromthecoverofthewoodsattheheadoftheisland，andglancedupthebroadswiftstreamtothepointwhereitransmoothbeforebreakingintotherapids；andasasoftpastoralfeatureintheforegroundofthatmagnificentlandscape，theyfoundthemfarfromunpleasing。SomesuchpairisintheforegroundofeveryfamousAmericanlandscape；andwhenIthinkoftheamountofpubliclove-makingintheseasonofpleasure-travel，fromMountDeserttotheYosemite，andfromtheparksofColoradototheKeysofFlorida，IfeelthatourcontinentisbutalargerArcady，thatthemiddleofthenineteenthcenturyisthegoldenage，andthatwewantverylittleofbeinganationofshepherdsandshepherdesses。
OurfriendsreturnedbytheshoreoftheCanadianrapids，havingtraversedtheislandbyapaththroughtheheartofthewoods，andnowdrewslowlyneartheFallsagain。Allpartsoftheprodigiouspageanthaveaneternalnovelty，andtheybeheldtheever-varyingeffectofthatconstantsublimitywiththesenseofdiscoverers，orratherofpeoplewhosegreatfortuneitistoseethemarvelinitsbeginning，andnewfromthecreatinghand。Themorninghourlentitssunnycharmtothisillusion，whileinthecavernousprecipicesoftheshores，darkwithevergreens，amysteryasofprimevalnightseemedtolinger。Therewasawildflutteringoftheirnerves，arapturewithanunder-consciousnessofpain，theexaltationofperilandescape，whentheycametothethreelittleislesthatextendfromGoatIsland，onebeyondanotherfaroutintothefuriouschannel。Threeprettysuspension-bridgesconnectthemnowwiththelargerisland，andundereachofthesefloundersahugerapid，andhurlsitselfawaytominglewiththeruinofthefall。TheThreeSistersaremerefragmentsofwilderness，clumpsofvine-tangledwoods，planteduponmassesofrock；buttheyarepartofthefascinationofNiagarawhichnooneresists；norcouldIsabelhavebeenpersuadedfromexploringthem。Itwantsnocouragetodothis，butmerelysubmissiontothelocalsorcery，andtheadventurerhasnootherrewardthantheconsciousnessofhavingbeenwherebutafewyearsbeforenohumanbeinghadperhapssetfoot。Shegrossedfrombridgetobridgewithaquakingheart，andatlaststoodupontheoutermostisle，whence，throughthescreenofvinesandboughs，shegavefearfulglancesattheheavingandtossingfloodbeyond，fromeverywaveofwhichateveryinstantsherescuedherselfwithadesperatestruggle。Theexertiontoldheavilyuponherstrengthunawares，andshesuddenlymadeBasilanotherrevelationofcharacter。Withouttheslightestwarningshesankdownattherootofatree，andsaid，withseriouscomposure，thatshecouldnevergobackonthosebridges；theywerenotsafe。Hestaredathercoweringforminblankamaze，andputhishandsinhispockets。Thenitoccurredtohisdullmasculinesensethatitmustbeajoke；andhesaid，“Well，I’llhaveyoutakenoffinaboat。“
“Odo，Basil，do，havemetakenoffinaboat！“imploredIsabel。“YouseeyourselftheMidgesarenotsafe。Dogetaboat。“