I am not at all sure. He wanted to haul junks, drink wine, and have friends.

I had been in a great hurry to survey this river. What did I think now about my dam—about skimming a millennium in a day?

—

AT SOME time—it must have been while we were still in the mouth of the gorge—I thought of Su-ling. I remembered that after the Old Big had gone out of sight down the river, Su-ling had run sobbing through the arch of the main cabin aft across the conning deck to her small home on the junk, and the owner’s. Its door had slammed shut. I wanted to help her now, as she had so often helped me through uneasy times on this voyage, and I went astern and knocked on the cabin door.

There was no answer, and I knocked again, and again, repeatedly, but the silence within held. I opened the door and walked in.

This was the first time I had been in the after-house. It was dark there. There was a tiny square opening for light and air high on the sloping transom wall opposite me. Dimly I made out two wide wooden bunks on either side, each with a reed mat spread on it. The place seemed bare and clean. I was surprised not to see Su-ling curled on one of the bunks, weeping. Her love was lost; her husband, I assumed, was also dead. Finally, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw her standing directly in front of me, with her back to me. She was gazing with wide dry eyes into a mirror that was fastened to a stanchion, with the meager light from the little window on her face.

Becoming aware of me, she turned and brushed past me and walked out onto the conning deck. Her face was the one she always showed, unfurrowed, sweet, and bright, with only the tuck of everlasting woe at the corner of her mouth to show for the day’s catastrophes. She did not look at me. Her hands worked at one earlobe as she walked, then at the other, and following her I saw her go to the port side, facing the open river, and there she threw the red earrings Old Pebble had given her into the man-eating water.

She wheeled and went quickly back into the cabin. I did not go in after her, because it was clear that she wanted to be alone.

The door closed, and then, within, I heard deep muffled sobs from this river girl who did her best to hide her feelings from the world.

—