a far country-第5章

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friendly　confederates；　likewise　old　Cephas；　the　darkey　who；　from　my
earliest　memory；　carried　coal　and　wood　and　blacked　the　shoes；　washed　the
windows　；and　scrubbed　the　steps。

One　afternoon　Tom　went　to　work。。。。

The　history　of　the　building　of　the　good　ship　Petrel　is　similar　to　that　of
all　created　things；　a　story　of　trial　and　error　and　waste。　　At　last；　one
March　day　she　stood　ready　for　launching。　　She　had　even　been　caulked；　for
Grits；　from　an　unknown　and　unquestionably　dubious　source；　had　procured　a
bucket　of　tar；　which　we　heated　over　afire　in　the　alley　and　smeared　into
every　crack。　　It　was　natural　that　the　news　of　such　a　feat　as　we　were
accomplishing　should　have　leaked　out；　that　the　〃yard〃　should　have　been
visited　from　time　to　time　by　interested　friends；　some　of　whom　came　to
admire；　some　to　scoff；　and　all　to　speculate。　　Among　the　scoffers；　of
course；　was　Ralph　Hambleton；　who　stood　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and
cheerfully　predicted　all　sorts　of　dire　calamities。　　Ralph　was　always　a
superior　boy；　tall　and　a　trifle　saturnine　and　cynical；　with　an　amazing
self…confidence　not　wholly　due　to　the　wealth　of　his　father；　the　iron…
master。　　He　was　older　than　I。

〃She　won't　float　five　minutes；　if　you　ever　get　her　to　the　water；〃　was　his
comment；　and　in　this　he　was　supported　on　general　principles　by　Julia　and
Russell　Peters。　　Ralph　would　have　none　of　the　Petrel；　or　of　the　South
Seas　either；　but　he　wanted；so　he　said；〃to　be　in　at　the　death。〃　　The
Hambletons　were　one　of　the　few　families　who　at　that　time　went　to　the　sea
for　the　summer；　and　from　a　practical　knowledge　of　craft　in　general　Ralph
was　not　slow　to　point　out　the　defects　of　ours。　　Tom　and　I　defended　her
passionately。

Ralph　was　not　a　romanticist。　　He　was　a　born　leader；　excelling　at
organized　games；　exercising　over　boys　the　sort　of　fascination　that　comes
from　doing　everything　better　and　more　easily　than　others。　　It　was　only
during　the　progress　of　such　enterprises　as　this　affair　of　the　Petrel　that
I　succeeded　in　winning　their　allegiance；　bit　by　bit；　as　Tom's　had　been
won；　fanning　their　enthusiasm　by　impersonating　at　once　Achilles　and
Homer；　recruiting　while　relating　the　Odyssey　of　the　expedition　in　glowing
colours。　　Ralph　always　scoffed；　and　when　I　had　no　scheme　on　foot　they
went　back　to　him。　　Having　surveyed　the　boat　and　predicted　calamity；　he
departed；　leaving　a　circle　of　quaint　and　youthful　figures　around　the
Petrel　in　the　shed：　Gene　Hollister；　romantically　inclined；　yet　somewhat
hampered　by　a　strict　parental　supervision；　Ralph's　cousin　Ham　Durrett；
who　was　even　then　a　rather　fat　boy；　good…natured　but　selfish；　Don　and
Harry　Ewan；　my　second　cousins；　Mac　and　Nancy　Willett　and　Sam　and　Sophy
McAlery。　　Nancy　was　a　tomboy；　not　to　be　denied；　and　Sophy　her　shadow。　　We
held　a　council；　the　all…important　question　of　which　was　how　to　get　the
Petrel　to　the　water；　and　what　water　to　get　her　to。　　The　river　was　not　to
be　thought　of；　and　Blackstone　Lake　some　six　miles　from　town。　　Finally；
Logan's　mill…pond　was　decided　on；a　muddy　sheet　on　the　outskirts　of　the
city。　　But　how　to　get　her　to　Logan's　mill…pond？　　Cephas　was　at　length
consulted。　　It　turned　out　that　he　had　a　coloured　friend　who　went　by　the
impressive　name　of　Thomas　Jefferson　Taliaferro　（pronounced　Tolliver）；　who
was　in　the　express　business；　and　who；　after　surveying　the　boat　with　some
misgivings；for　she　was　ten　feet　long；finally　consented　to　transport
her　to　〃tide…water〃　for　the　sum　of　two　dollars。　　But　it　proved　that　our
combined　resources　only　amounted　to　a　dollar　and　seventy…five　cents。　　Ham
Durrett　never　contributed　to　anything。　　On　this　sum　Thomas　Jefferson
compromised。

Saturday　dawned　clear；　with　a　stiff　March　wind　catching　up　the　dust　into
eddies　and　whirling　it　down　the　street。　　No　sooner　was　my　father　safely
on　his　way　to　his　office　than　Thomas　Jefferson　was　reported　to　be　in　the
alley；　where　we　assembled；　surveying　with　some　misgivings　Thomas
Jefferson's　steed；　whose　ability　to　haul　the　Petrel　two　miles　seemed
somewhat　doubtful。　　Other　difficulties　developed；　the　door　in　the　back　of
the　shed　proved　to　be　too　narrow　for　our　ship's　beam。　　But　men　embarked
on　a　desperate　enterprise　are　not　to　be　stopped　by　such　trifles；　and　the
problem　was　solved　by　sawing　out　two　adjoining　boards。　　These　were
afterwards　replaced　with　skill　by　the　ship's　carpenter；　Able　Seaman　Grits
Jarvis。　　Then　the　Petrel　by　heroic　efforts　was　got　into　the　wagon；　the
seat　of　which　had　been　removed；　old　Thomas　Jefferson　perched　himself
precariously　in　the　bow　and　protestingly　gathered　up　his　rope…patched
reins。

〃Folks'll　'low　I'se　plum　crazy；　drivin'　dis　yere　boat；〃　he　declared；
observing　with　concern　that　some　four　feet　of　the　stern　projected　over
the　tail…board。　　〃Ef　she　topples；　I'll　git　to　heaven　quicker'n　a　bullet。〃

When　one　is　shanghaied；　however；in　the　hands　of　buccaneers；it　is　too
late　to　withdraw。　　Six　shoulders　upheld　the　rear　end　of　the　Petrel；
others　shoved；　and　Thomas　Jefferson's　rickety　horse　began　to　move　forward
in　spite　of　himself。　　An　expression　of　sheer　terror　might　have　been
observed　on　the　old　negro's　crinkled　face；　but　his　voice　was　drowned；　and
we　swept　out　of　the　alley。　　Scarcely　had　we　travelled　a　block　before　we
began　to　be　joined　by　all　the　boys　along　the　line　of　march；　marbles；
tops；　and　even　incipient　baseball　games　were　abandoned　that　Saturday
morning；　people　ran　out　of　their　houses；　teamsters　halted　their　carts。
The　breathless　excitement；　the　exaltation　I　had　felt　on　leaving　the　alley
were　now　tinged　with　other　feelings；　unanticipated；　but　not　wholly
lacking　in　delectable　quality；concern　and　awe　at　these　unforeseen
forces　I　had　raised；　at　this　ever　growing　and　enthusiastic　body　of
volunteers　springing　up　like　dragon's　teeth　in　our　path。　　After　all；　was
not　I　the　hero　of　this　triumphal　procession？　　The　thought　was　consoling；
exhilarating。　　And　here　was　Nancy　marching　at　my　side；　a　little　subdued；
perhaps；　but　unquestionably　admiring　and　realizing　that　it　was　I　who　had
created　all　this。　　Nancy；　who　was　the　aptest　of　pupils；　the　most　loyal　of
followers；　though　I　did　not　yet　value　her　devotion　at　its　real　worth；
because　she　was　a　girl。　　Her　imagination　kindled　at　my　touch。　　And　on
this　eventful　occasion　she　carried　in　her　arms　a　parcel；　the　contents　of
which　were　unknown　to　all　but　ourselves。　　At　length　we　reached　the　muddy
shores　of　Logan's　pond；　where　two　score　eager　hands　volunteered　to　assist
the　Petrel　into　her　native　element。

Alas！　that　the　reality　never　attains　to　the　vision。　　I　had　beheld；　in　my
dreams；　the　Petrel　about　to　take　the　water；　and　Nancy　Willett　standing
very　straight　making　a　little　speech　and　crashing　a　bottle　of　wine　across
the　bows。　　This　was　the　content　of　the　mysterious　parcel；　she　had　stolen
it　from　her　father's　cellar。　　But　the　number　of　uninvited　spectators；
which　had　not　been　foreseen；　considerably　modified　the　programme；as　the
newspapers　would　have　said。　　They　pushed　and　crowded　around　the　ship；　and
made　frank　and　even　brutal　remarks　as　to　her　seaworthiness；　even　Nancy；
inured　though　she　was　to　the　masculine　sex；　had　fled　to　the　heights；　and
it　looked　at　this　supreme　moment　as　though　we　should　have　to　fight　for
the　Petrel。　　An　attempt　to　muster　her　doughty　buccaneers　failed；　the
gunner　too　had　fled；Gene　Hollister；　Ham　Durrett　and　the　Ewanses　were
nowhere　to　be　seen；　and　a　muster　revealed　only　Tom；　the　fidus　Achates；
and　Grits　Jarvis。

〃Ah；　s'y！〃　he　exclaimed　in　the　teeth　of　the　menacing　hordes。　　〃Stand
back；　carn't　yer？　　I'll　bash　yer　face　in；　Johnny。　　Whose　boat　is　this？〃

Shall　it　be　whispered　that　I　regretted　his　belligerency？　　Here；　in　truth；
was　the　drama　staged；my　drama；　had　I　only　been　able　to　realize　it。　　The
good　ship　beached；　the　headhunters　hemming　us　in　on　all　sides；　the　scene
prepared　for　one　of　those　struggles　against　frightful　odds　which　I　had　so
graphically　related　as　an　essential　part　of　our　adventures。

〃Let's　roll　the　cuss　in　the　fancy　collar；〃　proposed　one　of　the　head…
hunters；meaning　me。

〃I'll　stove　yer　slats　if　yer　touch　him；〃　said　Grits；　and　then　resorted　to
appeal。　　〃I　s'y；　carn't　yer　stand　back　and　let　a　chap　'ave　a　charnst？〃

The　head…hunters　only　jeered。　　And　wh