diff options
Diffstat (limited to '15355.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 15355.txt | 3648 |
1 files changed, 3648 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/15355.txt b/15355.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..908aadc --- /dev/null +++ b/15355.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3648 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Nautilus, by Laura E. Richards + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Nautilus + +Author: Laura E. Richards + +Release Date: March 13, 2005 [EBook #15355] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NAUTILUS *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Bruce Thomas and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team + + + + + + +[Illustration] + +NAUTILUS + +BY +LAURA E. RICHARDS +AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "MARIE," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," +ETC., ETC. + +Illustrated + +TENTH THOUSAND + +BOSTON +ESTES AND LAURIAT +1895 + +_Copyright, 1895,_ +BY ESTES AND LAURIAT +_All rights reserved +Entered at Stationers' Hall, London._ + +_Typography and Printing by_ +_C.H. Simonds & Co._ +_Electrotyping by Geo. C. Scott & Sons_ +_Boston, U.S.A._ + +TO MY DEAR FRIENDS, +THE MEMBERS OF THE +HOWE CLUB, +OF GARDINER, MAINE, +THIS STORY IS AFFECTIONATELY +DEDICATED. + + + + + CONTENTS. + +CHAPTER Page + + I. THE BOY JOHN 13 + + II. THE SKIPPER 18 + + III. A GREAT EXHIBITION 33 + + IV. ABOARD THE "NAUTILUS" 48 + + V. MYSTERY 56 + + VI. MR. BILL HEN 68 + + VII. THE CAPTIVE 75 + +VIII. IN THE NIGHT 86 + + IX. FAMILY MATTERS 93 + + X. IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION 105 + + XI. SAILING 113 + + + + +NAUTILUS + +[Illustration: NAUTILUS] + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE BOY JOHN. + + +The boy John was sitting on the wharf, watching the ebb of the tide. The +current was swift, for there had been heavy rains within a few days; the +river was full of drifting logs, bits of bark, odds and ends of various +kinds; the water, usually so blue, looked brown and thick. It swirled +round the great mossy piers, making eddies between them; from time to +time the boy dropped bits of paper into these eddies, and saw with +delight how they spun round and round, like living things, and finally +gave up the struggle and were borne away down stream. + +"Only, in the real maelstrom," he said, "they don't be carried away; +they go over the edge, down into the black hole, whole ships and ships, +and you never see them again. I wonder where they stop, or whether it +goes through to the other side of the world." + +A great log came drifting along, and struck against a pier; the end +swung round, and it rested for a few moments, beating against the wooden +wall. This, it was evident, was a wrecked vessel, and it behooved the +boy John, as a hero and a life-saver, to rescue her passengers. Seizing +a pole, he lay down on his stomach and carefully drew the log toward +him, murmuring words of cheer the while. + +"They are almost starved to death!" he said, pitifully. "The captain is +tied to the mast, and they have not had anything to eat but boots and a +puppy for three weeks. The mate and some of the sailors took all the +boats and ran away,--at least, not ran, but went off and left the rest +of 'em; and they have all said their prayers, for they are very good +folks, and the captain didn't _want_ to kill the puppy one bit, but he +had to, or else they would all be dead now. And--and the reckoning was +dead,--I wonder what that means, and why it is dead so often,--and so +they couldn't tell where they were, but they knew that there were +cannibals on _almost_ all the islands, and this was the hungriest time +of the year for cannibals." + +Here followed a few breathless moments, during which the captain, his +wife and child, and the faithful members of the crew, were pulled up to +the wharf by the unaided arm of the boy John. He wrapped them in hot +blankets and gave them brandy and peanut taffy: the first because it was +what they always did in books; the second because it was the best thing +in the world, and would take away the nasty taste of the brandy. + +Leaving them in safety, and in floods of grateful tears, the rescuer +bent over the side of the wharf once more, intent on saving the gallant +ship from her fate; but at this moment came a strong swirl of tide, the +log swung round once more and floated off, and the rescuer fell "all +along" into the water. This was nothing unusual, and he came puffing and +panting up the slippery logs, and sat down again, shaking himself like a +Newfoundland puppy. He wished the shipwrecked crew had not seen him; he +knew he should get a whipping when he reached home, but that was of less +consequence. Anyhow, she was an old vessel, and now the captain would +get a new ship--a fine one, full rigged, with new sails as white as +snow; and on his next voyage he would take him, the boy John, in place +of the faithless mate, and they would sail away, away, down the river +and far across the ocean, and then,--then he would hear the sound of the +sea. After all, you never could hear it in the river, though that was, +oh, so much better than nothing! But the things that the shells meant +when they whispered, the things that the wind said over and over in the +pine trees, those things you never could know until you heard the real +sound of the real sea. + +The child rose and stretched himself wearily. He had had a happy time, +but it was over now; he must leave the water, which he cared more for +than for anything in the world,--must leave the water and go back to the +small close house, and go to bed, and dream no more dreams. Ah! when +would some one come,--no play hero, but a real one, in a white-sailed +ship, and carry him off, never to set foot on shore again? + +He turned to go, for the shadows were falling, and already a fog had +crept up the river, almost hiding the brown, swiftly-flowing water; yet +before leaving the wharf he turned back once more and looked up and +down, with eyes that strove to pierce the fog veil,--eager, longing eyes +of a child, who hopes every moment to see the doors open into +fairy-land. + +And lo! what was this that he saw? What was this that came gliding +slowly, silently out of the dusk, out of the whiteness, itself whiter +than the river fog, more shadowy than the films of twilight? The child +held his breath, and his heart beat fast, fast. A vessel, or the ghost +of a vessel? Nearer and nearer it came, and now he could see masts and +spars, sails spread to catch the faint breeze, gleaming brass-work about +the decks. A vessel, surely; yet,--what was that? The fog lifted for a +moment, or else his eyes grew better used to the dimness, and he saw a +strange thing. On the prow of the vessel, which now was seen to be a +schooner, stood a figure; a statue, was it? Surely it was a statue of +bronze, like the Soldiers' Monument, leaning against the mast, with +folded arms. + +Nearer! Fear seized the boy, for he thought the statue had eyes like +real eyes, and he saw them move, as if looking from right to left; the +whites glistened, the dark balls rolled from side to side. The child +stood still, feeling as if he had called up this phantom out of his own +thoughts; perhaps in another minute it would fade away into the fog, as +it had come, and leave only the flowing tide and the shrouded banks on +either side! + +Nearer! and now the bronze figure lifted its arm, slowly, silently, and +pointed at the boy. But this was more than flesh and blood could stand; +little John uttered a choking cry, and turning his back on the awful +portent, ran home as fast as he could lay foot to ground. And on seeing +this the bronze figure laughed, and its teeth glistened, even as the +eyes had done. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE SKIPPER. + + +The little boy slept brokenly that night. Bronze statues flitted through +his dreams, sometimes frowning darkly on him, folding him in an iron +clasp, dragging him down into the depths of roaring whirlpools; +sometimes, still stranger to say, smiling, looking on him with kindly +eyes, and telling him that the sea was not so far away as he thought, +and that one day he should see it and know the sound of it. His bed was +a white schooner,--there seemed no possible doubt of that; it tossed up +and down as it lay by the wharf; and once the lines were cast off, and +he was about to be carried away, when up rose the crew that he had +rescued from shipwreck, and cried with one voice, "No! no! he shall not +go!" The voice was that of Mr. Endymion Scraper, and not a pleasant +voice to hear; moreover, the voice had hands, lean and hard, which +clutched the boy's shoulder, and shook him roughly; and at last, +briefly, it appeared that it was time to get up, and that if the boy +John did not get up that minute, like the lazy good-for-nothing he was, +Mr. Scraper would give him such a lesson as he would not forget for one +while. + +John tumbled out of bed, and stood rubbing his eyes for a moment, his +wits still abroad. The water heaved and subsided under him, but +presently it hardened into the garret floor. He staggered a few steps, +as the hard hand gave him a push and let him go, then stood firm and +looked about him. Gradually the room grew familiar; the painted bed and +chair, the window with its four small panes, which he loved to polish +and clean, "so that the sky could come through," the purple mussel-shell +and the china dog, his sole treasures and ornaments. The mussel was his +greatest joy, perhaps; it had been given him by a fisherman, who had +brought a pocket-full back from his sea trip, to please his own +children. It made no sound, but the tint was pure and lovely, and it was +lined with rainbow pearl. The dog was not jealous, for he knew (or the +boy John thought he knew), that he was, after all, the more +companionable of the two, and that he was talked to ten times for the +mussel's once. John was telling him now, as he struggled into his shirt +and trousers, about the vision of last night, and the dreams that +followed it. "And as soon as ever I have my chores done," he said, and +his eyes shone, and his cheek flushed at the thought, "as soon as ever, +I'm going down there, just to see. Of course, I suppose it isn't there, +you know; but then,--if it should be!" + +The dog expressed sympathy in his usual quiet way, and was of the +opinion that John should go by all means, for, after all, who could say +that the vision might not have been reality? When one considered the +stories one had read! and had not the dog just heard the whole of +"Robinson Crusoe" read aloud, bit by bit, in stealthy whispers, by early +daylight, by moonlight, by stray bits of candle begged from a +neighbor,--had he not heard and appreciated every word of the immortal +story? He was no ignorant dog, indeed! His advice was worth having. + +Breakfast was soon eaten; it did not take long to eat breakfast in Mr. +Scraper's house. The chores were a more serious matter, for every spoon +and plate had to be washed to the tune of a lashing tongue, and under an +eye that withered all it lighted on. But at last,--at last the happy +hour came when the tyrant's back was turned, and the tyrant's feet +tottered off in the direction of the post-office. The daily purchases, +the daily gossip at the "store," would fill the rest of the morning, as +John well knew. He listened in silence to the charges to "keep stiddy to +work, and git that p'tater-patch wed by noon;" he watched the departure +of his tormentor, and went straight to the potato-patch, duty and fear +leading him by either hand. The weeds had no safety of their lives that +day; he was in too great a hurry to dally, as he loved to do, over the +bigger stalks of pigweed, the giants which he, with his trusty +sword--only it was a hoe--would presently dash to the earth and behead, +and tear in pieces. Even the sprawling pusley-stems, which generally +played the part of devil-fish and tarantulas and various other monsters, +suffered no amputation of limb by limb, but were torn up with merciful +haste, and flung in heaps together. + +Was the potato-patch thoroughly "wed?" I hardly know. But I know that in +less than an hour after Mr. Endymion Scraper started for the village the +boy John was on his way to the wharf. + +As he drew near the river he found that something was the matter with +his breath. It would not come regularly, but in gasps and sighs; his +heart beat so hard, and was so high up in his throat he was almost +choked. Would he see anything when he turned the corner that led down to +the wharf? And if anything,--what? Then he shut his eyes and turned the +corner. + +The schooner was there. No longer spectral or shadowy, she lay in plain +sight by the wharf, her trim lines pleasant to look at, her decks +shining with neatness, her canvas all spread out to dry, for the night +dew had been heavy. Lifting his fearful eyes, the child saw the bronze +figure standing in the bow, but now it was plainly seen to be a man, a +swarthy man, with close-curled black hair, and bright, dark eyes. Two +other men were lounging about the deck, but John took little heed of +them. This man, the strangest he had ever seen, claimed his whole +thought. He was as dark as the people in the geography book, where the +pictures of the different races were; not an Ethiopian, evidently (John +loved the long words in the geography book), because his nose was +straight and his lips thin; perhaps a Malay or an Arab. If one could see +a real Arab, one could ask him about the horses, and whether the dates +were always sticky, and what he did in a sandstorm, and lots of +interesting things. And then a Malay,--why, you could ask him how he +felt when he ran amuck,--only, perhaps, that would not be polite. + +These meditations were interrupted by a hail from the schooner. It was +the dark man himself who spoke, in a quiet voice that sounded kind. + +"Good-morning, sir! Will you come aboard this morning?" + +John was not used to being called "Sir," and the word fell pleasantly on +ears that shrank from the detested syllable "Bub," with which strangers +were wont to greet him. + +"Yes, if you please," he answered, with some dignity. It is, perhaps, +difficult to be stately when one is only five feet tall, but John felt +stately inside, as well as shy. The stranger turned and made a sign to +the other men, who came quickly, bringing a gang-plank, which they ran +out from the schooner's deck to the wharf. The Skipper, for such the +dark man appeared to be, made a sign of invitation, and after a moment's +hesitation, John ran across and stood on the deck of the white schooner. +Was he still dreaming? Would he wake in a moment and find himself back +in the garret at home, with Mr. Scraper shaking him? + +"Welcome, young gentleman!" said the Skipper, holding out his hand. +"Welcome! the first visitor to the schooner. That it is a child, brings +luck for the next voyage, so we owe you a thank. We arrived last night +only. And what is my young gentleman's name?" + +"My name is John," said the boy, standing with down-cast eyes before +this wonderful person. + +"And mine!" said the Skipper,--"two Johns, the black and the red. You +should be called Juan Colorado, for your hair of red gold." + +The boy looked up quickly, his cheek flushing; he did not like to be +laughed at; but the Skipper's face was perfectly grave, and only +courtesy and hospitality shone from his dark eyes. + +"I wonder what the schooner's name is!" John said, presently, speaking +low, and addressing his remarks apparently to the mast, which he kicked +gently with his foot. + +"The schooner is the 'Nautilus,' young gentleman!" + +The reply came from the Skipper, not from the mast, yet it was still to +the latter that the boy made his next observation. + +"I wonder where she comes from, and where she is going, and what she is +going to do here!" And having delivered himself breathlessly of these +remarks, the boy John wished he could squeeze through a port-hole, or +melt away into foam, or get away somehow, anyhow. + +But now he felt himself lifted in strong arms, and set on the rail of +the vessel, with his eyes just opposite those of the Skipper, so that he +could not look up without meeting them; and on so looking up, it became +evident immediately that this was the kindest man in the world, and that +he liked boys, and that, finally, there was nothing to be afraid of. On +which John heaved a mighty sigh of relief, and then smiled, and then +laughed. + +"I like to know things!" he said, simply. + +"Me, too," replied the Skipper. "I also like to know things. How else +shall we become wise, Juan Colorado? Now listen, and you shall hear. +This schooner is the 'Nautilus,' as I say, and she is a Spanish +schooner. Yes;" (in reply to the question in the boy's eyes,) "I am +partly a Spanish man, but not all. I have other mankind in me, young +gentleman. We come from the Bahamas. Do you know where are they, the +Bahamas?" + +John nodded. He liked geography, and stood at the head of his class. +"Part of the West Indies," he said, rapidly. "Low, coral islands. One of +them, San Salvador, is said to be the first land discovered by Columbus +in 1492. Principal exports, sugar, coffee, cotton, tobacco, and tropical +fruits. Belong to Great Britain. That's all I know." + +"Caramba!" said a handsome youth, who was lounging on the rail a few +feet off, gazing on with idle eyes, "you got the schoolmaster here, +Patron! I did not know all that, me, and I come, too, from Bahamas. Say, +you teach a school, M'sieur?" + +"Franci!" said the Patron, gravely. + +"Si, Senor!" said Franci, with a beautiful smile, which showed his teeth +under his black mustache. + +"There is a school of flying-fish in the cabin. Better see to them!" + +"Si, Senor!" said Franci, and disappeared down the hatchway. + +"Is there?" asked the boy John, with great eyes of wonder. The Skipper +smiled, and shook his head. + +"Franci understands me," he said. "I wish to tell him that he go about +his business, and not linger,--as you say, loaf about the deck. I take a +little way round about, but he understands very well, Franci. And of all +these exports, what does the young gentleman think I have brought from +the Bahamas?" + +"I--I was just wondering!" John confessed; but he did not add his +secret hope that it was something more interesting than cotton or +tobacco. + +The Skipper turned and made a quick, graceful gesture with his hand. +"Perhaps the young gentleman like to see my cargo," he said. "Do me the +favor!" and he led the way down to the cabin. + +Now it became evident to the boy that all had indeed been a dream. It +sometimes happened that way, dreaming that you woke and found it all +true, and then starting up to find that the first waking had been of +dream-stuff too, that it was melting away from your sight, from your +grasp; even things that looked so real, so real,--he pinched himself +violently, and shook his head, and tried to break loose from fetters of +sleep, binding him to such sweet wonders, that he must lose next moment; +but no waking came, and the wonders remained. + +The cabin was full of shells. Across one end of the little room ran a +glazed counter, where lay heaped together various objects of jewelry, +shell necklaces, alligator teeth and sea-beans set in various ways, +tortoise-shell combs, bracelets and hairpins,--a dazzling array. Yet the +boy's eyes passed almost carelessly over these treasures, to light with +quick enchantment on the shells themselves, the _real_ shells, as he +instantly named them to himself, resenting half-consciously the turning +of Nature's wonders into objects of vulgar adornment. + +The shells were here, the shells were there, the shells were all around! +Shelf above shelf of them, piled in heaps, lying in solitary splendor, +arranged in patterns,--John had never, in his wildest dreams, seen so +many shells. Half the poetry of his little life had been in the lovely +forms and colors that lay behind the locked glass doors in Mr. Scraper's +parlor; for Mr. Scraper was a collector of shells in a small way. John +had supposed his collection to be, if not the only one in the world, at +least the most magnificent, by long odds; yet here were the old man's +precious units multiplied into tens, into twenties, sometimes into +hundreds, and all lying open to the day, as if anyone, even a small one, +even a little boy, who almost never had anything in his hand more +precious than his own purple mussel at home, might touch and handle them +and feel himself in heaven. + +They gleamed with the banded glories of the rainbow: they softened into +the moonlight beauty of the pearl; they veiled their loveliness in milky +clouds, through which the color showed as pure and sweet as the cheek of +a bride; they glowed with depths of red and flame that might almost burn +to the touch. + +The little boy stood with clasped hands, and sobbed with excitement. +"Did you dig up all the sea?" he asked, in a wonder that was not without +reproach. "Are there none left any more, at all?" + +The Skipper laughed quietly. "The mermaids see not any difference, sir," +he said. "Where I take one shell from its rock, I leave a hundred, a +thousand. The sea is a good mother, she has plenty children. See!" he +added, lifting a splendid horned shell, "this is the Royal Triton. On a +rock I found him, twenty fathom down. It was a family party, I think, +for all around they lay, some clinging to the rock, some in the mud, +some walking about. I take one, two, three, put them in my pouch; up I +go, and the others, they have a little more room, that's all." + +John's eyes glowed in his head. + +"I--I should like to see that!" he cried. "What is it like down there? +Do sharks come by,--swish! with their great tails? And why don't they +eat you, like the man in the geography book? And is there really a +sea-serpent? And do the oysters open and shut their mouths, so that you +can see the pearls, or how do you know which are the right ones? + +"There are a great many things that I have thought about all my life," +he said, "and nobody could ever tell me. The bottom of the sea, that is +what I want most in the world to know about." + +He paused, out of breath, and would have been abashed at his own +boldness, had not the Skipper's eyes told him so perfectly that they had +understood all about it, and that there was no sort of reason why he +should not ask all the questions he liked. + +They were wonderful eyes, those of the Skipper. Most black eyes are +wanting in the depths that one sounds in blue, or gray, in brown, more +rarely in hazel eyes; they flash with an outward brilliancy, they soften +into velvet, but one seldom sees through them into the heart. But these +eyes, though black beyond a doubt, had the darkness of deep, still +water, when you look into it and see the surface mantling with a bluish +gloss, and beneath that depth upon depth of black--clear, serene, +unfathomable. And when a smile came into them,--ah, well! we all know +how that same dark water looks when the sun strikes on it. The sun +struck now, and little John felt warm and comfortable all through his +body and heart. + +"The bottom of the sea?" said the Skipper, taking up a shell and +polishing it on his coat-sleeve. "Yes, that is a fine place, Colorado. +You mind not that I call you Colorado? It pleases me,--the name. A fine +place, truly. You have never seen the sea, young gentleman?" + +The boy shook his head. + +"Never, really!" he said. "I--I've dreamed about it a great deal, and I +think about it most of the time. There's a picture in my geography book, +just a piece of sea, and then broken off, so that you don't see any end +to it; that makes it seem real, somehow, I don't know why. + +"But I've heard the sound of it!" he added, his face brightening. +"There's a shell in Mr. Scraper's parlour, on the mantelpiece, and +sometimes when he goes to sleep I can get it for a minute, and hold it +to my ear, and then I hear the sound, the sound of the sea." + +"Yes," said the Skipper, taking up another shell from one of the +shelves, a tiger cowry, rich with purple and brown. "The sound of the +sea; that is a good thing. Listen here, young gentleman, and tell me +what the tiger say to you of the sea." + +He held the shell to the boy's ear, and saw the colour and the light +come like a wave into his face. They were silent for a moment; then the +child spoke, low and dreamily. + +"It doesn't say words, you know!" he said. "It's just a soft noise, like +what the pine-trees make, but it sounds cool and green and--and wet. And +there are waves a long way off, curling over and over, and breaking on +white beaches, and they smell good and salt. And it seems to make me +know about things down under the sea, and bright colours shining through +the water, and light coming 'way down--cool, green light, that doesn't +make you wink when you look at it. And--and I guess there are lots of +fishes swimming about, and their eyes shine, too, and they move just as +soft, and don't make any noise, no more than if their mother was sick in +the next room. And on the ground there seem to be like flowers, only +they move and open and shut without any one touching them. And--and--" + +Was the boy going into a trance? Were the dark eyes mesmerizing him, or +was all this to be heard in the shell? The Skipper took the shell gently +from his hand, and stroked his hair once or twice, quickly and lightly. +"That will do!" he said. "The young gentleman can hear truly. All these +things are under the sea, yes, and more, oh, many more! Some day you +shall see them, young gentleman; who knows? But now comes Franci to make +the dinner. Will Senor Colorado dine with the Skipper from the Bahamas? +Welcome he will be, truly." + +Little John started, and a guilty flush swept over his clear face. + +"I forgot!" he cried. "I forgot all about everything, and Cousin +Scraper will be home by this time, and--and--I'll have to be going, +please; but I'll come again, if you think I may." + +The Skipper had raised his eyebrows at the name of Scraper, and was now +looking curiously at the boy. "Who is that you say?" he asked. "Scraper, +your cousin? And of your father, young gentleman,--why do you not speak +of him?" + +"My father is dead," replied little John. "And my mother too, a good +while ago. I don't remember father. Mother----" he broke off, and +dropped his eyes to hide the tears that sprang to them. "Mother died a +year ago," he said; "ever since then I've lived with Cousin Scraper. +He's some sort of kin to father, and he says he's my guardian by law." + +"His other name?" suggested the dark man, quietly. "For example, +Endymion?" + +"Why, yes!" cried John, raising his honest blue eyes in wonder. "Do you +know him, sir? Have you ever been here before?" + +The Skipper shook his head. "Not of my life!" he said. "Yet--I make a +guess at the name; perhaps of this gentleman I have heard. He--he is a +kind person, Colorado?" + +John hung his head. He knew that he must not speak evil; his mother had +always told him that; yet what else was there to speak about Cousin +Scraper? "He--he collects shells!" he faltered, after a pause, during +which he was conscious of the Skipper's eyes piercing through and +through him, and probably seeing the very holes in his stockings. But +now the Skipper threw back his head with a laugh. + +"He collects shells, eh? My faith, I have come to the right place, I +with my 'Nautilus.' See, young gentleman! I go with my shells where I +think is good market. In large cities, many rich people who collect +shells. I sell many, many, some very precious. Never have I come up this +river of great beauty; but I say, who knows? Maybe here are persons who +know themselves, who have the feeling of shells in their hearts. I find, +first you, Colorado; and that you have the feeling in your heart I see, +at the first look you give to my pretties here. That you have the +fortune to live with a collector, that I could not guess, ha? He is +kind, I say, this Scraper? He loves you as a son, he gives you his +shells to look at, to care for as your own?" + +John hung his head again. + +"He keeps them locked up," he admitted. "I never had one in my hand, +except the one on the mantelpiece, sometimes when he goes to sleep after +dinner. I--I must be going now!" he cried in desperation, making his way +to the gang-plank. "I must get home, or he'll--" + +"What he will do?" the Skipper inquired, holding the plank in his hand. +"What he do to you, young gentleman, eh? A little scold you, because you +stay too long to talk with the Skipper from the Bahamas, hey? No more +than that, is it not?" + +"He'll beat me," cried little John, driven fairly past himself. "He +beats me every time I'm late, or don't get my work done. I thank you +ever so much for being so kind, but I can't stay another minute." + +"Adios, then, Senor Colorado!" said the Skipper, with a stately bow. +"You come soon again, I pray you. And if you will tell Sir Scraper, and +all those others, your friends, the shell schooner is here. Exhibition +in a few hours ready, free to all. Explanation and instruction when +desired by intelligent persons desiring of to know the habits under the +sea. Schooner 'Nautilus,' from the Bahamas, with remarkable collection +of shells and marine curiosities. Adios, Senor Juan Colorado!" + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +A GREAT EXHIBITION. + + +Little John was not the one to spread the tidings of the schooner's +arrival. He had to take his whipping,--a hard one it was!--and then he +was sent down into the cellar to sift ashes, as the most unpleasant +thing that could be devised for a fine afternoon. But the news spread, +for all that. John was not the only boy in the village of Tidewater, and +by twelve o'clock every man, woman and child was talking about the new +arrival; and by two o'clock, the dinner dishes being put away, and the +time of the evening chores still some hours off, nearly every man, woman +and child was hastening in the direction of the wharf. Of course the +boys were going. It was vacation time, and what else should boys do but +see all that was to be seen? And of course it was the duty of the elders +to see that the children came to no harm. So the fathers were strolling +leisurely down, saying to each other that 'twas all nonsense, most +likely, and nothing worth seeing, but some one ought to be looking out +that the boys and the women folks didn't get cheated. The mothers were +putting on their bonnets, in the serene consciousness that if anyone was +going to be cheated it was not they, and that goodness knew what those +men-folks would be up to on that schooner if they were left to +themselves. And the little girls were shaking the pennies out of their +money boxes, or if they had no boxes, watching with eager eyes their +more fortunate sisters. Truly, it was a great day in the village. + +The Skipper welcomed one and all. He stood by the gang-plank, and Franci +stood by him, cap in hand, smiling in a beautiful way. On the rail were +perched two little monkeys, their arms round each other's shoulders, +their bright eyes watching with eager curiosity all that went on. When +the Skipper bowed, they bowed; when he smiled, they grinned; and when he +put out his hand to help a woman or a child aboard, they laid their +hands on their hearts, and tried to look like Franci. The Skipper was +their lord and master, and they loved and feared him, and did his +bidding as often as their nature would allow; but in the depths of their +little monkey hearts they cherished a profound admiration for Franci, +and they were always hoping that this time they were looking like him +when they smiled. (But they never were!) + +The only other visible member of the crew was a long, lazy-looking +Yankee, whom the Skipper called Rento, and the others plain "Rent," his +full name of Laurentus Woodcock being more than they could away with. +But it was not to see the crew, neither the schooner (though she was a +pretty schooner enough, as anybody who knew about such matters could +see), that the village had come out; it was to see the exhibition, and +the exhibition was ready for them. An awning was spread over the +after-deck, and under this was arranged with care the main collection of +corals and shells, the commoner sorts, such as found a ready sale at +low prices. There was pure white coral, in long branches, studded with +tiny points, like the wraith of the fairy thorn; there were great piles +of the delicate fan-coral, which the sailors call sea-fans, and which +Franci would hold out to every girl who had any pretence to good looks, +with his most gracious bow, and "Young lady like to fan herself, keep +the sun off, _here_ you air, ladies!" While Laurentus would blush and +hang his head if any woman addressed him, and would murmur the wrong +price in an unintelligible voice if the woman happened to be young and +pretty. + +Then there were mushroom corals, so inviting that one could hardly +refrain from carrying them home and cooking them for tea; and pincushion +corals, round and hard, looking as if they had been stolen from the best +bedroom of some uncompromising New England mermaid. Yes; there was no +end to the corals. The lovely white branches were cheap, and nearly +every child went off with a branch, small or large, dwelling on it with +eyes of rapture, seeing nothing else in the world, in some cases failing +to see even the way, and being rescued from peril of water by the +Skipper or Rento. The favourite shells were the conches, of all sizes +and varieties, from the huge pink-lipped Tritons of the "Triumph of +Galatea," down to fairy things, many-whorled, rainbow-tinted, which were +included in the "handful for five cents" which Franci joyously +proclaimed at intervals, when he thought the children looked wistful and +needed cheering up, since they could not have all they saw. + +But the Cypraeas were beautiful, too, and of every colour, from white or +palest amber to deep sullen purples and browns that melted into ebony. +These were the shells with voices, that spoke of the sea; many a child +raised them to his ear, and listened with vague delight to the far-away, +uncertain murmur; but not to every child is it given to hear the sound +of the sea, and it may be doubted whether any boy or girl would have +understood what the boy John meant, if he had declared the things that +the shell had said to him. + +Where was John? Franci and Rento had charge of the deck exhibition, but +the Skipper kept his station at the head of the gang-plank, and while +courteously receiving his visitors, with a word of welcome for each, he +looked often up the road to see if his little friend was coming. He +thought the gleam of red hair would brighten the landscape; but it came +not, and the Skipper was not one to neglect a possible customer. Now and +again he would touch some one on the arm, and murmur gently, "In a few +moments presently, other exhibition in the cabin, to which I have the +pleasure of invite you. I attend in person, which is free to visitors." + +He spoke without accent, the Skipper, but his sentences were sometimes +framed on foreign models, and it was no wonder if now and then he met a +blank stare. He looked a little bored, possibly; these faces, full of +idle wonder, showed no trace of the collector's eager gaze; yet he was +content to wait, it appeared. Mr. Bill Hen Pike judged, from the way in +which everything was trigged up, that the schooner "cal'lated to make +some stay hereabouts;" and the Skipper did not contradict him, but bowed +gravely, and said, "In a few moments, gentleman, do me the honour to +descend to the cabin, where I take the pleasure of exhibit remarkable +collection of shells." + +But now the Skipper raised his head, and became in a moment keenly +alert; for a new figure was seen making its slow way to the wharf,--a +new figure, and a singular one. + +An old man, white-haired and wizen, with a face like a knife-blade, and +red, blinking eyes. The face wore a look of eager yet doleful +anticipation, as of a man going to execution and possessed with an +intense desire to feel the edge of the axe. His thin fingers twitched +and fumbled about his pockets, his lips moved, and he shook his head +from time to time. This old gentleman was clad in nankeen trousers of +ancient cut, a velvet waistcoat and a blue swallow-tail coat, all +greatly too large for him. His scant locks were crowned by a cheap straw +hat of the newest make, his shoes and gaiters were of a twenty-year-old +pattern. Altogether, he was not an ordinary-looking old gentleman, nor +was his appearance agreeable; but the village people took no special +notice of him, being well used to Mr. Endymion Scraper and his little +ways. They knew that he was wearing out the clothes that his extravagant +uncle had left behind him at his death, twenty years ago. They had seen +three velvet waistcoats worn out, and one of brocade; there were sixteen +left, as any woman in the village could tell you. As for the nankeen +trousers, some people said there were ten dozen of them in the great +oak chest, but that might be an exaggeration. + +Walking just behind this pleasant old person, with feet that tried to go +sedately, and not betray by hopping and skippings the joy that was in +them, came the boy John; brought along in case there should be a parcel +to carry. Mr. Scraper had brought, too, his supple bamboo cane, in case +of need; it was a cane of singular parts, and had a way that was all its +own of curling about the legs and coming up "rap" against the tender +part of the calf. The boy John was intimately acquainted with the cane; +therefore, when his legs refused to go steadily, but danced in spite of +him, he had dropped behind Mr. Endymion, and kept well out of reach of +the searching snake of polished cane. + +The Skipper greeted the new-comer with his loftiest courtesy, which was +quite thrown away on the old gentleman. + +"Hey! hey!" said Mr. Scraper, nodding his head, and fumbling in his +waistcoat pocket, "got some shells, I hear! Got some shells, eh? Nothing +but rubbish, I'll swear; nothing but rubbish. Seen 'em all before you +were born; not worth looking at, I'll bet a pumpkin." + +"Why, Deacon Scraper, how you do talk!" exclaimed pretty Lena Brown, who +was standing near by. "The shells are just elegant, I think; too +handsome for anything." + +"All rubbish! all rubbish!" the old gentleman repeated, hastily. +"Children's nonsense, every bit of it. Have you got anything out of the +common, though? have you, hey?" + +He looked up suddenly at the Skipper, screwing his little eyes at him +like animated corkscrews; but he read nothing in the large, calm gaze +that met his. + +"The gentleman please to step down in the cabin," the Skipper said, with +a stately gesture. "At liberty in a moment, I shall take the pleasure to +exhibit my collection. The gentleman is a collector?" he added, quietly; +but this Mr. Scraper would not hear of. + +"Nothing of the sort!" he cried, testily, "nothing of the sort! Just +came down here with this fool boy, to keep him from falling into the +water. Don't know one shell from another when I see 'em." + +This astounding statement brought a low cry from John, who had been +standing on one foot with joy and on the other with fear, the grave +dignity of his new friend filling him with awe. Perhaps he would not be +noticed now, when all the grown people were here; perhaps--but his +thoughts were put to flight by Mr. Scraper's words. John was a truthful +boy, and he could not have the Spanish man think he had lied in saying +that the old man was a collector. He was stepping forward, his face +alight with eager protest, when Mr. Endymion Scraper brought his cane +round with a backward sweep, catching John on the legs with spiteful +emphasis. The Skipper saw it, and a dark red flushed through the bronze +of his cheek. His glance caught the child's and held it, speaking anger, +cheer, and the promise of better things; the boy dropped back and +rubbed his smarting shins, well content, with a warm feeling about the +heart. + +"The gentleman will step down to the cabin," said the deep, quiet voice. +"I will attend him, the ladies also." + +He led the way, and pretty Lena Brown came next; she glanced up at him +as he held out his strong hand to help her down the ladder. Her blue +eyes were very sweet as she met his gaze, and the faint wild-rose blush +became her well. Certainly, Lena was a very pretty girl. Franci nearly +tumbled over the companion-rail in his endeavours to look after her, and +Laurentus Woodcock, catching one glimpse of her face, retreated to the +farthest corner of the after-deck, and sold a Triton for ten cents, when +the lowest price was thirty. + +Several other persons came down into the cabin at the same time. There +was Mr. Bill Hen Pike. Mr. Bill Hen had been a sailor himself fifty +years ago, and it was a point of honour with him to visit anything with +keel and sails that came up the river. He used nautical expressions +whenever it could be managed, and was the village authority on all +sea-going matters. + +There were Isaac Cutter and his wife, who had money to spend, and were +not averse to showing it; there was Miss Eliza Clinch, who had spent her +fifty years of life in looking for a bargain, which she had not yet +found; and some others. But though the Skipper was courteous to all, he +kept close to the side of Mr. Endymion Scraper; and the boy John, and +Lena Brown, who was always kind to him, kept close beside the other two. +The girl was enchanted with what she saw, but her joy was chiefly in +the trinkets that filled the glass counter,--the necklaces and +bracelets, the shell hairpins and mother-of-pearl portemonnaies. + +"Aint they handsome?" she cried, over and over, surveying the treasures +with clasped hands and shining eyes. "Oh, Johnny! isn't that just +elegant? Did you ever see such beautiful things? I don't think the +President's wife has no handsomer than them!" + +John frowned a little at these ecstasies, and glanced at the Skipper; +but the Skipper was apparently absorbed in polishing the Royal Tritons, +and showing them to Mr, Scraper, who regarded them with disdainful eyes, +while his fingers twitched to lay hold of them. + +"Why, Lena, you don't want to be looking at those things!" the boy +urged. "See! here are the shells! Here are the real ones, not made up +into truck, but just themselves. Oh, oh! Lena, look!" + +The Skipper was coming forward with a shell in his hand of exquisite +colour and shape. + +"Perhaps the young lady like to see this?" he said. "This the Voluta +Musica,--a valuable shell, young lady. You look, and see the lines of +the staff on the shell, so? Here they run, you see! The mermaids under +the water, they have among themselves no sheet-music, so on shells they +must read it. Can the young lady follow the notes if she take the shell +in her hand?" + +He laid the lovely thing in the girl's hand, and marked how the polished +lip and the soft pink palm wore the same tender shade of rose; but he +said nothing of this, for he was not Franci. + +Lena examined the shell curiously. "It does look like music!" she said. +"But there ain't really any notes, are there? Not like our notes, I +mean. If there was, I should admire to see how they sounded on the reed +organ. It would make a pretty pin, if 't wasn't so big!" + +She was about to hand the shell back quietly--she looked like a +rose-leaf in moonlight, this pretty Lena, but she was practical, and had +little imagination--but John caught it from her with a swift yet +timorous motion. + +"I want to hear it," he said, his pleading eyes on the Skipper's face. +"I want to hear what it says!" + +The dark man nodded and smiled; but a moment later, seeing the lean +fingers of Mr. Endymion Scraper about to clutch the treasure, he took it +quietly in his own hand again, and turned to the old man. + +"Gentleman spoke to me?" he inquired, blandly. + +The gentleman had not spoken, but had made a series of gasps and grunts, +expressive of extreme impatience and eagerness. + +"That's a poor specimen," he cried now, eying the shell greedily, "a +very poor specimen! What do you expect to get for it, hey?" + +"A perfect specimen!" replied the Skipper, calmly. "The gentleman has +but to look at it closer"--and he held it nearer to the greedy corkscrew +eyes--"to see that it is a rare specimen, more perfect than often seen +in museums. I brought up this shell myself, with care choosing it; its +price is five dollars." + +Mr. Endymion Scraper gave a scream, which he tried to turn into a +disdainful chuckle. + +"Five cents would be nearer it!" he cried, angrily. "Think we're all +fools down here, hey? Go 'long with your five dollars." + +"No, Senor, not all fools!" said the Skipper. "Many varieties among men, +as among shells. I am in no haste to sell the Voluta Musica. It has its +price, as gentleman knows by his catalogue. Here is a razor-shell; +perhaps the gentleman like that. Shave yourself or other people with +this!" + +"I want to know!" interposed Mrs. Isaac Cutter, leaning forward eagerly, +spectacles on nose. "Can folks really shave with those, sir? They do +look sharp, now, don't they? What might you ask for a pair?" + +"Perhaps not very easy to grind, lady!" replied the Skipper, with a +smile which won Mrs. Isaac's heart. "Not a rare shell, only fifty cents +the pair. Thank you, madam! To show you this? With gladness! This is the +Bleeding Tooth shell, found in plenty in West Indies. They have also +dentists under the sea, graciously observe. See here,--the whole family! +The baby, he have as yet no tooth, the little gum smooth and white. +Here, the boy! (_Como ti_, Juan Colorado!" this in a swift aside, caught +only by John's ear.) "The boy, he have a tooth pulled, you observe, +madam; here the empty space, with blood-mark, thus. Hence the name, +Bleeding Tooth. Here the father, getting old, has lost two teeth, +bleeding much; and this being the old grandfather, all teeth are gone, +again. Yes, curious family! You kindly accept these persons, madam, +with a wish that you never suffer of this manner." + +Mrs. Isaac Cutter drew a long breath, and took the shells with a look of +delighted awe. "Well, I'm sure!" she said, "you're more than kind, sir. +I never thought--I do declare--Bleeding Tooth! Well, father, if that +isn't something to tell the folks at home!" Mr. Isaac Cutter grunted, +well pleased, and said, "That so!" several times, his vocabulary being +limited. + +"Again, here," the Skipper continued, with a glance around, to make sure +that his audience was attentive, "again, here a curious thing, ladies +and gentlemen. The Nighthawk shell, not common in any part of the world. +The two halves held together of this manner, behold the nighthawk, as he +flies through the air!" + +A murmur of delight ran through the little group, and Mr. Endymion +Scraper edged to the front, his fingers twitching convulsively. + +"How much--how much do you want for that Nighthawk?" he asked, +stammering with eagerness. "'Taint wuth much, but--what--ten dollars? +I'll give ye three, and not a cent more." + +But the Skipper put him aside with a wave of his hand. + +"Another time, sir," he said; "at future interview I will make +arrangements with you, and hope to satisfy; at present I instruct these +ladies a little in life under the sea. + +"Lady," he said, and it was observable that although he spoke to Mrs. +Isaac Cutter, his eyes rested on Lena, and on the boy John, who stood +behind her, "Nature of her abundance is very generous to the sea. Here +all fishes swim, great and small; but more! All things that on earth +find their place, of them you find a picture, copy, what you please to +call it, at the bottom of the sea. A few only are yet found by men, yet +strange things also have I seen. Not under the ocean do you think to +find violets growing, is it so? yet here you observe a handful of +violets, in colour as on a green bank, though without perfume, the +sunshine wanting in those places." + +He drew from a box some of the exquisite little violet snail-shells, and +gave them to Lena, who cried out with delight, and instantly resolved to +have a pair of ear-rings made of them. + +"The ladies are hungry?" the quiet voice went on. "They desire +breakfast? I offer them a poached egg, grown under the sea. The colour +and shape perfect; the water ladies eat them every morning, but with the +air they grow hard and lose their flavour. Thank you, madam! for thirty +cents only, the poached egg, not a rare variety. Your smile perhaps will +make it soft again. I hope you enjoy it at luncheon. + +"But before luncheon you desire to prepare your charming toilet? Here I +offer you a comb, ladies, as they use under the sea. The story, that +Venus, goddess of beauty, when she rose from the ocean, dropped from her +hand the comb with which she arranged even then her locks of gold: hence +the name, Venus's Comb. Observe the long teeth, necessary for fine hair, +like that of Venus and these ladies." + +Mrs. Isaac Cutter bridled, smoothed her "fluffy Fedora" (price one +dollar and fifty cents, ready curled), and bought the "comb" on the +spot. + +"Of little boys under the sea," the Skipper continued,--and once more +his smile fell on the boy John, and produced that agreeable sensation of +warmth about the heart to which the little fellow had been long +unaccustomed,--"there are many. They swim about, they play, they sport, +they go to school, as little boys here. They ride, some persons have +told me, on the horse-mackerel, but of that I have no knowledge. I see +for myself, however, that they play tops, the small sea-boys. Here, +little gentleman, is the Imperial Top,--very beautiful shell. You like +to take it in your hand?" + +John took the splendid thing, and straightway lost himself and the world +in a dream of rapture, in which he descended to the depths that his soul +desired, and played at spinning tops with the sea-boys, and rode a +horse-mackerel, and did many other wonderful things. + +"The bat shell!" the Skipper went on, lifting one treasure and then +another. "The Voluta Aulica, extremely rare,--the Mitres, worn by +bishops under the sea. The bishops must be chosen very small, lady, to +fit the shell, since shells were made first. The Queen Conch! This +again,--pardon me, gentleman, you desire to assist me? Too kind, but I +shall not give that trouble to a visitor!" + +The last remark was addressed to Mr. Endymion Scraper, who had for the +last five minutes been sidling quietly, and as he thought unobserved, +toward the shelf on which lay the Voluta Musica. His claw-like fingers, +after hovering over the prize, had finally closed upon it, and he was +about to slip it into his pocket without more ado, when a strong brown +hand descended upon his wrist. The shell was quietly taken from him, and +looking up in impotent rage, he met the dark eyes of the Skipper gazing +at him with cheerful gravity. + +"Price five dollars!" he murmured, courteously. "In a box, gentleman? +But, certainly! A valuable specimen. Thank you kindly. Five-dollar bill, +quite right! Exhibition is over for this morning, ladies and gentlemen, +to resume in afternoon hours, if graciously pleased to honour the shell +schooner,--schooner 'Nautilus,' from the Bahamas, with remarkable +collection of marine curiosities." + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +ABOARD THE "NAUTILUS." + +The shell schooner had many visitors during the next few days, as she +lay by the wharf; visitors, of whom a few came to buy, but by far the +greater part to look and gossip, and see the monkeys, and ask questions. +The monkeys, Jack and Jim, were no small part of the attraction, being +delightful little beasts, bright of eye and friendly of heart, always +ready to turn a somersault, or to run up the mast, or to make a bow to +the ladies (always with Franci in their hearts), as the Skipper directed +them. + +Of course John was there at every available minute, whenever he could +escape the searching of his guardian's eye and tongue; but Mr. Scraper +himself came several times to the "Nautilus;" so did pretty Lena Brown. +There was no doubt that Lena was a charming girl. She looked like +moonlight, Rento thought; John thought so, too, though he knew that the +resemblance went no further than looks. Her hair was soft and light, +with a silvery glint when the sun struck it, and it had a pretty trick +of falling down about her forehead in two Madonna-like bands, framing +the soft, rose-tinted cheeks sweetly enough, and hiding with the pale +shining tresses the narrowness of the white forehead. + +Lena was apt to come with John, to whom she was always kind, though she +thought him "cracked," and after a little desultory hovering about the +shells, for which she did not really care, except when they were made up +with glass beads, she was apt to sit down on the after-deck, with John +beside her (unless the Skipper appeared, in which case the boy flew to +join his new friend), and with Franci, or Rento, or both, sure to be +near by. The monkeys never failed to come and nestle down beside the +boy, and examine his pockets and chatter confidentially in his ear; and +John always nodded and seemed to understand, which Lena considered +foolishness. She thought she came out of pure kindness for the boy, +because "that old gimlet never would let him come alone, and the child +was fairly possessed about the shells;" but it is to be doubted whether +she would have come so often if it had not been for Franci's admiring +glances and Rento's deeper veneration, which seldom dared to look higher +than the hem of her gown. + +She would sit very demurely on the after-deck, apparently absorbed in +the shells and corals that lay spread before her; and by-and-by, it +might be, Franci, who did not suffer from shyness, would venture on +something more definite than admiring glances. + +He would show her the shells, making the most of his knowledge, which +was not extensive, and calling in invention when information failed; but +he liked better to talk of himself, Franci, and on that subject there +was plenty to be said. He was a prince, he told Lena, in South America, +where he came from. This was a poor country, miserable country; but in +his own the houses were all of marble, pink marble, with mahogany +door-steps. + +"Is that so?" Lena would say, raising her limpid eyes to the dark +velvety ones that were bent so softly on her. + +"Oh, fine! fine!" said Franci. "Never I eat from a china dish in my +country; silver, all silver! Only the pigs eat from china. Drink wine, +eat peaches and ice-cream all days, all time. My sister wear gold +clothes, trimmed diamonds, when she do her washing. Yes! Like to go +there?" and he bent over Lena with an enchanting smile. + +"Why do you tell such lies?" asked John, whom Franci had not observed, +as he was lying in one of the schooner's boats, with a monkey on either +arm. Franci's smile deepened as he turned toward the boy, swearing +softly in Spanish, and feeling in his breast; but at that moment Rento +happened to stroll that way, blushing deeply at Lena's nearness, yet +with a warlike expression in his bright blue eyes. Franci told him he +was the son of a pig that had died of the plague, and that he, Franci, +devoutly hoped the son would share the fate of his mother, without time +to consult a priest. Rento replied that he could jaw as much as he was a +mind to, so long as he let the boy alone; and Lena looked from one to +the other with a flush on her pretty cheek, and an instinct that made +her heart beat a little faster. + +Mr. Scraper's visits were apt to be made in the evening; his passion for +shells was like that for drink, and he would fain have hidden it from +the eyes of his neighbours. It was always a trial to Franci to know +that the old miser, as he called Mr. Endymion, was in the cabin, and +that he, Franci, must keep watch on deck while this withered anatomy sat +on the cabin chairs and drank with the Patron. Franci's way of keeping +watch was to lie at full length on the deck with his feet in the air, +smoking cigarettes. It was not the regulation way, but Franci did not +care for that. That beast of a Rento was asleep, snoring like a pig that +he was, while his betters must keep awake and gaze at this desolating +prospect; the Patron was in the cabin with the miser, and no one thought +of the individual who alone gave charm to the schooner. He, Franci, +would make himself as comfortable as might be, and would not care a puff +of his cigar if the schooner and all that were in it, except himself, +should go to the bottom the next minute. No! Rather would he dance for +joy, and wave his hand, and cry, "Good voyage, Patron! Good voyage, +brute of a pig-faced Rento! Good voyage, old 'Nautilus!' Go all to the +bottom with my blessing, and I dance on the wharf, and marry the pretty +Lena, and get all the old miser's money, and wear velvet coats. Ah! +Franci, my handsome little boy, why did you let them send you to sea, +hearts of stone that they were! You, born to shine, to adorn, to break +the hearts of maidens! Why? tell me that!" He waved his legs in the air, +and contemplated with delight their proportions, which were certainly +exquisite. "Caramba!" he murmured; "beauty, that is it! Otherwise one +might better be a swine,--yes, truly!" + +At this point, perhaps, Rento appeared, rubbing his eyes, evidently +just awake, and ready to take his watch; whereupon the beautiful one sat +up, and, fixing his eyes on his fellow-seaman, executed a series of +grimaces which did great credit to his invention and power of facial +expression. Then he delivered himself of an harangue in purest Spanish, +to the effect that the day was not far distant when he, Franci, would +slit Rento's nose with a knife, and carve his initials on his cheeks, +and finally run him through the so detestable body and give him to the +fish to devour, though with strong fears of his disagreeing with them. +To which Rento replied that he might try it just as soon as he was a +mind to, but that at this present moment he was to get out; which the +beautiful youth accordingly did, retiring with a dancing step, +expressive of scorn and disgust. + +On one such night as this the scene in the little cabin was a curious +one. A lamp burned brightly on the table, and its lights shone on a +number of objects, some lying openly on the green table-cover, some +reclining superbly in velvet-lined cases. Shells! Yes, but not such +shells as were heaped in profusion on shelf and counter. Those were +lovely, indeed, and some of them of considerable value; but it was a +fortune, no less, that lay now spread before the eyes of the Skipper and +his guest. For these were the days when fine shells could not be bought +on every hand, as they can to-day; when a good specimen of the Imperial +Harp brought two hundred and fifty dollars easily, and when a collector +would give anything, even to the half of his kingdom (if he were a +collector of the right sort), for a Precious Wentletrap. + +[Illustration] + +It was a Wentletrap on which the little red eyes of Mr. Endymion +Scraper were fixed at this moment. The morocco case in which it lay was +lined with crimson velvet, and the wonderful shell shone purely white +against the glowing colour,--snow upon ice; for the body of the shell +was semi-transparent, the denser substance of the spiral whorls turning +them to heavy snow against the shining clearness beneath them. Has any +of my readers seen a Precious Wentletrap? Then he knows one of the most +beautiful things that God has made. + +Apparently the Skipper had just opened the case, for Mr. Scraper was +sitting with his mouth wide open, staring at it with greedy, almost +frightened eyes. Truly, a perfect specimen of this shell was, in those +days, a thing seen only in kings' cabinets; yet no flaw appeared in +this, no blot upon its perfect beauty. The old miser sat and stared, and +only his hands, which clutched the table-cloth in a convulsive grasp, +and his greedy eyes, showed that he was not turned to stone. He had been +amazed enough by the other treasures, as the Skipper had taken them one +by one from the iron safe in the corner, whose door now hung idly open. +Where had been seen such Pheasants as these,--the fragile, the +exquisite, the rarely perfect? Even the Australian Pheasant, rarest of +all, lay here before him, with its marvellous pencillings of rose and +carmine and gray. Mr. Endymion's mouth had watered at the mere +description of the shell in the catalogue, but he had never thought to +see one, except the imperfect specimen in the museum at Havenborough. +Here, too, was the Orange Cowry; here the Bishop's Mitre, and the +precious Voluta Aulica; while yonder,--what was this man, that he should +have a Voluta Junonia, of which only a few specimens are possessed in +the known world? What did it all mean? + +The Skipper sat beside the table, quiet and self-contained as usual. His +arm lay on the table, his hand was never far from the more precious +shells, and his eyes did not leave the old man's face; but he showed no +sign of uneasiness. Why should he, when he could have lifted Mr. +Endymion with his left hand and set him at any minute at the top of the +cabin stairs? Now and then he took up a shell with apparent carelessness +(though in reality he handled them with fingers as fine as a woman's, +knowing their every tenderest part, and where they might best be +approached without offence to their delicacy), looked it over, and made +some remark about its quality or value; but for the most part he was +silent, letting the shells speak for themselves and make their own +effect. + +The old man had been wheezing and grunting painfully for some minutes, +opening and shutting his hands, and actually scratching the table-cloth +in his distress. At length he broke out, after a long silence. + +"Who are ye, I want to know? How come you by these shells? I know +something about what they're wuth--that is--well, I know they aint wuth +what you say they are, well enough; but they air wuth a good deal,--I +know that. What I want to understand is, what you're after here! What do +you want, and why do you show me these things if--if--you come by them +honestly. Hey?" + +The Skipper smiled meditatively. "Yes!" he said, "we all like to know +things,--part of our nature, sir--part of our nature. I, now, I like to +know things, too. What you going to do with that boy, Mr. Scrape? I like +to know that. You tell me, and perhaps you hear something about the +shells, who know?" + +The old man's face darkened into a very ugly look. + +"My name is Scraper, thank ye, not Scrape!" he said, dryly; "and as for +the boy, I don't know exactly where you come in there." + +The Skipper nodded. "True!" he said, tracing with his finger the fine +lines of the Voluta Aulica; "you do not know where I come in there. In +us both, knowledge has a limit, Mr. Scraper; yet I at the least am +acquaint with your name. It is a fine name you have there,--Endymion! +You should be a person of poetry, with this and your love for shells, +hein? You love, without doubt, to gaze on the moon, Sir Scraper? You +feel with her a connection, yes?" + +"What the dickens are you talking about?" asked the old gentleman, +testily. "How much do you want to swindle me out of for this Junonia, +hey? not that I shall buy it, mind ye!" + +"Three hundred!" said the Skipper; "and a bargain at that!" + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +MYSTERY. + + +John was at work in the garden. At least, so it would have appeared to +an ordinary observer; in reality he was carrying on a sanguinary combat, +and dealing death on every side. His name was George Washington, and he +was at Bunker Hill (where he certainly had no business to be), and the +British were intrenched behind the cabbages. "They've just got down into +the ground, they are so frightened!" he said to himself, pausing to +straighten his aching back, and toss the red curls out of his eyes. "See +'em, all scrooched down, with their feet in the earth, trying to make +believe they grow there! But I'll have 'em out! Whack! there goes the +general. Come out, I say!" He wrestled fiercely with an enormous +Britisher, disguised as a stalk of pig-weed, and, after a breathless +tussle, dragged him bodily out of the ground, and flung his headless +corpse on the neighbouring pile of weeds. + +"Ha! that was fine!" cried the boy. "I shouldn't be a bit surprised if +that was George the Third himself; it was ugly enough for him. Come up +here! hi! down with you! Now Jack the Giant-Killer is coming to help me, +and the British have got Cormoran (this was before Jack killed him), and +there's going to be a terrible row." But General Washington waves his +gallant sword, and calls to his men, and says,-- + +"Good morning, sir! you make a busy day, I see." + +It was not General Washington who spoke. It was the Skipper, and he was +leaning on the gate and looking at the boy John and smiling. "You make a +busy day," he repeated. "I think there are soon no more weeds in Sir +Scraper's garden." + +"Oh, yes!" cried John, straightening himself again, and leaning on his +trusty hoe. "There'll be just as many--I beg your pardon! Good morning! +I hope you are well; it is a very fine day. There'll be just as many of +them to-morrow, or next day, certainly. I make believe they are the +British, you see, and I've been fighting all the morning, and I do think +they are pretty well licked by this time; but they don't stay licked, +the British don't. I like them for that, don't you? Even though it is a +bother to go on fighting all the days of one's life." + +"I also have noticed that of the British!" the Skipper said, nodding +gravely. "But now you can rest a little, Juan Colorado? Sir Scraper is +at home, that you call him for me, say I desire to make him the visit?" + +"No, he isn't at home," said John. "He's gone down to the store for his +mail. But please come in and wait, and he'll be back soon. Do come in! +It--it's cool to rest, after walking in the sun." + +It was the only inducement the child could think of, but he offered it +with right good-will. The Skipper assented with a smile and a nod, and +the two passed into the house together. + +In the kitchen, which was the living-room of the house, John halted, +and brought a chair for his visitor, and prepared to play the host as +well as he could; but the visitor seemed, for some reason, not to fancy +the kitchen. He looked around with keen, searching eyes, scanning every +nook and corner in the bare little room. Truly, there was not much to +see. The old fireplace had been blocked up, and in its place was the +usual iron cooking-stove, with a meagre array of pots and pans hanging +behind it. The floor was bare; the furniture, a table and chair, with a +stool for John. There was no provision for guests; but that did not +matter, as Mr. Scraper never had guests. Altogether, there was little +attraction in the kitchen, and the Skipper seemed curiously displeased +with its aspect. + +"There is no other room?" he asked, after completing his survey. "No +better room than this, Colorado? Surely, there must be one other; yes, +of course!" he added, as if struck by a sudden thought. "His shells? Mr. +Scraper has shells. They are--where?" + +He paused and looked sharply at the boy. Little John coloured high. +"The--the shells?" he stammered. "Yes, of course, sir, the shells are in +another room, in the parlour; but--but--I am not let go in there, unless +Mr. Scraper sends me." + +"So!" said the dark man; "but for me, Colorado, how is it for me? Mr. +Scraper never said to me that I must not go in this parlour, you see. +For you it is well, you do as you are told; you are a boy that makes +himself to trust; for me, I am a Skipper from the Bahamas, I do some +things that are strange to you,--among them, this. I go into the +parlour." + +He nodded lightly, and leaving the child open-mouthed in amazement, +opened the sacred door, the door of the best parlour, and went in, as +unconcernedly as if it were his own cabin. John, standing at the +door,--he surely might go as far as the door, if he did not step over +the threshold,--watched him, and his eyes grew wider and wider, and his +breath came quicker and quicker. + +For the Skipper was doing strange things, as he had threatened. +Advancing quickly into the middle of the room, he cast around him the +same searching glance with which he had scanned the kitchen. He went to +the window, and threw back the blinds. The sunlight streamed in, as if +it, too, were eager to see what shrouded treasures were kept secluded +here. Probably the blinds had not been thrown back since Gran'ther +Scraper died. + +The parlour was scarcely less grim than the kitchen, though there was a +difference in its grimness. Seven chairs stood against the wall, like +seven policemen with their hands behind their backs; a table crouched in +the middle, its legs bent as if to spring. The boy John considered the +table a monster, transformed by magic into its present shape, and likely +to be released at any moment, and to leap at the unwary intruder. Its +faded cover, with two ancient ink-blots which answered for eyes, +fostered this idea, which was a disquieting one. On the wall hung two +silver coffin-plates in a glass case, testifying that Freeborn Scraper, +and Elmira his wife, had been duly buried, and that their coffins had +presented a good appearance at the funeral. But the glory of the room, +in the boy John's eyes, was the cabinet of shells which stood against +the opposite wall. He had once thought this the chief ornament of the +world; he knew better now, but still he regarded its treasures with awe +and veneration, and looked to see the expression of delight which should +overspread the features of his new friend at sight of it. What, then, +was his amazement to see his new friend pass over the cabinet with a +careless glance, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world! +Evidently, it was not shells that he had come to see; and the boy grew +more and more mystified. Suddenly the dark eyes lightened; the whole +face flashed into keen attention. What had the Skipper seen? Nothing, +apparently, but the cupboard in the corner, the old cupboard where Mr. +Scraper kept his medicines. The old man had sent John to this cupboard +once, when he himself was crippled with rheumatism, to fetch him a +bottle of the favourite remedy of the day. John remembered its inward +aspect, with rows of dusty bottles, and on the upper shelf, rows of +still more dusty papers. What could the Skipper see to interest him in +the corner cupboard? Something, certainly! For now he was opening the +cupboard, quietly, as if he knew all about it and was looking for +something that he knew to be there. + +"Ah!" said the Skipper; and he drew a long breath, as of relief. "True, +the words! In the corner of the parlour, a cupboard of three corners, +with bottles filled, and over the bottles, papers. Behold the cupboard, +the bottles, the papers! A day of fortunes!" He bent forward, and +proceeded to rummage in the depths of the cupboard; but this was too +much for John's conscience. "I beg your pardon, sir!" he said, timidly. +"But--do you think you ought to do that?" + +The Skipper looked out of the cupboard for an instant, and his eyes were +very bright. "Yes, Colorado," he said. "I think I ought to do this! Oh, +very much indeed, my friend, I ought to do this! And here,"--he stepped +back, holding something in his hand,--"here, it is done! No more +disturbance, Colorado; I thank you for your countenance. + +"Do we now make a promenade in the garden, to see your work? + +"Yet," he added, pausing and again looking around him, "but yet once +more I observe. This room,"--it was strange, he did not seem to like the +parlour any better than he had liked the kitchen--"this room, to live +in! a young person, figure it, Colorado! gentle, with desires, with +dreams of beauty, and this only to behold! For companion an ancient +onion,--I say things that are improper, my son! I demand pardon! But for +a young person, a maiden to live here, would be sad indeed, do you think +it?" + +John pondered, in wonder and some trouble of mind. There was something +that he had to say, something very hard; but it would not be polite just +now, and he must answer a question when he was asked. "I--I thought it +was a fine room!" he said at length, timidly. "It isn't as bright, +somehow, as where I used to live with my mother, and--it seems to stay +shut up, even when it isn't; but--I guess it's a fine room, sir; and +then, if a person didn't like it, there's all out-doors, you know, and +that's never shut up." + +"True!" cried the Skipper, with a merry laugh; "out of doors is never +shut up, praise be to Heaven!" He pulled off his cap, and looked up at +the shining sky. They were standing on the door-step now, and John +noticed that his companion seemed much less grave than usual. He +laughed, he patted the boy on the shoulder, he hummed snatches of +strange, sweet melodies. Once or twice he broke out into speech, but it +was foreign speech, and John knew nothing save that it was something +cheerful. They walked about the garden, and the Skipper surveyed John's +work, and pronounced it prodigious. He questioned the child closely, +too, as to how he lived, and what he did, and why he stayed with Mr. +Scraper. But the child could tell him little. He supposed it was all +right; his mother was dead, and there was nobody else, and Mr. Scraper +said he was his father's uncle, and that the latter had appointed him +guardian over John in case of the mother's death. That was all, he +guessed. + +"All, my faith!" cried the Skipper, gayly. "Enough, too, Colorado! quite +enough, in the opinion of me. But I go, my son! Till a little while; you +will come to-day to the 'Nautilus,' yes?" + +But little John stood still in the path, and looked up in his friend's +face. The time had come when he must do the hard thing, and it was +harder even than he had thought it would be. His throat was very dry, +and he tried once or twice before the words would come. At last--"I beg +your pardon!" he said. "I am only a little boy, and perhaps there is +something I don't understand; but--but--I don't think you ought to have +done that!" + +"Done what, son of mine?" asked the Skipper, gazing down at him with the +bright, kind eyes that he loved, and that would not be kind the next +moment, perhaps. "What is it I have done?" + +"To take the papers!" said John; and now his voice was steady, and he +knew quite well what he must say, if only his heart would not beat so +loud in his ears! "I don't think it was right; but perhaps you know +things that make it right for you. But--but Mr. Scraper left me here, to +take care of the house, and--and I shall have to tell him that you went +into the parlour and took things out of the cupboard." + +There was silence for a moment,--silence, all but the throbbing that +seemed as if it must deafen the child, as it was choking him. He stood +looking at the ground, his face in a flame, his eyes full of hot, +smarting tears. Was it he who had stolen the papers? Surely anyone would +have thought so who saw his anguish of confusion. And the Skipper did +not speak! And this was his friend, the first heart-friend the child had +ever had, perhaps the only one that would ever come to him, and he was +affronting him, casting him off, accusing him of vileness! Unable to +bear the pain any longer, the child looked up at last, and as he did so, +the tears overflowed and ran down his round cheeks. The dark eyes were +as kind as ever. They were smiling, oh, so tenderly! John hid his face +on his blue sleeve, and sobbed to his heart's content; somehow, without +a word, the dreadful pain was gone, and the blessed feeling had returned +that this friend knew all about things, and understood little boys, and +liked them. + +The Skipper did not speak for a moment, only stood and stroked the boy's +curly hair with a light, soft touch, almost as his mother used to stroke +it. Then he said, in his deep, grave voice, that was sweeter than music, +John thought. + +"Colorado! my little son, my friend!" That was enough for a few minutes, +till the sobs were quieted, and only the little breast heaved and sank, +tremulously, like the breast of a frightened bird. Then the Skipper led +him to a rustic bench, and sat down beside him, and took his hand. + +"And that hurt you to say, my little son?" he said, smiling. "That hurt +you, because you thought it would vex the friend from the Bahamas, the +friend who steals. And yet you like him a little, is it not?" + +"Oh!" cried John, looking up with all his heart in his blue eyes; and no +other word was needed. + +"See, then!" the Skipper went on, still holding the boy's hand; "it is +that you are right, Colorado, oh, very right, my son! and I, who am old, +but old enough to be twice to you a father, I thought not of this. Yes, +you must tell Sir Scraper, if--if I do not tell him first." He was +silent a moment, thinking; and then continued, speaking slowly, choosing +his words with care: "Is it that you think, Colorado, it would be wrong +to wait a little before you tell Sir Scraper--if I said, till +to-morrow? If I ask you to wait, and then, if I have not told him, you +shall tell him,--what do you say of that, my son?" + +John looked helplessly around, his blue eyes growing big and wistful +again. "If--if he should ask me!" he said. "I am sure you know all about +it, and that it is all right for you, but if he should ask me--you +see--I--I should have to answer him, shouldn't I?" + +"You would have to answer him!" the Skipper repeated, frowning +thoughtfully. "And you could not tell him that there were flying-fish in +the cabin, eh, Colorado? Wait then, that your friend thinks. The mind +moves at times slowly, my son, slowly!" + +He was silent, and John watched him, breathless. + +Presently, "Will you come with me, Colorado?" asked the Skipper. "I +invite you to come, to spend the day on the 'Nautilus,' to play with +Jack and Jim, to polish the shells,--what you please. I desire not +longer to wait here, I desire not that yet Sir Scraper know of my visit. +Had he been here, other happenings might have been; as it is--shortly, +will you come with me, Colorado?" + +John shut his eyes tight, and took possession of his soul. + +"I promised!" he said, "I promised him that if he would not whip me this +morning I would not stir off the place. He was mad because I went +yesterday, and he was going to give me a good one this morning, and I +hadn't got over the last good one, and so--I promised that! But if I had +known you were coming," he cried, "I would not have promised, and I +would have taken three good ones, if I could only go." + +The Skipper nodded, and was silent again. Suddenly he rose to his feet. + +"Have you heard of pirates, Colorado?" he asked, abruptly. + +John nodded, wondering. + +"Of Malay pirates?" the Skipper continued, with animation. "They are +wild fellows, those! They come, they see a person, they carry him off, +to keep at their fancy, till a ransom is paid, or till he grow old and +die, or till they kill him the next day, who knows? But not all are bad +fellows, and there are some of them who are kind to captives, who take +them on board their ships, play with them, show to them strange things, +shells and fish and corals, all things. Have you ever played at pirate, +Colorado?" + +"Yes, sometimes," the boy admitted, wondering still more at the +brightness in his friend's look, and his air of sudden determination. + +"I never played Malay, only Portugee; I thought they weren't so cruel, +but I don't know. I had a ship down by the wharf, and I made a good many +pirate voyages round the wharf, and sometimes quite a piece down river, +when I could get the time. But then, after a while, I thought it was +nicer to be a rescuing ship, and get folks away from the pirates, you +know, so I've done that lately, and I've rescued as many as twenty +vessels, I should think." + +"That was fine!" said the Skipper, nodding sagely. "That was well done, +Colorado! But here we come to trouble, do you see? for I that speak to +you--I am a Malay pirate!" + +The boy started violently and looked up, expecting he knew not what +sudden and awful change in the face that bent down over him; but no! it +was the same quiet, dark face, only there was a bright gleam in the +eyes. A gleam of fun, was it? Surely not of ferocity. + +"I come up this river," the Skipper continued, rapidly, "to see what I +find,--perhaps gold, perhaps silver, perhaps prisoners of value. I look +about, I see the pleasant village, I see persons very amiable, but no +precious thing except one; that one, I have it! I am a Malay pirate, +Colorado, and thus I carry off my prize!" and picking up the child as if +he were a feather, and tossing him up to his shoulder, the Skipper +strode from the garden, and took his way toward the wharf. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +MR. BILL HEN. + + +Mr. Bill Hen Pike had come to have a good long gossip. It was some time +since a schooner had come up the river, for the ice-shipping had not yet +begun, and he was fairly thirsting for maritime intelligence. He desired +to know the tonnage of the "Nautilus," her age, where she was built, and +by whom; her original cost, and what sums had been expended in repairs +since she had been in the Skipper's possession; how many trips she had +made, to what ports, and with what cargoes; the weather that had been +encountered on each and every trip. These things and many more of like +import did the Skipper unfold, sitting at ease on the cabin table, while +Mr. Bill Hen tilted the only chair in rhythmic content. His hat was +tilted, too; his broad red face shone with pleasure; the world was a +good place to him, full of information. + +At last the questions came to an end; it seemed a pity, but there was +really nothing left to ask, since it appeared that the Skipper was +unmarried and had no relations. But now the Skipper's own turn had come, +and quietly, with just enough show of interest to be polite, he began +the return game. "You have been at sea a large part of your life, Senor +Pike?" + +"Oh, yes! yes! I'm well used to the sea. That is--off and on, you know, +off and on. I was mate on a coasting schooner, saw a good deal that way, +you know; like the sea first-rate, but my wife, she won't hear to my +going off nowadays, and there's the farm to 'tend to, stock and hay, +var'ous things, var'ous things; all about it, my sea-going days are +over, yes, yes! Pleasant place, though, pleasant place, though the +strength going out of my legs makes it troublesome by times, yes, yes! +Been in these parts before, you said? Oh, no! said you hadn't; beg your +pardon! Pleasant part of the country! good soil, good neighbours." + +"Fine country, I should suppose!" said the Skipper; "and as you say, +sir, the persons agreeable for knowledge. You know the boy whom I hear +called John, with the old gentleman who collects shells?" + +"Oh! ho!" said Mr. Bill Hen, delighted to find a fresh subject of +interest. "Deacon Scraper, yes, yes! well named, sir, Deacon Scraper is, +well named, you see! Very close man, pizeon close they do say. Lived +here all his life, Deacon Scraper has, and made a fortune. Scraped it, +some say, out of folks as weren't so well off as he, but I don't know. +Keen after shells, the old gentleman, yes, yes! like liquor to him, I've +heard say. Never a man to drink or what you might call royster, no way +of the world but just that; but get him off to Boston, or any place +where there were shells to be bought, and he'd come home fairly drunk +with 'em, his trunk busting out and all his money gone. Seems cur'ous, +too, for such an old rip as Dym Scraper, _to_ care for such things; but +we're made sing'lar,--one one way, and 'nother one t'other. That's so, +I reckon, in your part of the world as well as hereabouts?" + +The Skipper bowed his head gravely. "The nature of humans is without +doubt the same in many lands," he said. "The little boy whom I hear +called John,--he is of near blood to this old gentleman, yes?" + +But here Mr. Bill Hen grew redder in the face, which was a difficult +feat, and smote the cabin table. + +"Burning shame it is about that youngster!" he declared. "Burning shame, +if ever there was one in this mortal world. How some folks can set by +and see things going on _as_ they're going on, beats me, and le' me say +I'm hard to beat. That child, sir, is an orphan; got no father nor +mother, let alone grandf'ther or grandm'ther, in the land of the living. +His father was some kind of a natural, I guess, or else he hadn't known +Deacon Scraper by sight or hearing; but when he dies what does he do but +leave that old--old--beetle-bug guardeen of that child, case of his +mother dyin'. Well, if I'd ha' had children, I might leave 'em to a fox +for guardeen, or I might leave 'em to a horned pout, whichever I was a +mind to, but I wouldn't leave 'em to Dym Scraper, and you can chalk that +up on the door any ways you like." The good man paused, and puffed and +snorted for some minutes in silence. The Skipper waited, his dark face +quietly attentive, his eyes very bright. + +"Near blood?" Mr. Bill Hen broke out again, with another blow on the +table. "No, he aint so dretful near blood, if you come to that. Near as +the child's got, though, seemin'ly. His father, Johnny's father, was son +to Freeborn Scraper, the Deacon's twin brother. Twins they was, though +no more alike than pork and peas. Them two, and Zenoby, the sister, who +married off with a furriner and was never heerd of again; but she ain't +in the story, though some say she was her father's favourite, and that +Dym gave her no peace, after Freeborn left, till he got rid of her. All +about it, Freeborn went West young, and spent his days there; lived +comfortable, and left means when he died. Dym Scraper, he went out to +the funeral, and run it, we heerd, Freeborn's wife being dead and his +son weakly; anyway, he brung back them two silver coffin-plates that +hangs in the parlour to his house. Next thing we knew--good while after, +y' understand, but first thing _we_ knew, here to the village--the son +was dead, too; Mahlon his name was, and had been weakly all his days. +Deacon Scraper went out agin, and kinder scraped round, folks reckoned, +'peared to make of the young widder, and meeched up to her, and all. +Wal! And here this last year, if _she_ doesn't up and die! Sing'lar gift +folks has for dying out in them parts; living so fur from the sea, I've +always cal'lated. All about it, that old spider goes out the third time, +and no coffin-plates this time, but he brings back the boy; and lo, ye! +he's made full guardeen over the child, and has him, body and soul. + +"Now I aint a malicious man, no way of the world, Mister,--well, +whatever your name is. But I tell you, that old weasel is laying for +something ugly about that youngster. Some say he's applied to send him +to the Reform School; good little boy as I'd want to see. I believe +it's so. Don't tell me! He's got money, that child has, or land, and Dym +Scraper means to have it. The child's got no one in the world to look +to, and folks about here are so skeered of Deacon Scraper that they'll +set by, I believe, and see a thing like that done before their eyes. I +tell ye what, sir, I'm a church-member, and I don't want to say nothing +but what's right and proper; but if there was a prophet anyways handy in +these times (and a mighty good thing to have round, too), there'd be +fire and brimstun called, down on Dym Scraper, and the hull village +would turn out to see him get it, too!" + +"But you, sir!" said the Skipper, who had his knife out now, and was +carving strange things on the table, as was his manner when moved. "You +will not permit such a thing, a person of heart as you have the air to +be? No, you will not permit that a thing enormous take place at your +side?" + +Mr. Bill Hen's face grew purple; he drew out a large handkerchief and +wiped his forehead, puffing painfully; there was a pause. + +"Married man?" he said, at length. "No, beg your pardon, unmarried, I +remember. Well, sir, you may know something of life, but there's a sight +you don't know yet. See?" + +Again there was silence, the Skipper gazing darkly at his carven runes, +Mr. Bill Hen still puffing and wiping his brow. + +"Yes, there's a sight you don't know about," he said again. "My wife, +you see, she's a good woman, there's no better woman round; but she's +masterful, sir, she's masterful, and I'm a man who's always led a quiet +life and desire peace. And there's more behind; though why on the airth +I'm telling you all this is more than I can tell!" + +The last words came with a peevish outburst, and he hesitated, as if +minded to say no more; but the Skipper raised his head, and the dark +eyes sent out a compelling glance. The weaker man faltered, gave way, +and resumed his speech. + +"She's a masterful woman, I tell ye! She thinks Deacon Scraper is a +dangerous man, and there aint nobody here but what'll agree with her +that far. Then--he--he's got a mortgage on my farm, same as he has on +others,--plenty of others as is better clothed with means than ever I've +been; and, all about it, my wife aint willing for us to make an enemy of +the old man. That's where the land lays, and you can see for yourself. +Plenty in the village is fixed the same way; he's got power, that old +grape-skin has, power over better men than he. We don't want to see that +child put upon, but we aint no blood to him, and there aint anybody but +feels that he himself aint just the one to interfere. That's the way my +wife feels, and I,--well, there now! you're a stranger, and I may never +set eyes on you again; but I take to you, somehow, and I don't mind +telling you that I feel as mean as dirt whenever I think of that lamb in +that old fox's den; mean as dirt I feel, and yet I aint got the spunk +to--the strenth is gone out of my legs," he added, piteously, "these ten +years back, and I think some of my sperrit went with it. That's where +it is! I haint got the sperrit to stand up against 'em." + +There was a long silence, and then the Skipper shut his knife with a +click, and rose from the table, holding out his hand. + +"You are a good man, Senor Pike," he said. "I think no worse of you, and +am glad to make the acquaintance. With regard to this child, I shall +remind you,"--here he shook his head with a backward gesture in which +there was something at once proud and humble.--"I shall remind you that +there are powers very high, more high than of prophets; and that God +will do the works as seems Him good. I may have the honour to wait upon +your distinguished lady at a future day; I think to be some days in this +place, for purposes of selling my cargo, as well to take in wood and +water. Never before in these parts, it is for me of interest to observe +the place and people. You will take a lemonade that Franci brings? Hola, +Franci! This is Senor Pike, Franci, at all times to be admitted to the +schooner." + +"Pleased to meet you!" said Mr. Bill Hen. + +"Servicio de Usted!" said Franci, who did not understand English except +when he thought the speaker was likely to interest him; and they sat +down to the lemonade. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +THE CAPTIVE. + + +"Franci!" the Skipper called up the companion-way, when his visitor had +taken his departure. + +"Senor!" said Franci, putting his beautiful head over the rail. + +"Bring me here the child, hear thou!" + +"Si, Senor," said Franci. He went forward, and pulling aside a pile of +canvas that lay carelessly heaped together in a corner of the deck, +disclosed the boy John, curled up in a ball, with one monkey in his +arms, and the other sitting on his shoulder. + +"Here, you, Sir Schoolmaster, the Patron ask for you. I give you my hand +to hellup you up! I like to put a knife in you!" he added in Spanish, +with an adorable smile. + +"You'd get one into yourself before you had time!" said Rento, getting +up from the spot where his length had been coiled, and speaking with a +slow drawl that lent emphasis to the words. "You ever lay a hand on that +boy, and it's the last you lay on anybody,--understand that?" + +"Oh, yays!" said Franci, gently, as he pulled John out of the tangle of +canvas and ropes. "But I am 'most killed all my life with looking at +your ugly face, you old she monkey! A little more killing make not much +difference to me." + +Rento advanced toward him with uplifted hand, and the agile Spaniard +slipped round the mast and disappeared. + +"What was he saying?" asked John, vaguely feeling that something was +wrong. + +"Nothin', nothin' at all," Rento said, quietly. "He was givin' me some +talk, that was all. It's all he has to give, seemin'ly; kind o' fool +person he is, Franci; don't ye take no heed what he says. There, go +'long, youngster! the Skipper's lookin' for ye." + +At this moment the Skipper's head appeared over the rail, and John +became quite sure that he was awake. Dreams were so curious, sometimes, +one never knew what would happen in them; and this whole matter of +piracy had been so strange and unlooked for that all the while he had +been hidden under the sail (where he had retreated by the Skipper's +orders as soon as Mr. Bill Hen Pike appeared in the offing), he had been +trying to persuade himself that he was asleep, and that the monkeys were +dream-monkeys, very lively ones, and that by-and-by he would wake up +once more and find himself in bed at Mr. Scraper's. + +But now there could be no more doubt! He could not dream Franci, nor the +queer things he said; he could not dream Rento, with his kind, ugly face +and drawling speech; least of all could he dream the Skipper, who was +now looking at him with an amused smile. + +Certainly, he did not look in the least like a pirate! In the first +place, Malay pirates did not wear anything, except a kind of short +petticoat, and something that flew in the air behind them as they ran. +For in the geography-book pictures a Malay was always running amuck, +with a creese in his hand, and an expression of frantic rage on his +countenance. How _could_ this be a Malay? Perhaps he might have been in +fun! But John was not much used to fun, and it seemed hardly likely that +so grave a person as the Skipper would play at pirate. On the whole, the +little boy was sadly puzzled; and the Skipper's first words did not tend +to allay his anxiety. + +"Ha! my prisoner!" he said. "That you come here, sir, and sit down by me +on the rail. The evening falls, and we will sit here and observe the +fairness of the night. Remark that I put no chains on you, Colorado, as +in the Malay seas we put them! You can swim, yes?" + +John nodded. "I swam across the river last week," said he. "I was going +to--" He meant to say, "to rescue some people from pirates," but now +this did not seem polite; so he stopped short, but the Skipper took no +notice. + +"You swim? That is good!" he said. "But Sir Scraper, he cannot swim, I +think, my son, so for you there is no rescue, since Rento has pulled in +the plank. Are you content, then, to be the captive of the 'Nautilus?'" + +John looked up, still sorely puzzled; perhaps he was rather dull, this +little boy John, about some things, though he was good at his books. At +any rate, there could be no possible doubt of the kindness in the +Skipper's face; perhaps he was in fun, after all; and, anyhow, where +had he ever been so happy as here since the good mother died? So he +answered with right good-will,-- + +"I like to stay here more than anywhere else in the world. If--if I +didn't think Mr. Scraper would be angry and frightened about me, and not +know where I was, I should like to stay on board all my life." + +"That is right!" said the Skipper, heartily. "That is the prisoner that +I like to have. I am not a cruel pirate, as some; I like to make happy +my captives. Franci, lemonade, on the after-deck here!" He spoke in +Spanish, and Franci replied in the same language, with a faint voice +expressive of acute suffering. + +"I am very sick, Patron. I go to my bed in a desolated condition." + +"Come here, and let me look at you!" said the Skipper, imperatively. + +"Am I a dog, to fetch drink for this beggar brat?" was Franci's next +remark, in a more vigorous tone. "Was it for this that I left San Mateo? +Rento is a pig, let him do the pig things. I go to my bed." + +He made a motion to go, but the Skipper reached out a long arm, and the +next moment the bold youth was dangling over the side of the vessel, +clutching at the air, and crying aloud to all the saints in the +calendar. + +"Shall I let go?" asked the Skipper, in his quiet tone. + +"Ah! no, distinguished Patron!" cried Franci. "Let me not go! This water +is abominable. Release me, and I will get the lemonade. It is my wish +that you may both be drowned in it, but I will get it,--oh, yes, +assuredly!" + +He was set down, and vanished into the cabin; the Skipper, as if this +were the most ordinary occurrence in the world, led the way to the +after-rail, and seated himself, motioning to John to take a place beside +him. + +"What is the matter with him?" asked the boy, looking after Franci. + +"I think him slightly a fool," was the reply, as the Skipper puffed +leisurely at his cigar. "His parents, worthy people, desired him to be a +sailor, but that he can never be. The best sailor is one born for that, +and for no other thing; also, a sailor can be made, though not of so +fine quality; but of Franci, no. I return him after this voyage, with +compliments, and he sails no more in the 'Nautilus.' And you, Colorado? +How is it with you? You love not at all a vessel, I think?" + +There certainly could be no doubt this time that the Skipper was making +fun; his face was alive with it, and John could have laughed outright +for pleasure. + +"I don't believe you are a Malay, one bit!" said the child. "I'm not +sure that you are a pirate at all, but I know you aren't a Malay." + +"Why that, my son?" asked the Skipper, waving the smoke aside, that he +might see the child's face the clearer. "Why do you think that? I am not +dark enough for a Malay, is it that?" + +"No, not that," John admitted. "But--well, you have no creese, and you +are not wild, nor--nor fierce, nor cruel." + +"But I have the creese!" the Skipper protested. "The creese, would you +see it? It is in the cabin, behind the door, with other arms of piracy. +Still, Colorado, it is of a fact that I was not born in Polynesia, no. +As to the fierceness and the cruelty, we shall see, my son, we shall +see. If I kept you here on the 'Nautilus' always, took you with me away, +suffered you no more to live with your gentle Sir Scraper, that would be +cruelty, do you think it? That would be a fierce pirate, and a cruel +one, who would do that?" + +John raised his head, and looked long and earnestly in his friend's +face. "Of course, I know you are only in fun," he said, at last, +"because dreams don't really come true; but--but that _was_ my dream, +you know! I think I've dreamed you all my life. At least--well, I never +knew just what you looked like, or how you would come; but I always +dreamed that some one would come from the sea, and that I should hear +about the shells, and know what they were saying when they talk; and--" +he paused; but the Skipper patted his shoulder gently, in sign that he +understood. + +"And--what else, Juan Colorado?" he asked, in what seemed the kindest +voice in the world. But the boy John hung his head, and seemed loth to +go on. + +"There--there was another part to what I dreamed," he said at last. "I +guess I won't tell that, please, 'cause, of course, you were only in +fun." + +"And what the harm to tell it," said the Skipper, lightly, "even if it +come not true? Dreams are pretty things; my faith, I love to dream mine +self. Tell thy friend, Colorado! tell the dream, all the wholeness of +it." + +There was no resisting the deep, sweet voice. The little boy raised his +head again, and looked frankly into the kind, dark eyes. + +"I used to dream that I was taken away!" he said, in a low voice. + +"Away? Good!" the Skipper repeated. + +"Away," the boy murmured, and his voice grew soft and dreamy. "Away from +the land, and the fields where the grass dries up so soon, and winter +comes before you are ready to be cold. Some one would come and take me +in a ship, and I should live always on the water, and it would rock me +like a cradle, and I should feel as if I had always lived there. And I +should see the flying-fish and dolphins, and know how the corals grow, +and see things under the sea. And nobody would beat me then, and I +should not have to split wood when it makes my back ache. That was the +other part of my dream." + +The Skipper laid his hand lightly on the child's head and smoothed back +the red curls. "Who knows?" he said, with a smile. "Who knows what may +come of dreams, Colorado? Here the one-half is come true, already at +this time. Why not the other?" He turned away as if to change the +subject, and took up a piece of the white branching coral that lay at +his elbow. "When I gather this," he said in a lighter tone, "it was a +day in the last year; I remember well that day! A storm had been, and +still the sea was rough a little, but that was of no matter. Along the +island shore we were cruising, and I saw through the water, there very +clear, fine trees." + +"Trees?" repeated the wondering child. + +"Of coral, naturally!" said the Skipper. "Coral trees, Juan, shining +bright, bright, through the green water. + +"'Hola, you! lower anchor!' + +"It is done. I put on the diving dress. I take a rope about my waist, I +descend. There a forest I find; very beautiful thing to see. Here we see +green trees, and in your north, in fall of year, bright colours, but +there colours of rainbow all the year round. In one place bright yellow, +branch and twig of gold purely; the next, purple of a king's garment, +colour of roses, colour of peach-blossom in the spring. Past me, as I +descend, float fans of the fan-coral, lilac, spreading a vine-work, +trellis, as your word is. On the one side are cliffs of mountains, with +caves in their sides, and from these caves I see come out many +creatures; the band-fish, a long ribbon of silver with rose shining +through; the Isabelle fish, it is violet and green and gold, like a +queen. Under my feet, see, Colorado! sand white like the snow of your +winter, fine, shining with many bright sparks. And this is a garden; for +all on every hand flowers are growing. You have seen a cactus, that some +lady keeps very careful in her window, tending that it die not? Yes! +Here is the white ground covered with these flowers completely, only of +more size hugely, crimson, pale, the heart of a rose, the heart of a +young maiden. Sea-anemones are these, Colorado, many, many kinds, all +very fine to see. And here, too, on the ground are my shells, not as +here, when of their brightness the half is gone for want of the life +and the water, but full of gleams very glorious, telling of greatness in +their making. Here above the water, my little child, I find persons many +who doubt of a great God who maketh all things for good, and to grow in +the end better; but to have been under the sea, that is to know that it +cannot be otherwise; a true sailor learns many things that are not fully +known upon the land, where one sees not so largely His mercy." + +He was silent for a moment, and then went on, the child sitting rapt, +gazing at him with eyes which saw all the wonders of which he told. + +"All these things I saw through the clear water, as if through purest +glass I looked. I broke the branches, which now you see white and +cleaned, but then all splendid with these colours whereof I tell you. +Many branches I broke, putting them in pouches about my waist and +shoulders. At once, I see a waving in the water, over my head; I look up +to see a shark swim slowly round and round, just having seen me, and +making his preparations. I have my knife ready, for often have I met +this gentleman before. I slip behind the coral tree, and wait; but he is +a stupid beast, the shark, and knows not what to do when I come not out. +So up I quickly climb through the branches, with care not to tangle the +rope; he still looking for me at the spot where first he saw me. I gain +the top, and with a few pulls of my good Rento on the rope, I am in the +boat, and Sir Shark is snapping his teeth alone, very hungry, but not +invited to dinner." + +"Do you think he was stronger than you?" asked the little boy. "You're +very strong, aren't you? I should think you were as strong as sharks, +and 'most as strong as whales." + +The Skipper laughed. "Sir Shark is ten times so strong as any man, let +him be of the best, my friend; but he has not the strength of head, you +understand; that makes the difference. And you, could you do that, too? +Could you keep yourself from fear, when the sea-creatures come about +you, if you should ever be a sailor? What think you?" + +The child pondered. + +"I think I could!" he said at last. + +"I never saw any such things, of course, but I'm not afraid of anything +that I know about, here on shore. There was a snake," he went on, +lowering his voice, "last summer there was a snake that lived in a hole +by the school-house, and he was a poison snake, an adder. One day he +crept out of his hole and came into the school-house, and scared them +all 'most to death. The teacher fainted away, and all the children got +up into a corner on the table, and the snake had the whole floor to +himself. But it looked funny to see them all that way over a little +beast that wasn't more than two foot long; so I thought about it, and +then I went to the wood-box (we were burning brushwood then) and got a +stick with a little fork at the end, and I came up quick behind the +snake, and clapped that down over his neck, so he couldn't turn his head +round, and then I took another stick and killed him. That's only a +little thing, but I wasn't afraid at all, and I thought perhaps it would +show whether I would be good for anything when there were real things +to be afraid of." + +The Skipper nodded in his pleasant, understanding way. "I think so, too, +Colorado," he said. "I think so, too! That was like my boy Rento, but +not like Franci. Franci dies every time he see a snake, and come to life +only to find out if somebody else is killed. See, my son, how beautiful +the moon on the water! Let us look for a few moments, to take the beauty +into us, and then I must send my little friend to his bed, that nothing +harmful comes to him." + +So they sat hand in hand for awhile, gazing their fill, saying nothing; +there was the same look in the two faces, so widely different. The +little boy, with his clear brow, his blue eyes limpid as a mountain +pool, shining with the heavens reflected in them; the dark Spaniard (if +he were a Spaniard!) with lines of sadness, shadows of thought and of +bitter experience, making his bronze face still darker; what was there +alike in these two, who had come together from the ends of the earth? +The thought was one, in both hearts, and the look of it shone in the +eyes of both as they sat in the moonlight white and clear. What was the +thought? Look into the face of your child as it kneels to pray at close +of day! Look into the face of any good and true man when he is lifted +above the things of to-day, and sees the beauty and the mystery, and +hears the eternal voices sounding! + + "'Morning, evening, noon and night, + Praise God!' sang Theocrite." + + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +IN THE NIGHT. + +The evening had been peaceful, all beauty and silence; but not so the +night for the boy John. Something was the matter; he could not sleep. +The bunk in the little cabin was comfortable enough for anyone, but to +him it was a couch for an emperor. He speculated on the probability of +George the Third's having had anything like so luxurious a bed, and +rejected the thought as absurd. There were no lumps in the mattress, +neither any holes through which sharp fingers of straw came out and +scratched him. The red curtains at the sides could be drawn at will, +and, drawing them, he found himself in a little world of his own, warm +and still and red. The shells were outside in the other world; he could +look out at any moment and see them, and touch them, take them up; his +friend had said so. Now, however, it seemed best just to be alive, and +to stay still and wonder what would become of him. He heard the Skipper +come down and go to bed, and soon the sound of deep, regular breathing +told that he slept, the man of wonder; but John could not sleep. And now +other thoughts came thronging into his mind, thoughts that were not soft +and crimson and luxurious. To go away, as the Skipper had said,--to go +to heaven! But one did not go to heaven till the time came. Was it +right? Was the Skipper a good man? + +The child debated the question with anguish, lying with wide open eyes +in his crimson-shaded nest. Mr. Scraper was--not--very nice, perhaps; +but he had taken him, John, when his mother died, and fed and clothed +him. He had often had enough to eat--almost enough--and--and Mr. Scraper +was old, and perhaps pretty soon his legs would go to sleep, like old +Captain Baker's, and he would not be able to walk at all, and then how +would it be if he were left alone? Perhaps people would not come to help +him, as they had helped the captain, because everybody in the village +loved the captain, and no one exactly loved Mr. Scraper. So if the only +person who belonged to him at all should go off and leave him, how could +it be expected that the folks who had their own grandfathers and things +to take care of would stop and go to take care of this old man? And if +he should die there, all alone, with no one to read to him or bring him +things, or feed him with a spoon, why,--how would it seem to himself, +the boy John's self, when he should hear of it? + +"I am a murderer!" he said aloud; and straightway, at the sound of his +own voice, cowered under the bedclothes, and felt the hangman's hand at +his neck. + +What did it mean, when a person could not sleep? + +There was a man in an old book there at the house, and he was wicked, +and he never could sleep, never at all. The things he had done came and +sat on him, and they were hot, like coals, and the heat went through to +his heart and burned it. Would it be so with him, if he should go away +in the "Nautilus," and forget--or try to forget--the old man who had +nobody to love him? Not that Mr. Scraper wanted to be loved yet, at all; +but--but he might, some time, when his legs had gone to sleep, and +then-- + +Sometimes, when a person could not sleep, it meant that he was going to +die. Suppose one were to die now, and go to heaven, and they said to +one, "How was Mr. Scraper when you came away?" and one had to say, "I +ran away and left him this evening, and I don't know how he is, or +whether he is alive or dead--for sometimes old people die just like +that, dropping down in their chairs--what would they say to one? Perhaps +the old man had dropped down now, this very night, from anger at his +being away when he should have done the chores". He saw Mr. Scraper +sitting in his arm-chair, cold and dead, with the rats running over the +floor at his feet, because he, John, had not set the trap. A scream rose +to his lips, but he choked it back; and sitting up in desperation, drew +aside the red curtains and looked out. + +The cabin lay dim and quiet before him. A lantern hung in the middle, +turned low, and by its light he could see the shelves, with their +shining rows of shells, and the glass counter with the sea-jewelry. +Directly opposite him, only the narrow space of the cabin between, lay +the Skipper in his bunk, sleeping peacefully. The wild fear died away in +the child's heart as he saw the calmness and repose of the stalwart +figure. One arm was thrown out; the strong, shapely hand lay with the +palm open toward him, and there was infinite cheer and hospitality in +the attitude. In the dim light the Skipper's features looked less firm +and more kind; yet they were always kind. It was not possible that this +was a bad man, a stealer of children, a pilferer of old men's cupboards. + +If one could think that he had been playing all the time, making +believe, just as a person did one's self; but John had never known any +grown people who could make believe; they had either forgotten, or else +they were ashamed of the knowledge. Once, it was true, he had persuaded +Mr. Bill Hen Pike to be Plymouth Rock, when he wanted to land in the +"Mayflower;" but just as the landing was about to be effected, Mrs. Pike +had called wrathfully from the house, and the rock sprang up and +shambled off without even a word of apology or excuse. So grown people +did not understand these things, probably; and yet,--yet if it had been +play, what glorious times one could have, with a real creese, and a real +schooner, and everything delightful in the world! + +How could he be bad and look like that? The child bent forward and +strained his eyes on the sleeping face. So quiet, so strong, so gentle! +He tried putting other faces beside it, for he saw faces well, this boy, +and remembered what he had seen. He tried Mr. Scraper's face, with the +ugly blink to the red eyes, and the two wrinkles between the eyes, and +the little nest of spiteful ones that came about his mouth when he was +going to be angry; even when he slept--the old gentleman--his hands were +clenched tight--how different from that open palm, with its silent +welcome!--and his lips pursed up tight. No! no! that was not a pleasant +picture! Well, there was Lena! she was pleasant to look at, surely! Her +hair was like silver, and her eyes blue and soft, though they could be +sharp, too. But, somehow, when her face was brought here beside the +Skipper's, it looked foolish and empty, and her pretty smile had nothing +to say except to bid one look and see how pretty she was, and how +becoming blue was to her; and--and, altogether, she would not do at all. + +Mr. Bill Hen, then, who was always kind to him, and quite often, when. +Mrs. Pike was not near, would give him a checkerberry lozenge. Mr. Bill +Hen's face was good-natured, to be sure, but oh, how coarse and red and +stupid it was beside the fine dark sleeping mask! Why did people look so +different, and more when they were asleep than any other time? Did one's +soul come out and kind of play about, and light up the person's face; +and if so, was it not evident that the Skipper _was_ a good man? and +that perhaps things were really different in his country, and they had +other kinds of Ten Commandments, and--no, but right was right, and it +didn't make any difference about countries in that sort of thing. You +knew that yourself, because you felt it in your stomach when you did bad +things; perhaps when one grew older, one's stomach did not feel so +quickly. And, anyhow, if that was true about the soul, how do you +suppose a person's own soul would make his face look if he was running +away from the things he ought to do, and going to play with monkeys and +see the wonders of the world? The boy wondered what he was looking like +at the present moment, and summoned up the image of a frightful picture +of a devil in another of those old books into which he was forever +peeping at odd times. Did they miss him now, the old books in the +garret, because he had not come up to wish them good-night and take a +look at some of the best pictures before he went to bed? Was he likely +to turn into a devil when he died, do you suppose? + +How still it was, and how queer his eyes felt! But he could not lie +down, for then he would be alone again, and the things would come and +sit on him; it was good to sit up and look at the Skipper, and +wonder--and wonder-- + +A gleam, faint and red, shot from a shell in the farther corner,--a +splendid creature, scarlet and pale green, with horns that gave it a +singularly knowing look. He almost thought it nodded to him; and hark! +was that a tiny voice speaking, calling him by name? + +"Come away, little boy!" said the voice. "Come away to the south, where +the water is blue always, and storms come rarely, rarely! There, under +the water, my brothers and sisters wait to see you, and with them their +friends, the lovely ones, of whom you have dreamed all your life. There, +on beds of sea-moss, they lie, and the rainbow is dull beside them. +Flowers are there, and stars, and bells that wave softly without sound. +For one fair thing that the man, our master, told you of, we have a +thousand to show you. What does he know, a man, whose eyes are already +half-shut? But you are a child, and for you all things shall be opened +under the ocean, and you shall see the treasures of it, and the +wonders; and you shall grow wise, wise, so that men shall look up to +you, and shall say, 'Where did he gain his knowledge?' And your friend +shall be with you, oh yes, for he knows the way, if he cannot see all +the things that will meet your eyes! And you and he together shall +sail--shall sail, through waters green as chrysoprase; and all the +sea-creatures shall learn to know you and love you. You shall learn +where the sea-otter makes his nest, in the leaves of the giant sea-weed, +where they stretch along the water, full sixty feet long, as the Skipper +told you. The 'Nautilus' will be there, too: not a clumsy wooden +mountain, like this in which we lie prisoned, but the creature itself, +the fairy thing of pearl and silver! Look! here lies his shell, and you +find it lovely; but like us, it is dim and dead for want of the life +within it. + +"Come away, and let us be sailing, sailing over seas of gold! And when +you are weary of the top of the waves, down you shall sink with us +through the clear green water, and the night will fall like a soft +dream, and the moon-fish, with its disk of silver, shall gleam beside +you to light the dimness that yet is never dark; and you shall go down, +down, down--" + +And about this time it must have been that the little boy went down, for +when the morning broke, the Skipper found him, fast asleep, and smiling +as he slept. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +FAMILY MATTERS. + + +"Well," said Mr. Bill Hen, "I only want to put it to you, you +understand. Intelligent man like you, no need for me to do more than put +it to you. There's the child, and there's the old man, and they 'pear to +have got separated. I don't want to be understood as implying anything, +not anything in the living world; but there's where it is, you see. And +me being a justice of the peace, and sworn, you observe, to--well, I'm +sure you will see for yourself the position I'm placed in. Point is, you +seemed consid'able interested in the child, as one may say. Nothing +strange in that,--nice little boy! would interest an Injin chief, if he +had any human feelin' in him. But _bein'_ a justice of the peace, you +see,--well, Mr. Scraper has sent me to make inquiries, and no offence in +the world, I trust--no _insult_, you understand, if I jest--well, all +about it--do you know where in thunder the child is?" + +Mr. Bill Hen, standing on the bank, delivered himself of these remarks +with infinite confusion, perspiring freely, and wiping his face with a +duster, which he had brought by mistake instead of a handkerchief. He +looked piteously at the Skipper, who stood leaning over the side, +cheerfully inscrutable, clad in spotless white, and smoking a long +cigar. + +"The child?" the Skipper repeated, thoughtfully. "You allude to the boy +called John, Senor Pike; yes, I had that suppose. Now, sir, the day +before this, you tell me that this child is not well placed by that old +gentleman Scraper; that the old man is cruel, is base, is a +skin-the-flint, shortly. You tell me this, and I make reply to you that +there are powers more high than this old person, who have of that child +charge. How, if those powers had delivered to me the child? how then, I +ask you, Senor Pike?" + +Mr. Bill Hen wiped his brow again and gasped feebly. "'Tis as I +thought!" he said. "You've got the child aboard." + +The Skipper nodded, and blew rings from his cigar. "I have the child," +he repeated, "aboard. What will you in this case do, Senor? I propose to +take him with me away, to make of him a sailor, to care for him as my +son. You think well of this; you have been kind to the child always, as +he tell me? You are glad to have him remove from the slavery of this old +fish, yes?" He smiled, and bent his dark eyes on his unhappy visitor. + +Mr. Bill Hen writhed upon the hook. "There--there's truth in what you +say," he admitted, at length, after seeking counsel in vain from his red +bandanna. "There's truth in what you say, I aint denyin' that. But what +I look at, you see, is my duty. You may have your idees of duty, and I +may have mine; and I'm a justice of the peace, and I don't see anything +for it but to ask you to give up that child to his lawful guardeen, as +has sent me for him." + +A pause ensued, during which Franci sauntered to the side with easy +grace. "Shall I put a knife into him, Patron?" he asked, indicating Mr. +Bill Hen with a careless nod. "How well he would stick, eh? The fatness +of his person! It is but to say the word, Patron." + +Mr. Bill Hen recoiled with a look of horror, and prepared for instant +flight; but the Skipper's gesture reassured him. "Franci, look if there +is a whale on the larboard bow!" said the latter. + +"Perfectly, Patron!" replied Franci, withdrawing with his most courtly +bow. "When I say that no one will be killed at all in this cursed place, +and I shall break my heart! but as you will." + +Again there was a pause, while Mr. Bill Hen wondered if this were a +floating lunatic asylum or a nest of pirates, that had come so easily up +their quiet river and turned the world topsy-turvy. At length--"Your +force, Senor Pike," the Skipper said, "I perceive it not, for to take +away this child. Have you the milizia--what you call soldiers, +police--have you them summoned and concealed behind the rocks, as in the +theatres of Havana? I see no one but your one self. Surely you have no +thought to take the child of your own force from me?" + +Mr. Bill Hen gasped again. "Look here!" he broke out at last. "What kind +of man are you, anyway? you aint no kind that we're used to in these +parts, so now I tell you! When a man hears what is law in this part of +the world, he gives in, as is right and proper, to that law and +that--and--and in short to them sentiments. Are you going to stand out +against the law, and keep that child? and who give you a right to do for +that child? I suppose I can ask that question, if you are a grandee, or +whatever you are. Who give you a right, I ask?" + +"Who shall say?" replied the Skipper. "Perhaps--" He said no more, but +raised his hand with a gesture that was solemn enough; and Mr. Bill Hen +Pike decided that he was beyond doubt a madman. But now the Skipper +dropped his tone and attitude of smiling ease, and, throwing away his +cigar, stood upright. "Enough, Senor!" he said. "You are a good man, but +you have not the courage. Now, you shall see Colorado." He turned toward +the cabin and called: "Colorado, my son, come to me!" Then, after a +pause, "He sleeps yet. Rento, bring to me the child!" Rento, who had +been hovering near, lending a careful ear to all that was said, now +vanished, and reappeared, bearing the boy John in his arms. The child +was but newly awake, and was still rubbing his eyes and looking about +him in bewilderment. + +"Colorado, the Senor Pike, already well known to you!" said the Skipper, +with a graceful wave of the hand. "Your guardian, the old gentleman +Scraper, desires of our company at breakfast. How then, son of mine? +Shall we go, or shall I keep you here, and bid Sir Scraper find his way +to the devil, which will be for him little difficult?" He smiled on the +boy, and took his hand with a caressing gesture. + +Little John heaved a great sigh, and the cares of the world floated +from him like a summer cloud. "Oh, I knew it!" he cried, smiling +joyously up into his friend's face. "I knew it all the time, or almost +all! You never meant anything but fun, did you? and we will go back, +won't we? And we shall feel all right inside, and things will not +sit--I--I mean nothing will feel bad any more. I--I can't say all I +mean," he added, rather lamely, "because I had thoughts in the night; +but we will go now, you and I, you and I!" + + * * * * * + +As they approached the gate, John stopped a moment, and looked up at his +companion. "Would you mind holding my hand?" he asked. "I am all right +in my mind, but I think I am rather queer in my legs; I think I should +feel better if I held the hand of--of somebody who wasn't little, or--or +weak." + +Oh, the strong, cordial pressure of the big, brown hand! how it sent +warmth and cheer and courage through the little quivering frame! John +was all right in his mind, as he said, but his body felt already the +stinging blows of the cane, his ears rang already with the burning words +of rage and spite. + +"But it is the inside that matters!" said John, aloud; and he shut his +eyes and went into the house. + +"Good-morning, gentleman," the Skipper began, always at his courteous +ease. + +"I have to ask your forgiveness, that I carry off yesterday our young +friend here. You were not at house, I desired greatly of his company; I +have the ways of the sea, waiting not too long for the things I like; +briefly, I take him away. That I bear the blame of this is my desire. +And now, shall we pleasantly converse, ha?" + +He seated himself, drew the boy between his knees, and looked Mr. +Scraper squarely in the eyes. Now, Mr. Scraper did not like to be looked +at in this manner; he shifted on his chair, and his mouth, which had +been opened to pour out a flood of angry speech, closed with a spiteful +snap, and then opened, and then closed again. + +The Skipper observed these fish-like snappings with grave attention. At +length,-- + +"Who are you, I should like to know?" the old man cried in an angry +twitter. + +"Why in--why do you come meddling here, and carrying off boys from their +lawful guardeens, and talking folderol, and raising Ned generally? I've +seen skippers before, but I never heered of no such actions as these, +never in my days! Why, no one here so much as knows your name; and here +you seem to own the hull village, all of a sudden. You, John," he added, +with a savage snarl, "you go about your business, and I'll see to you +afterwards. I reckon you won't go out again without leave for one +while!" + +The child started obediently, but the strong hand held him fast. + +"Quiet, Colorado," said the Skipper. "Quiet, my son! Time enough for the +work, plenty time! I desire you here now, see you." Then he turned once +more to the old man. + +"You have, I already say, a beautiful name, Sir Scraper," he said with +cheerful interest. "Endymion! a fine name, truly--of poetry, of +moonlight and beauty; you have had great joy of that name, I cannot +doubt?" + +"What's my name to you, I should like to know?" retorted Mr. Scraper, +with acrimony. "This aint the first time you've took up my name, and +I'll thank you to leave it alone! You let go that boy, or I'll let you +know more 'n you knew before." + +"Perfectly!" said the Skipper. "Attend but a moment, dear sir. Let us +pursue for a moment thoughts of poetry! Such a name as Endymion proves a +poetic fancy in the giver of it; at a guess, this was your lady mother, +now probably with the saints, and if others so fortunate as to belong to +your family, surely this excellent lady would have given to them, also, +names of soul, of poetry! If there was a sister, for example, would she +be named Susan? No! Jane? Never! Find me then a name! Come! at a +venture. Zenobia? Aha! what say you?" + +He leaned forward, and his glance was like the flash of a sword. The +child looked in wonder from one to the other; for the old man had sunk +back in his chair, and his jaw had fallen open in an ugly way, and +altogether he was a sad object to look at. + +"What--what d'ye mean?" he gasped, after a moment. But the Skipper went +on, speaking lightly and cheerfully, as if talking of the weather. + +"What pleasure to bring before the mind a picture of a family so +charming! Of you, dear sir, in your gracious childhood, how endearing +the image! how tenderly guarded, how fondly cherished here by your side +the little sister? Ah! the smiling picture, making glad the heart! This +sister, Zenobia, let us say, grows up, after what happy childhood with +such a brother needs for me not to say. They are three, these +children,--how must they love each other! But one brother goes early +away from the home! In time comes for Zenobia, as to young maidens will +come, a suitor, a foreigner, shall we say? a man, like myself, of the +sea? May it not have been possible, dear sir?" + +"A roving nobody!" the old man muttered, striving to pull himself +together. "A rascally"--but here he stopped abruptly, for a stern hand +was laid on his arm. + +"I am speaking at this present, sir!" said the Skipper. "Of this man I +do not ask you the character. I tell my story, if you please, in my own +way. + +"The mother, by this time, is dead. The father, unwilling to part with +his daughter,--alas! the parental heart, how must it be torn? As yours, +the tender one, last night, on missing this beloved child, Sir Scraper. +The father, I say, opposes the marriage; at length only, and after many +tears, much sorrow, some anger, consents; the daughter, sister, Zenobia, +goes with her husband away, promising quickly to return, to take her old +father to her home in the southern islands. Ah, the interesting tale, is +it not? Observe, Colorado, my son, how I am able to move this, your dear +guardian. The pleasant thing, to move the mind of age, so often +indifferent. + +"Zenobia goes away, and the son, the good son, the one faithful and +devoted, who will not marry, so great his love for his parent, is left +with that parent alone. How happy can we fancy that parent, is it not? +How gay for him the days, how sweet for him the nights, lighted with +love, and smoothed his pillow by loving hands,--ah, the pleasant +picture! But how, my friend, you feel yourself not well? Colorado, a +glass of water for your guardian." + +The old man motioned the child back, his little eyes gleaming with rage +and fear. + +"You--you come a-nigh me, you brat, and I'll wring your neck!" he +gasped. "Well, Mister, have you finished your--your story, as you call +it? Why do I want to listen to your pack of lies, I should like to know? +I wonder I've had patience to let you go on so long." + +"Why do you want to listen?" the Skipper repeated. "My faith, do I know? +But the appearance of interest in your face so venerable, it touch me to +the heart. Shall I go and tell the rest of my story to him there, that +other, the justice of the peace? But no, it would break your heart to +hear not the end. That we proceed then, though not so cheerful the +ending of my story. Zenobia, in her southern home, happy, with her child +at her knee, feels still in her heart the desire to see once more her +father, to bring him to her, here in the warm south to end his days of +age. She writes, but no answer comes; again she writes, and again, grief +in her soul, to think that anger is between her and one so dear. At +last, after a long time, a letter from her brother, the stay-at-home, +the faithful one; their father is dead; is dead,--without speaking of +her; the property is to him left, the faithful son. It is finished, it +is concluded, the earth is shut down over the old man, and no more is to +say. + +"With what tender, what loving words this cruel news tells itself, needs +not to repeat to a person so of feeling as yourself, Sir Scraper. +Zenobia, sad woman, believes what she is told; bows her head, gathers to +her closer her husband and her son, and waits the good time when God +shall make to her good old father the clear knowledge that she has +always loved him. Ah, yes, my faith! + +"Now, in a year, two years, I know not, what arrives? A letter, old and +worn; a letter soiled, discoloured, of carrying long in a sailor's +pocket, but still easily to be read. This letter--shall we guess, Sir +Scraper? Well, then, from her father! The old man in secret, in fear, +lying on his bed of death, makes come by stealth a neighbour, kindly +disposed to him; makes write by his hand this letter; makes draw up +besides, it may be, other papers, what do we know? + +"Ah! but remain quiet, dear sir. Grieved that I do not interest you, I +must still pray of your presence, that you do not yet withdraw it. +Ancient fish-skin, do I tie thee in thy chair? + +"So! that is well, and you will remain quiet, Senor, with a thousand +pardons! + +"This letter, then, it is one to wring the heart. He has longed for his +daughter, this poor old man; in two grasping hands held as in a vise, he +turns to her who was always kind, he prays her to return, to let him +come to her, what she will. Failing this, and knowing that on earth the +time is short for him to remain, he bids her not grieve, but send to her +home a messenger of trust, and let him look for a certain paper, in a +certain place. Finally, he prays for her the blessing of God, this good +old man, and bids her farewell, if he may never see her more. Truly, a +letter over which a pirate, even a Malay pirate, Colorado of my heart, +might shed tears." + +The Skipper's voice was still quiet, but its deep tones were stern with +suppressed feeling; with menace, was it? The child, bewildered, looked +from one to the other of his two companions. The Spaniard's eyes burned +red in their depths, his glance seemed to pierce marrow and sinew; he +sat leaning lightly forward in his chair, alert, possessing himself, +ready for any sudden movement on the part of his adversary; for the old +man must be his adversary; something deadly must lie between these two. +Mr. Scraper lay back in his chair like one half dead, yet the rage and +spite and hatred, the baffled wonder, the incredulity struggling with +what was being forced upon him, made lively play in his sunken face. His +lean hands clutched the arms of the chair as if they would rend the +wood; his frame shook with a palsy. Little John wondered what could ail +his guardian; yet his own heart was stirred to its depths by what he had +heard. + +"The son was bad!" he cried. "He was a bad man! Things must have sat +upon his breast _all_ night, and I am sure he could not sleep at all. +Are you sorry for a person who is as bad as that? do you think any one +tried to help him to be better?" + +But the Skipper raised his finger, and pointed to the evil face of the +old man. + +"Does that man look as if he slept, my son?" he asked. + +"Listen always, and you shall hear the last of the story." + +"It's a lie!" Mr. Scraper screamed at last, recovering the power of +speech. + +"It's a lie that you've cooked up from what you have heard from the +neighbours. May their tongues rot out! And if it were true as the sun, +what is it to you? She's dead, I tell you! She's been dead these twenty +years! I had the papers telling of her death; I've got 'em now, you +fool." + +"Quiet then, my uncle!" said the Skipper, bending forward, and laying +his hand on the old man's knee. + +"She is dead, she died in these arms. I am her son, do you see?" + +But if Mr. Scraper saw, it was only for a moment, for he gave a scream, +and fell together sideways in his chair, struck with a fit. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION. + + +"And now, Colorado, son of my heart," the Skipper said, "you understand +why I was a thief that yesterday, and why I could not permit you at that +instant to tell of my thieving?" + +They had put the old man to bed, and Mr. Bill Hen had gone for the +doctor. In fact, when John ran out of the door, he had found Mr. Bill +Hen leaning up against it, as speechless, with amazement and confusion, +as Mr. Scraper himself! The good man, wholly unable to restrain his +curiosity, had followed the Skipper and the boy, unbeknown to them, and +posting himself in a convenient angle of the porch, had heard every word +of the conversation. The Skipper, perceiving the facts, managed to rouse +him with a few sharp words, and sent him off in hot haste to the +village; and had then proceeded to make the old gentleman comfortable, +and to set things shipshape, so far as might be. + +"Do you think he will die?" asked John, peeping over the bed at the +sunken features of the old man. + +"I do not!" was the reply. + +"I think this my revered uncle has yet many years to live--and repent, +if so he be minded. He is a very bad old man, Colorado, this my revered +uncle! Ah, thou ancient fish, thou art finally landed!" + +"Are you sorry for a person when he is so bad as that?" asked the boy, +as he had asked once before. + +"Do you think a person could make him better, if he tried very hard +indeed?" + +"I have no knowledge!" said the Skipper, rather shortly. "I am a human +person altogether, my son! and I concern myself not greatly with the +improvement of this my revered uncle. Behold it, the will, made by my +grandfather, the father of my poor mother, whose soul, with his, rest in +eternal glory! By this, my mother, and I after her, inherit this house, +this garden, these possessions such as they are. If I desire, son of +mine, I may come here to-day to live, sell the 'Nautilus,' or cut her +cable and let her drift down the river, with Rento and Franci, and all +the shells; and I may live here in my house, to--what do you say? +cultivate my lands, eat grass and give it to the cattle? What think you, +Colorado? Is that a life? Shall I lead it, as is my right? Have I not +had enough, think you, of roving over the sea, with no place where I may +rest, save the heaving ocean, that rests never beneath the foot? Shall +we turn out this old wicked man, who did to death his old father, who +made my mother go sad of heart to her grave, who has done of all his +life no kind act to any person--shall we turn him out, and live in peace +here, you and I?" + +The child came near to him, and laid his hand on his friend's knee, and +looked up in his face with troubled eyes. + +"I am not very bright," he said, "and you think so many things so +quickly that I do not know what you mean a good deal of the time. +But--but Cousin Scraper took me when my people died, and he has taken +care of me ever since, and--and he has no one else to take care of him +now." + +"Yes, the fine care he has taken of you!" said the Skipper. "You are of +skin and bone, my child, and there are marks on your skin of blows, I +saw them yesterday: cruel blows, given from a bad heart. You have worked +for him, this ancient fish-skin, how long? Of wages, how much has he +paid you? Tell me these things, and I will tell you how much it is your +duty to stay by him." + +But John shook his head, and the shadows deepened in his blue eyes. + +"You cannot tell a person those things," he said; "a person has to tell +himself those things. But thank you all the same," he added, fervently; +"and I love you always more and more, every day and every minute, and I +always shall." + +"Now the question is," said the Skipper, shrugging his shoulders in mock +despair, "must I turn pirate in truth, to gain possession of a child +whom I could hold in my pocket, and who would give all his coloured hair +from his head to go with me? Go away, son of mine, that I reflect on +these things, for you try my soul!" + +John withdrew, very sad, and wondering how it was that right and wrong +could ever get mixed. He thought of looking in some of the old books to +see, but, somehow, books did not appeal to him just now. He went up to +his own little room, and took down the china poodle, and had a long +talk with him; that was very consoling, and he felt better after it; it +was wonderful how it cleared the mind to talk a thing over with an old +friend. The poodle said little, but his eyes were full of sympathy, and +that was the main thing. By-and-by, as the child sat by his little +window, polishing the pearl-shell on his sleeve, and thinking over the +strange events of the last few days, there came to him from below the +sound of voices. The doctor was there, evidently; perhaps Mr. Bill Hen, +too; and little as he felt inclined to merriment, John fell into a +helpless laughter, as he recalled the look of that worthy man when he +was discovered flattened against the door. How much older one grew +sometimes in a short time! Mr. Bill Hen used to look so old, so wise, +and now he seemed no more than another boy, and perhaps rather a foolish +boy. But seeing the Skipper made a great difference in a person's life. + +Presently the door at the foot of the stairs opened, and John heard his +name called; he hastened down, and found Mr. Scraper sitting up in bed, +looking pale and savage, but in full possession of his faculties. The +doctor was there, a burly, kind-eyed man, and Mr. Bill Hen was there, +and the Skipper; and when little John entered, they all looked at him, +and no one said anything for a moment. + +At length the doctor broke the silence. + +"I understand, sir," he said, addressing the Skipper, "that you have a +paper, a will or the like, substantiating your claims?" + +"I have!" the Skipper replied. "The letter received by my mother, +shortly before her death, was dictated by my grandfather, and told that, +hearing for many years nothing from his son, this child's grandfather, +he had made a will in her favour. This, being timorous, he had not dared +to show to anyone, neither to send her a copy, but he bade her send a +messenger to make search in a certain cupboard of this house, on a +certain shelf, where would be found this paper. My mother dying, +commended to me this search. I at that time was a youth on adventures +bent, with already plans for eastern voyages. Keeping always the letter +in my pouch, and in my heart the desire of my mother, I came, +nevertheless, not to this part of the world; years come and go, Senor, +swiftly with men of the sea, and these shores seemed to me less of +attraction than Borneo and other places where were easily to be found my +wares. Briefly, I came not; till this year, a commission from a +collector of some extent brought the 'Nautilus' to New York. And then, +say I, how then if I go on, see this my inheritance, discover if it may +profit me somewhat? I come, I discover my revered uncle, unknown to him. +Is the discovery such that I desire to fall on his respected bosom, +crying, 'My uncle, soul of my family, behold your son!' I ask you, +Senors both! But I find this, my revered uncle, to be a collector of +shells: thus he is in one way already dear to my heart. Again, I find +here at the moment of my arrival a child, who is in effect of my own +blood, who is to me a son from the moment of our first speech. Is it so, +Colorado? Speak, my child!" + +John could not speak, but he nodded like a little mandarin, and the red +curls fell into his eyes and hid the tears, so that no one but the +Skipper saw them. + +"How then?" the Skipper resumed, after a moment's pause. "My soul not +calling me to reveal myself to this so-dear relative, what do I? I come +to this house, without special plan, to spy out the land, do we say? I +find my uncle forth of the house; I find my child travailing in the +garden. Good! The time appears to me accepted. I enter, I search, I find +the cupboard, I find the paper. Briefly, Senors both, behold me +possessor of this house, this garden, this domain royal." + +He handed a paper to the doctor, who read it carefully, and nodded. Mr. +Scraper made an attempt to clutch it in passing, but grasped the air +only. + +"What then, in finality, do I say?" the Skipper went on. "Do I desire to +stay in this place? Wishing not to grieve the Senor Pike, whom greatly I +esteem, I consider it unfit for the human being. Of property, I have +little desire; I have for my wants enough, I have my 'Nautilus,' I have +my boys, to what end should I retain these cold spots of earth, never +before seen by me? To what purpose, I ask it of you, Senors? Therefore, +in finality, I say to my revered uncle this: Give to me the child, give +to me the boy, that I take away and make a sailor, for which he was +born; and I of my part surrender house and garden, even any money bags +which may be, what know I, perhaps at this moment in the bed of my +revered uncle concealed?" + +The old man gave a convulsive shudder at this, and shrieked faintly; all +started, but the Skipper laughed. + +"You see, Senor Pike, and Senor Doctor, greatly respected! Who shall +know how great sums this ancient fish has hidden under him? Let him keep +them, these sums. I take the child, and I go my way. Is it finished, +uncle of my heart? Is it finished, venerable iniquity? Can you part with +the child, beloved, even as your old father was beloved, and like him +caressed and tenderly entreated? Answer, thou!" + +But before Mr. Scraper could speak, little John stepped forward, very +pale, but clear in his mind. + +"If you please," he said, "I should like to speak. If you please, he +(indicating the Skipper,) is so kind, and--and--he knows what I--he +knows things I have thought about, but he does not know all. Cousin +Scraper, you may be sick now, perhaps a long time, and perhaps you have +gone upon your bed to die, like that king in the Bible who had figs put +on; only he got well. + +"And I want to stay and take care of you, and--and I will do as well as +I know how, and I think I can work more than I used to, because I know +more, these last days, than I did, and--and--I think that is all. But if +you don't mind--if you would try to like me a little, I think we should +get on better; and if dried figs would do, we might try those, you +know." + +Here he turned to the doctor, with a face of such clear brightness that +the good man choked, and coughed, and finally went and looked out of the +window, wondering whether he was laughing or crying. + +Then John came forward, and held out both hands to the old man with an +appealing gesture. + +"Will you try to like me a little?" he said; and for the first time his +voice quivered. + +"For now my only friend is going away, and I am sending him, and I shall +never see him again." + +Mr. Endymion Scraper was a man of few ideas; and only one was in his +mind at this moment. Gathering himself up in the bed, he pushed the boy +away from him with all his feeble strength. + +"Go 'way!" he said. "Go 'way, I tell ye. If that man there will take ye, +he's welcome to ye, I guess. If he's fool enough to take ye in exchange +for property, saying the property was his, which I aint fool enough to +do without a lawyer--he's welcome to ye. I say, he's welcome. I don't +want no brats round here. I took ye out of charity, and I've had enough +of ye. Go 'long, I say, with that wuthless feller, if he is my sister's +son. I want to be rid of the hull lot and passel of ye!" + +His voice rose to a scream, and the veins on his narrow forehead stood +out like cords. The doctor motioned to the Spaniard; and the latter, +without another word, took the child up in his arms as he had done once +before, swung him over his shoulder, and left the room. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +SAILING. + + +"Rento!" + +"Ay, ay, sir!" + +"Franci!" + +"Senor!" + +"Jack and Jim!" + +The monkeys for answer leaped on their master's shoulder, and chattered, +and peered round into his face. + +"The company of this schooner, attention! Behold Colorado, who comes to +be my son! He sails with us, he receives kindness from you all, he is in +his home. Instruction you will give him in ways of the sea, and he +becomes in all things your brother. Am I understood?" + +The different members of the crew received this intelligence each in his +own way. Rento advanced, and shaking John cordially by the hand, assured +him with honest warmth that he was proper glad to see him, and that he +hoped they should be good friends. + +Franci smiled like an angel, and the moment the Skipper's back was +turned, made frightful grimaces at the boy, and threatened his life. But +John was too happy to be afraid of Franci. Going boldly up to him, he +asked,-- + +"Why don't you like me, and why do you want to kill me? I never did you +any harm, and I should like to be friends, please." + +The Spaniard looked at him sidelong out of his soft, sleepy eyes. + +"Have you understanding?" he asked presently. "Have you intelligence to +accept the idea of a person of poetry, of soul?" + +"I think so!" said John, with some confidence. "I could try, anyhow." + +"Look, then!" exclaimed Franci, throwing his arms abroad with a dramatic +gesture. + +"I am not of nature murderous. A dove, a lamb at sport in the meadow, +such is the heart of Franci. But--behold me desolated on this infernal +schooner. Torn by my parents from my home, from warm places of my +delight, from various maidens, all enamoured of my person, I am sent to +be a sailor. A life of horror, believe me who say it to you! Wetness, +cold and work; work, cold and wetness! Behold the sea! may it be +accursed, and dry up at the earliest moment! I come here, on this so +disastrous voyage. Have I poetry, think you, on board this vessel? Is +the pig-faced armadillo yonder a companion for me, for Franci? Is my +beauty, the gentleness and grace of my soul appreciated here? even the +Patron, a person in some ways of understanding, has for me only the +treatment of a child, of a servant. Crushed to the ground by these +afflictions, how do I revenge myself? How do I make possible the passage +of time in this wooden prison? I make for myself the action, I make for +myself the theatre. Born for the grace of life, deprived of it, let me +have the horrors! In effect, I would not hurt the safety of a flea; in +appearance, I desire blood, blood, blood!" + +He shrieked the last words aloud, and leaped upon the boy, his eyes +glaring like a madman's; but John was on his own ground now; his eyes +shone with appreciation. + +"That's splendid!" he cried. "Blood! Oh, I wish I could do it like that! +I say, we can play all kind of things, can't we? We'll be pirates--only +good pirates,--and we'll scour the seas, and save all the shipwrecked +people, won't we? And you shall be the captain (or you might call it +admiral, if you liked the sound better, I often do), and I will be the +mate, or the prisoners, or the drowning folks, just as you like. I love +to play things." + +"Come to my heart, angelic child!" cried Franci, flinging out his arms +once more. "At length I am understood, I am appreciated, I have found a +comrade! That I weep on thy bosom, Colorado!" + +And, much to the disgust of Rento, he fell upon John's neck, and shed, +or appeared to shed, a few tears, with great parade of silk +handkerchief. He then advanced to where the Skipper was smoking his +cigar in the stern, and informed him, with a low bow, that he and +Colorado were one soul, which the Skipper said he was delighted to hear, +adding that he recommended the one soul to set the two bodies to work +cleaning the brasses. + +Franci liked to clean the brasses, because he could see his face in +them, and make eyes at himself as he went along; accordingly he turned +three back-somersaults, a sign of high good-humour with him, and +returned to his new friend. + +"Have you noticed, Colorado," he inquired, "the contour of my leg? Did +you observe it now, quivering in the air?" + +John nodded appreciation, and wondered how old Franci was. + +"To possess beauty," said the latter, gravely, "is a responsibility, my +friend. It is a burden, my soul! Franci has shed tears over it, the +tears of a poet. You have read of Apollo, at least you have heard of +him, the god of poetry, of music, of grace? yes? Behold him, Colorado! +He lives before you, in the form of Franci. Come on, that we clean +together the brasses!" + +As for the monkeys, they at once adopted John as their companion and +their lawful prey. They climbed over him, they tried to get into his +pockets, they nestled in his arms, they challenged him to races among +the yards. The Skipper was their king, Franci was their model, the ideal +toward which they vainly aspired. Rento, good, homely Rento, was the +person who fed them, and with whom they could take any liberties, with +no danger of a beating; but the new-comer, the boy John, was simply +another monkey like themselves. Dressed up, it was true, like men, but +in no other way resembling them more than another, more than themselves. +Let him come and play, then, and put on no airs. These were the +sentiments of Jack and Jim, and John responded to them with hearty +good-will. + +The Skipper sat smoking, and watched with a quiet smile the gambols of +the three young creatures, as they sped here and there about the +rigging, chattering, laughing, shrieking with glee. + +"Laugh, my son!" he said to himself, between the puffs of his cigar. +"Laugh and play, my little son! Far too little laughter has been in thy +life so far; here thou shalt be as gay as the sun is bright on the +Bahamas. Of what use to be a sailor, if not to rejoice, and to see with +joy the works of God and His glory? Laugh, Colorado, the sound is music +in my ears!" + +But by-and-by the play must cease. Orders were given, and Rento and +Franci set to work in good earnest. The wind was fair, the tide was +setting out. What should keep them longer here? The sails were hoisted +to the tune of "Baltimore," and Rento's gruff bass and Franci's melting +tenor were mingled for once in friendly harmony. + + "I wish I was in Baltimore! + lo! + A-skating on the sanded floor. + A long time ago! + Forever and forever, + lo! + Forever and forever, boys, + A long time ago!" + +Just as the cables were about to be cast off, a hail was heard from the +wharf, and Mr. Bill Hen Pike appeared, purple and breathless. + +"Schooner ahoy!" he gasped; and then fell against a post and mopped his +brow. + +"Senor!" responded the Skipper, coming to the stern, and greeting his +guest with a wave of the hand, "you come to bid us farewell? It is +kindly done! Or you bring us, perhaps, a message from our revered uncle? +Speak with haste, Senor, the tide waits not!" + +"I--I brought this!" said Mr. Bill Hen, holding up a small object. "I +went up into his room, to see if there was anything he might like, and +there warn't nothing but just this. I thought you'd like to have it, +Johnny, to take along with you." + +The good man's voice faltered; John ran to the stern, and held out his +hands eagerly, tenderly, crying,--"Oh, thank you, dear Mr. Pike! thank +you so very, very much!" + +For it was the china poodle that Mr. Bill Hen had brought. When the +treasure was safe in the child's hands, Mr. Bill Hen breathed more +freely. + +"Now you'll have something to remember us by, Johnny!" he said. "We've +lotted on ye a good deal, here to the village; more maybe than you +thought on. I--I'll miss ye consid'able, off and on, ye see, off and on. +You'll think about us nows and thens, won't ye, Bub?" + +"Oh, yes, indeed!" cried little John, eagerly. "I shall think of you a +great, great deal, Mr. Bill Hen! You have always been so good and kind +to me, and I shall miss you, too, and Lena, and lots of people. And--and +how is Cousin Scraper, please, Mr. Bill Hen? Does he miss me, do you +think?" + +"He's all right!" replied Mr. Bill Hen, gruffly. "Doosn't seem none the +worse for his tantrum. No, if you ask me, I can't say as he seems to +miss ye, not anyways to hurt him, that is. He'll be out again to-morrow +all right, doctor says; and besides bein' rather uglier than common all +day, I don't see no difference in him." + +John sighed, but not very heavily. + +"I suppose if I had been nicer he might have missed me," he said; "but +then, on the other hand, if he missed me, he wouldn't be so comfortable +at my going away; so, you see!" + +Mr. Bill Hen did not see, but he said it was of no consequence. Then, +coming to the edge of the wharf, he shook hands all round, never +noticing, in the preoccupation of his mind, the knife that Franci +flashed and brandished in his eyes as a parting dramatic effect. He held +John's hand long, and seemed to labour for words, but found none; and so +they slipped away and left him standing alone on the wharf, a forlorn +figure. + +Down the river! Sailing, sailing over the magical waters, past the fairy +shores, already darkening into twilight shades of purple and gray. The +white schooner glided along, passing, as she had come, like a dream. In +the bow stood the Skipper, his eyes bent forward, his hand clasping fast +the hand of the child. + +"We go, Colorado!" he said. "We go, my son, to new worlds, to a new +life. May a blessing be upon them, as my heart feels there will be. +Behold, my friend, the ways of God, very wonderful to men of the sea. I +come up this river, with what thoughts in my heart? Partly of curiosity, +that I see the place where my mother, long dead, was born, came to her +womanhood; partly of tenderness for her memory, regard for her wish; +partly, also, for anger at the villain brother, my uncle, and desire for +revenge, for my rights. I come, and I find--a child! A brother for my +present life, a son for my age, a friend for my heart! Living upon the +sea, Colorado, a man has much time for thought; the sea speaks to him, +the sky, the wind and wave. What is the word they say, each and every +one, in the ear of the sailor? 'Glory to God!' That is it, my son. Let +us give thanks, and begin with joy our new life together!" + +Down the river! The banks fade into shadow, the breeze sinks away, but +still the tide flows free, and the schooner slips along like a spirit. +Now comes up the white fog, the fog out of which she came gliding that +first morning; and it receives her as a bride, and folds her in its +arms, and she melts into the whiteness and is gone. Was it all a dream? +Or does there still come back to us, faintly borne, sweetly ringing, the +song of the sailors? + +[Music] + + For-ev-er and for-ev-er I--o, + For-ev-er and for-ev-er boys, A long time a-go. + +[Illustration] + + + + +The Hildegarde Series + +AND OTHER BOOKS BY LAURA E. RICHARDS. + + +***Next to Miss Alcott's famous "Little Women" series they easily rank, +and no books that have appeared in recent times may be more safely put +into the hands of a bright, intelligent girl than these four "Queen +Hildegarde" books. + + + + +HILDEGARDE'S NEIGHBORS. + + +By Laura E. Richards. A companion to "Queen Hildegarde," etc. +Illustrated from original designs. Square 16mo, cloth. $1.25. + +A new volume in the "Hildegarde" Series, some of the best and most +deservedly popular books for girls issued in recent years. This new +volume is fully equal to its predecessors in point of interest, and is +sure to renew the popularity of the entire series. + + + + +QUEEN HILDEGARDE. + + +A story for girls, by Laura E. Richards, author of "Captain January," +etc. Illustrated from original designs by Garrett (292 pp). Square 16mo, +cloth. $1.25. + +"We would like to see the sensible, heroine-loving girl in her early +teens who would not like this book. Not to like it would simply argue a +screw loose somewhere." _Boston Post._ + + + + +HILDEGARDE'S HOLIDAY. + + +A companion to "Queen Hildegarde." By Laura E. Richards. Illustrated +with full-page plates by Copeland. Square 16mo, cloth. $1.25. + + + + +HILDEGARDE'S HOME. + + +By Laura E. Richards, author of "Queen Hildegarde," "Captain January," +etc. Illustrated with original designs by Merrill. Square 16mo, cloth. +$1.25. + +_ALSO_ + + + + +FOUR FEET, TWO FEET, AND NO FEET; + + +Or, Furry and Feathery Pets, and How they Live. Stories of Animals, +Fishes and Birds for the Little Folks. Edited by Laura E. Richards. +Illustrated with nearly 250 wood engravings, all original in design, and +engraved by George T. Andrew. Quarto. Illuminated board covers. $1.75. + + + + +FIVE MICE IN A MOUSE TRAP. + + +The story of their lives and other wonderful things related by The Man +in the Moon, done in the vernacular from the lunacular form, by Laura E. +Richards, daughter of Julia Ward Howe, author of "Four Feet, Two Feet, +and No Feet," "Joyous Story of Toto," etc. With a large number of +beautiful illustrations by Addie Ledyard, Kate Greenaway and others. +Quarto. Illuminated board covers. $1.25. + + + + +SIX GIRLS. + + +A delightful book for girls. By Fannie Belle Irving, a gifted writer, +and niece of Washington Irving. Illustrated from designs by Merrill. +16mo, cloth. Boston. $1.25. + +_Estes & Lauriat, Publishers, Boston._ + + + + +Illustrated Gift Books + +FOR ALL SEASONS. + +AMERICA'S GODFATHER; + + +Or, the Florentine Gentleman. Being the story of Amerigo Vespucci. By +Virginia W. Johnson, author of "The Lily of the Arno," etc. Handsomely +printed from large type, on fine paper, and illustrated with twenty +full-page plates in half-tone. Small, 8vo, handsomely bound in cloth, +extra, original and very handsome cover design, gilt top, in a box. +$2.50. + + + + +_WILLIAM WARE'S BOOKS._ + +ZENOBIA; + + +Queen of Palmyra. A tale of the Roman Empire in the days of the Emperor +Aurelian. By William Ware, author of "Aurelian," "Julian," etc. _Holiday +edition_. Handsomely printed from new and large type on laid paper, and +handsomely illustrated with twenty full-page plates in half-tone from +photographs taken in Palmyra. Small 8vo, tastefully bound in +parti-colored cloth, decorated in gold, with cameo portrait on side, +gilt top, in a box. $2.50 + +A handsome holiday edition of a famous historical novel, still popular +and worthy of preservation in an attractive form. The illustrations add +considerably to its interest, depicting the ruins of a splendid +civilization, that was at its zenith nearly two thousand years ago. + + + + +AURELIAN; + + +Emperor of Rome. A tale of the Roman Empire in the Third Century. By +William Ware, author of "Zenobia," etc. Handsomely printed from new, +large type, and illustrated with twenty full-page plates in half-tone +from photographs of Roman scenes described in the story. Small 8vo, +cloth, gilt top, _uniform with our holiday edition of_ "Zenobia," each +copy in a box. $2.50. + +A companion edition to the handsome holiday edition of "Zenobia." It is +an historical tale of no ordinary power, and is familiar to the present +generation chiefly from the reputation of its former success, but well +deserves renewed popularity. + + + + +JULIAN; + + +Or Scenes in Judea. By William Ware, author of "Zenobia," etc. +Handsomely printed from new, large type, on laid paper, and illustrated +with full-page plates reproducing historic scenes described in the +narrative. Small 8vo, cloth, gilt top, uniform with our holiday editions +of "Zenobia" and "Aurelian," each copy in a box. $2.50. + +Completes the series of historical romances by the author of "Zenobia." +The scene is laid at an earlier date than "Aurelian," being in fact +during the time of Christ's ministrations in Judea, scenes which have +since been so grandly used by Lew Wallace in "Ben Hur." To most of the +present generation the book will possess all the charm of novelty. + +_Estes & Lauriat, Publishers, Boston._ + + + + +Italian Cities Illustrated + +ROME OF TO-DAY AND YESTERDAY: + + +The Pagan Centuries. By John Dennie. New holiday edition. Illustrated +with maps, plans, and twenty full-page plates, reproducing, in +photogravure, photographs of the most important points of interest. +Small 8vo, vellum cloth, cover design in gold and colors, gilt tops, +slip covers, in cloth case. $3.00. + + + + +GENOA THE SUPERB: + + +The City of Columbus. By Virginia W. Johnson, author of "The Lily of the +Arno," etc. Handsomely printed from large type on laid paper and +illustrated with twenty full-page photogravure plates from actual +photographs of buildings, statues, church interiors, etc., in the City +of Genoa. Small 8vo, tastefully bound in white vellum cloth, illuminated +in gold and colors, gilt top, uncut edges, with slip cover in scarlet. +Each copy in a neat cloth case. $3.00. + + + + +THE LILY OF THE ARNO; + + +Or, Florence, Past and Present, by Virginia W. Johnson. Charmingly +illustrated with twenty-five full-page photogravure plates from original +Photographs of points of interest in the beautiful City of Florence, +"The Lily of the Arno." Small 8vo, handsomely bound in white vellum +cloth, with cover design in gold and colors, gilt top, uncut edges, with +slip covers in scarlet. Each copy in a neat cloth case. $3.00. + + + + +NAPLES; THE CITY OF PARTHENOPE; + + +And its environs. By Clara Erskine Clement, author of "A Handbook of +Legendary and Mythological Art," "The Queen of the Adriatic," etc. +Handsomely illustrated with twenty full-page plates in photogravure from +photographs of historic scenes in and around Naples. Small 8vo, +handsomely bound in extra cloth, with handsome cover design, gilt top, +slip cover, in a neat cloth case. $3.00. + + + + +THE QUEEN OF THE ADRIATIC; + + +Or, Venice, Mediaeval and Modern. By Clara Erskine Clement, author of "A +Handbook of Legendary and Mythological Art," etc. Handsomely illustrated +with twenty full-page photogravures from recent photographs of the +principal points of interest. Small 8vo, vellum cloth, illuminated in +gold and colors, gilt tops, with slip cover, in cloth case. $3.00. + + + + +Great Cities of the World. + +THE CITY OF THE SULTANS; + + +Or, Constantinople, the Sentinel of the Bosphorus. By Clara Erskine +Clement, author of "Naples," "Queen of the Adriatic," etc. Handsomely +illustrated with full-page photogravures from original photographs. +Small 8vo, cloth, substantially uniform in style with series of "Italian +Cities Illustrated." with slip cover, in cloth case. $3.00. + +The initial volume of a new series of handsome gift books, companions to +the popular "Italian Cities Illustrated." Other volumes in press. + +_Estes & Lauriat, Publishers, Boston._ + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Nautilus, by Laura E. Richards + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NAUTILUS *** + +***** This file should be named 15355.txt or 15355.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/3/5/15355/ + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Bruce Thomas and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |