第2章
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  Iwasgladwhenteno’clockcame,thebedtimeforyoungfolks,andoldfolkstoo,attheNutterHouse。AloneinthehallchamberIhadmycryout,onceforall,moisteningthepillowtosuchanextentthatIwasobligedtoturnitovertofindadryspottogotosleepon。

  Mygrandfatherwiselyconcludedtoputmetoschoolatonce。IfIhadbeenpermittedtogomooningaboutthehouseandstables,Ishouldhavekeptmydiscontentaliveformonths。Thenextmorning,accordingly,hetookmebythehand,andwesetforthfortheacademy,whichwaslocatedatthefartherendofthetown。

  TheTempleSchoolwasatwo—storybrickbuilding,standinginthecentreofagreatsquarepieceofland,surroundedbyahighpicketfence。Therewerethreeorfoursicklytrees,butnograss,inthisenclosure,whichhadbeenwornsmoothandhardbythetreadofmultitudinousfeet。Inoticedhereandtheresmallholesscoopedintheground,indicatingthatitwastheseasonformarbles。Abetterplaygroundforbaseballcouldn’thavebeendevised。

  Onreachingtheschoolhousedoor,theCaptaininquiredforMr。Grimshaw。Theboywhoansweredourknockusheredusintoaside—room,andinafewminutes—duringwhichmyeyetookinforty—twocapshungonforty—twowoodenpegs—Mr。Grimshawmadehisappearance。Hewasaslenderman,withwhite,fragilehands,andeyesthatglancedhalfadozendifferentwaysatonce—ahabitprobablyacquiredfromwatchingtheboys。

  Afterabriefconsultation,mygrandfatherpattedmeontheheadandleftmeinchargeofthisgentleman,whoseatedhimselfinfrontofmeandproceededtosoundthedepth,or,moreproperlyspeaking,theshallowness,ofmyattainments。Isuspectmyhistoricalinformationratherstartledhim。

  IrecollectIgavehimtounderstandthatRichardIIIwasthelastkingofEngland。

  Thisordealover,Mr。Grimshawroseandbademefollowhim。Adooropened,andIstoodintheblazeofforty—twopairsofupturnedeyes。Iwasacoolhandformyage,butIlackedtheboldnesstofacethisbatterywithoutwincing。InasortofdazedwayIstumbledafterMr。Grimshawdownanarrowaislebetweentworowsofdesks,andshylytooktheseatpointedouttome。

  Thefaintbuzzthathadfloatedovertheschool—roomatourentrancediedaway,andtheinterruptedlessonswereresumed。BydegreesIrecoveredmycoolness,andventuredtolookaroundme。

  Theownersoftheforty—twocapswereseatedatsmallgreendesksliketheoneassignedtome。Thedeskswerearrangedinsixrows,withspacesbetweenjustwideenoughtopreventtheboys’whispering。Ablackboardsetintothewallextendedclearacrosstheendoftheroom;onaraisedplatformnearthedoorstoodthemaster’stable;anddirectlyinfrontofthiswasarecitation—benchcapableofseatingfifteenortwentypupils。A

  pairofglobes,tattooedwithdragonsandwingedhorses,occupiedashelfbetweentwowindows,whichweresohighfromthefloorthatnothingbutagiraffecouldhavelookedoutofthem。

  Havingpossessedmyselfofthesedetails,Iscrutinizedmynewacquaintanceswithunconcealedcuriosity,instinctivelyselectingmyfriendsandpickingoutmyenemies—andinonlytwocasesdidImistakemyman。

  Asallowboywithbrightredhair,sittinginthefourthrow,shookhisfistatmefurtivelyseveraltimesduringthemorning。IhadapresentimentI

  shouldhavetroublewiththatboysomeday—apresentimentsubsequentlyrealized。

  Onmyleftwasachubbylittlefellowwithagreatmanyfreckles(thiswasPepperWhitcomb),whomadesomemysteriousmotionstome。Ididn’tunderstandthem,but,astheywereclearlyofapacificnature,Iwinkedmyeyeathim。Thisappearedtobesatisfactory,forhethenwentonwithhisstudies。Atrecesshegavemethecoreofhisapple,thoughtherewereseveralapplicantsforit。

  Presentlyaboyinalooseolive—greenjacketwithtworowsofbrassbuttonsheldupafoldedpaperbehindhisslate,intimatingthatitwasintendedforme。Thepaperwaspassedskillfullyfromdesktodeskuntilitreachedmyhands。Onopeningthescrap,Ifoundthatitcontainedasmallpieceofmolassescandyinanextremelyhumidstate。Thiswascertainlykind。I

  noddedmyacknowledgmentsandhastilyslippedthedelicacyintomymouth。

  InasecondIfeltmytonguegrowred—hotwithcayennepepper。

  Myfacemusthaveassumedacomicalexpression,fortheboyintheolive—greenjacketgaveanhystericallaugh,forwhichhewasinstantlypunishedbyMr。Grimshaw。Iswallowedthefierycandy,thoughitbroughtthewatertomyeyes,andmanagedtolooksounconcernedthatIwastheonlypupilintheformwhoescapedquestioningastothecauseofMarden’smisdemeanor。C。Mardenwashisname。

  Nothingelseoccurredthatmorningtointerrupttheexercises,exceptingthataboyinthereadingclassthrewusallintoconvulsionsbycallingAbsalomA—bol’—som\"Abolsom,OmysonAbolsom!\"Ilaughedasloudasanyone,butIamnotsosurethatIshouldn’thavepronounceditAbolsommyself。

  Atrecessseveralofthescholarscametomydeskandshookhandswithme,Mr。GrimshawhavingpreviouslyintroducedmetoPhilAdams,charginghimtoseethatIgotintonotrouble。Mynewacquaintancessuggestedthatweshouldgototheplayground。Wewerenosoonerout—of—doorsthantheboywiththeredhairthrusthiswaythroughthecrowdandplacedhimselfatmyside。

  ’Isay,youngster,ifyou’recomin’tothisschoolyou’vegottotoethemark。\"

  Ididn’tseeanymarktotoe,anddidn’tunderstandwhatbemeant;butI

  repliedpolitely,that,ifitwasthecustomoftheschool,Ishouldbehappytotoethemark,ifhewouldpointitouttome。

  \"Idon’twantanyofyoursarse,\"saidtheboy,scowling。

  \"Lookhere,Conwayl\"criedaclearvoicefromtheothersideoftheplayground。\"YouletyoungBaileyalone。He’sastrangerhere,andmightbeafraidofyou,andthrashyou。Whydoyoualwaysthrowyourselfinthewayofgettingthrashed?\"

  Iturnedtothespeaker,whobythistimehadreachedthespotwherewestood。Conwayslunkoff,favoringmewithapartingscowlofdefiance。I

  gavemyhandtotheboywhohadbefriendedme—hisnamewasJackHarris—andthankedhimforhisgood—will。

  \"Itellyouwhatitis,Bailey,\"hesaid,returningmypressuregood—naturedly,\"you’llhavetofightConwaybeforethequarterends,oryou’llhavenorest。Thatfellowisalwayshankeringafteralicking,andofcourseyou’llgivehimonebyandby;butwhat’stheuseofhurryingupanunpleasantjob?Let’shavesomebaseball。Bytheway,Bailey,youwereagoodkidnottoletontoGrimshawaboutthecandy。CharleyMardenwouldhavecaughtittwiceasheavy。He’ssorryheplayedthejokeonyou,andtoldmetotellyouso。Hallo,Blake!Wherearethebats?\"

  Thiswasaddressedtoahandsome,frank—lookingladofaboutmyownage,whowasengagedjustthenincuttinghisinitialsonthebarkofatreeneartheschoolhouse。Blakeshutuphispenknifeandwentofftogetthebats。

  DuringthegamewhichensuedImadetheacquaintanceofCharleyMarden,BinnyWallace,PepperWhitcomb,HarryBlake,andFredLangdon。Theseboys,noneofthemmorethanayearortwoolderthanI(BinnyWallacewasyounger),wereeveraftermychosencomrades。PhilAdamsandJackHarriswereconsiderablyourseniors,and,thoughtheyalwaystreatedus\"kids\"

  verykindly,theygenerallywentwithanotherset。Ofcourse,beforelongI

  knewalltheTempleboysmoreorlessintimately,butthefiveIhavenamedweremyconstantcompanions。

  MyfirstdayattheTempleGrammarSchoolwasonthewholesatisfactory。I

  hadmadeseveralwarmfriendsandonlytwopermanentenemies—Conwayandhisecho,SethRodgers;forthesetwoalwayswenttogetherlikeaderangedstomachandaheadache。

  BeforetheendoftheweekIhadmystudieswellinhand。Iwasalittleashamedatfindingmyselfatthefootofthevariousclasses,andsecretlydeterminedtodeservepromotion。Theschoolwasanadmirableone。ImightmakethispartofmystorymoreentertainingbypicturingMr。Grimshawasatyrantwitharednoseandalargestick;butunfortunatelyforthepurposesofsensationalnarrative,Mr。Grimshawwasaquiet,kindheartedgentleman。Thougharigiddisciplinarian,hehadakeensenseofjustice,wasagoodreaderofcharacter,andtheboysrespectedhim。Thereweretwootherteachers—aFrenchtutorandawriting—master,whovisitedtheschooltwiceaweek。OnWednesdaysandSaturdaysweweredismissedatnoon,andthesehalf—holidayswerethebrightestepochsofmyexistence。

  DailycontactwithboyswhohadnotbeenbroughtupasgentlyasIworkedanimmediate,and,insomerespects,abeneficialchangeinmycharacter。I

  hadthenonsensetakenoutofme,asthesayingis—someofthenonsense,atleast。Ibecamemoremanlyandself—reliant。Idiscoveredthattheworldwasnotcreatedexclusivelyonmyaccount。InNewOrleansIlaboredunderthedelusionthatitwas。Havingneitherbrothernorsistertogiveuptoathome,andbeing,moreover,thelargestpupilatschoolthere,mywillhadseldombeenopposed。AtRivermouthmattersweredifferent,andIwasnotlonginadaptingmyselftothealteredcircumstances。OfcourseIgotmanysevererubs,oftenunconsciouslygiven;butIbadthesensetoseethatIwasallthebetterforthem。

  Mysocialrelationswithmynewschoolfellowswerethepleasantestpossible。

  Therewasalwayssomeexcitingexcursiononfoot—aramblethroughthepinewoods,avisittotheDevil’sPulpit,ahighcliffintheneighborhood—orasurreptitiouslowontheriver,involvinganexplorationofagroupofdiminutiveislands,upononeofwhichwepitchedatentandplayedweweretheSpanishsailorswhogotwreckedthereyearsago。Buttheendlesspineforestthatskirtedthetownwasourfavoritehaunt。Therewasagreatgreenpondhiddensomewhereinitsdepths,inhabitedbyamonstrouscolonyofturtles。HarryBlake,whohadaneccentricpassionforcarvinghisnameoneverything,neverletacapturedturtleslipthroughhisfingerswithoutleavinghismarkengravedonitsshell。Hemusthaveletteredabouttwothousandfromfirsttolast。WeusedtocallthemHarryBlake’ssheep。

  Theseturtleswereofadiscontentedandmigratoryturnofmind,andwefrequentlyencounteredtwoorthreeofthemonthecross—roadsseveralmilesfromtheirancestralmud。UnspeakablewasourdelightwheneverwediscoveredonesoberlywalkingoffwithHarryBlake’sinitials!I’venodoubtthereare,atthismoment,fatancientturtleswanderingaboutthatgummywoodlandwithH。B。neatlycutontheirvenerablebacks。

  Itsoonbecameacustomamongmyplaymatestomakeourbarntheirrendezvous。Gypsyprovedastrongattraction。CaptainNutterboughtmealittletwo—wheeledcart,whichshedrewquitenicely,afterkickingoutthedasherandbreakingtheshaftsonceortwice。Withourlunch—basketsandfishing—tacklestowedawayundertheseat,weusedtostartoffearlyintheafternoonforthesea—shore,wheretherewerecountlessmarvelsintheshapeofshells,mosses,andkelp。Gypsyenjoyedthesportaskeenlyasanyofus,evengoingsofar,oneday,astotrotdownthebeachintotheseawherewewerebathing。Asshetookthecartwithher,ourprovisionswerenotmuchimproved。Ishallneverforgethowsquash—pietastesafterbeingsousedintheAtlanticOcean。Soda—crackersdippedinsaltwaterarepalatable,butnotsquash—pie。

  TherewasagooddealofwetweatherduringthosefirstsixweeksatRivermouth,andwesetourselvesatworktofindsomeindooramusementforourhalf—holidays。ItwasallverywellforAmadisdeGaulandDonQuixotenottomindtherain;theyhadironovercoats,andwerenot,fromallwecanlearn,subjecttocroupandtheguidanceoftheirgrandfathers。Ourcasewasdifferent。

  \"Now,boys,whatshallwedo?\"Iasked,addressingathoughtfulconclaveofseven,assembledinourbarnonedismalrainyafternoon。

  \"Let’shaveatheatre,\"suggestedBinnyWallace。

  Theverything!Butwhere?TheloftofthestablewasreadytoburstwithhayprovidedforGypsy,butthelongroomoverthecarriage—housewasunoccupied。Theplaceofallplaces!Mymanagerialeyesawataglanceitscapabilitiesforatheatre。IhadbeentotheplayagreatmanytimesinNewOrleans,andwaswiseinmatterspertainingtothedrama。Sohere,induetime,wassetupsomeextraordinarysceneryofmyownpainting。Thecurtain,Irecollect,thoughitworkedsmoothlyenoughonotheroccasions,invariablyhitchedduringtheperformances;anditoftenrequiredtheunitedenergiesofthePrinceofDenmark,theKing,andtheGrave—digger,withanoccasionalbandfrom\"thefairOphelia\"(PepperWhitcombinalow—neckeddress),tohoistthatbitofgreencambric。

  Thetheatre,however,wasasuccess,asfarasitwent。Iretiredfromthebusinesswithnofewerthanfifteenhundredpins,afterdeductingtheheadless,thepointless,andthecrookedpinswithwhichourdoorkeeperfrequentlygot\"stuck。\"Fromfirsttolastwetookinagreatdealofthiscounterfeitmoney。Thepriceofadmissiontothe\"RivermouthTheatre\"wastwentypins。Iplayedalltheprincipalpartsmyself—notthatIwasafineractorthantheotherboys,butbecauseIownedtheestablishment。

  Atthetenthrepresentation,mydramaticcareerwasbroughttoaclosebyanunfortunatecircumstance。Wewereplayingthedramaof\"WilliamTell,theHeroofSwitzerland。\"OfcourseIwasWilliamTell,inspiteofFredLangdon,whowantedtoactthatcharacterhimself。Iwouldn’tlethim,sohewithdrewfromthecompany,takingtheonlybowandarrowwehad。Imadeacross—bowoutofapieceofwhalebone,anddidverywellwithouthim。WehadreachedthatexcitingscenewhereGessler,theAustriantyrant,commandsTelltoshoottheapplefromhisson’shead。PepperWhitcomb,whoplayedallthejuvenileandwomenparts,wasmyson。Toguardagainstmischance,apieceofpasteboardwasfastenedbyahandkerchiefovertheupperportionofWhitcomb’sface,while。thearrowtobeusedwassewedupinastripofflannel。Iwasacapitalmarksman,andthebigapple,onlytwoyardsdistant,turneditsrussetcheekfairlytowardsme。

  IcanseepoorlittlePeppernow,ashestoodwithoutflinching,waitingformetoperformmygreatfeat。Iraisedthecrossbowamidthebreathlesssilenceofthecrowdedaudienceconsistingofsevenboysandthreegirls,exclusiveofKittyCollins,whoinsistedonpayingherwayinwithaclothes—pin。Iraisedthecross—bow,Irepeat。Twang!wentthewhipcord;

  but,alas!insteadofhittingtheapple,thearrowflewrightintoPepperWhitcomb’smouth,whichhappenedtobeopenatthetime,anddestroyedmyaim。

  Ishallneverbeabletobanishthatawfulmomentfrommymemory。Pepper’sroar,expressiveofastonishment,indignation,andpain,isstillringinginmycars。Ilookeduponhimasacorpse,and,glancingnotfarintothedrearyfuture,picturedmyselfledforthtoexecutioninthepresenceoftheverysamespectatorsthenassembled。

  LuckilypoorPepperwasnotseriouslyhurt;butGrandfatherNutter,appearinginthemidstoftheconfusion(attractedbythehowlsofyoungTell),issuedaninjunctionagainstalltheatricalsthereafter,andtheplacewasclosed;not,however,withoutafarewellspeechfromme,inwhichIsaidthatthiswouldhavebeentheproudestmomentofmylifeifIhadn’thitPepperWhitcombinthemouth。Whereupontheaudience(assisted,Iamgladtostate,byPepper)cried\"Hear!Hear!\"IthenattributedtheaccidenttoPepperhimself,whosemouth,beingopenattheinstantIfired,acteduponthearrowmuchafterthefashionofawhirlpool,anddrewinthefatalshaft。Iwasabouttoexplainbowacomparativelysmallmaelstromcouldsuckinthelargestship,whenthecurtainfellofitsownaccord,amidtheshoutsoftheaudience。

  Thiswasmylastappearanceonanystage。Itwassometime,though,beforeI

  heardtheendoftheWilliamTellbusiness。Maliciouslittleboyswhohadnotbeenallowedtobuyticketstomytheatreusedtocryoutaftermeinthestreet,\"’WhokilledCockRobin?’

  ’I,’saidthesparrer,’Withmybowandarrer,IkilledCockRobini\"’

  ThesarcasmofthisversewasmorethanIcouldstand。AnditmadePepperWhitcombprettymadtobecalledCockRobin,Icantellyou!

  Sothedaysglidedon,withfewercloudsandmoresunshinethanfalltothelotofmostboys。Conwaywascertainlyacloud。Withinschool—boundsheseldomventuredtobeaggressive;butwheneverwemetabouttownheneverfailedtobrushagainstme,orpullmycapovermyeyes,ordrivemedistractedbyinquiringaftermyfamilyinNewOrleans,alwaysalludingtothemashighlyrespectablecoloredpeople。

  JackHarriswasrightwhenhesaidConwaywouldgivemenorestuntilI

  foughthim。Ifeltitwasordainedagesbeforeourbirththatweshouldmeetonthisplanetandfight。Withtheviewofnotrunningcountertodestiny,Iquietlypreparedmyselffortheimpendingconflict。Thesceneofmydramatictriumphswasturnedintoagymnasiumforthispurpose,thoughI

  didnotopenlyavowthefacttotheboys。Bypersistentlystandingonmyhead,raisingheavyweights,andgoinghandoverhandupaladder,I

  developedmymuscleuntilmylittlebodywasastoughasahickoryknotandassuppleastripe。Ialsotookoccasionallessonsinthenobleartofself—defence,underthetuitionofPhilAdams。

  IbroodedoverthematteruntiltheideaoffightingConwaybecameapartofme。Ifoughthiminimaginationduringschool—hours;Idreamedoffightingwithhimatnight,whenhewouldsuddenlyexpandintoagianttwelvefeethigh,andthenassuddenlyshrinkintoapygmysosmallthatIcouldn’thithim。Inthislattershapehewouldgetintomyhair,orpopintomywaistcoat—pocket,treatingmewithaslittleceremonyastheLiliputiansshowedCaptainLemuelGulliver—allofwhichwasnotpleasant,tobesure。

  Onthewhole,Conwaywasacloud。

  AndthenIhadacloudathome。ItwasnotGrandfatherNutter,norMissAbigail,norKittyCollins,thoughtheyallhelpedtocomposeit。Itwasavague,funereal,impalpablesomethingwhichnoamountofgymnastictrainingwouldenablemetoknockover。ItwasSunday。IfeverIhaveaboytobringupinthewayheshouldgo,IintendtomakeSundayacheerfuldaytohim。

  SundaywasnotacheerfuldayattheNutterHouse。Youshalljudgeforyourself。

  ItisSundaymorning。IshouldpremisebysayingthatthedeepgloomwhichhassettledovereverythingsetinlikeaheavyfogearlyonSaturdayevening。

  Atseveno’clockmygrandfathercomessmilelesslydownstairs。Heisdressedinblack,andlooksasifbehadlostallhisfriendsduringthenight。

  MissAbigail,alsoinblack,looksasifshewerepreparedtoburythem,andnotindisposedtoenjoytheceremony。EvenKittyCollinshascaughtthecontagiousgloom,asIperceivewhenshebringsinthecoffee—um—asolemnandsculpturesqueurnatanytime,butmonumentalnow—andsetsitdowninfrontofMissAbigail。MissAbigailgazesattheurnasifitheldtheashesofherancestors,insteadofagenerousquantityoffineoldJavacoffee。Themealprogressesinsilence。

  Ourparlorisbynomeansthrownopeneveryday。ItisopenthisJunemorning,andispervadedbyastrongsmellofcentretable。Thefurnitureoftheroom,andthelittleChinaornamentsonthemantel—piece,haveaconstrained,unfamiliarlook。Mygrandfathersitsinamahoganychair,readingalargeBiblecoveredwithgreenbaize。MissAbigailoccupiesoneendofthesofa,andhasherhandscrossedstifflyinherlap。Isitinthecomer,crushed。RobinsonCrusoeandGilBlasareincloseconfinement。

  BaronTrenck,whomanagedtoescapefromthefortressofClatz,can’tforthelifeofhimgetoutofoursittingroomcloset。EventheRivermouthBarnacleissuppresseduntilMonday。Genialconverse,harmlessbooks,smiles,lightsomehearts,allarebanished。IfIwanttoreadanything,I

  canreadBaxter’sSaints’Rest。Iwoulddiefirst。SoIsittherekickingmyheels,thinkingaboutNewOrleans,andwatchingamorbidblue—bottleflythatattemptstocommitsuicidebybuttinghisheadagainstthewindow—pane。Listen!—no,yes—itis—itistherobinssinginginthegarden—thegrateful,joyousrobinssingingawaylikemad,justasifitwasn’tSunday。Theiraudacityticklesme。

  Mygrandfatherlooksup,andinquiresinasepulchralvoiceifIamreadyforSabbathschool。Itistimetogo。IliketheSabbathschool;therearebrightyoungfacesthere,atallevents。WhenIgetoutintothesunshinealone,Idrawalongbreath;IwouldturnasomersaultupagainstNeighborPenhallow’snewlypaintedfenceifIhadn’tmybesttrouserson,sogladamItoescapefromtheoppressiveatmosphereoftheNutterHouse。

  Sabbathschoolover,Igotomeeting,joiningmygrandfather,whodoesn’tappeartobeanyrelationtomethisday,andMissAbigail,intheporch。

  Ourministerholdsoutverylittlehopetoanyofusofbeingsaved。

  ConvincedthatIamalostcreature,incommonwiththehumanfamily,I

  returnhomebehindmyguardiansatasnail’space。Wehaveadeadcolddinner。Isawitlaidoutyesterday。

  Thereisalongintervalbetweenthisrepastandthesecondservice,andastilllongerintervalbetweenthebeginningandtheendofthatservice;

  fortheRev。WibirdHawkins’ssermonsarenoneoftheshortest,whateverelsetheymaybe。

  Aftermeeting,mygrandfatherandItakeawalk。Wevisitappropriatelyenough—aneighboringgraveyard。Iambythistimeinaconditionofmindtobecomeawillinginmateoftheplace。Theusualeveningprayer—meetingispostponedforsomereason。AthalfpasteightIgotobed。

  ThisisthewaySundaywasobservedintheNutterHouse,andprettygenerallythroughoutthetown,twentyyearsago。1PeoplewhowereprosperousandnaturalandhappyonSaturdaybecamethemostruefulofhumanbeingsinthebriefspaceoftwelvehours。Idon’tthinktherewasanyhypocrisyinthis。ItwasmerelytheoldPuritanausteritycroppingoutonceaweek。ManyofthesepeoplewerepureChristianseverydayintheseven—exceptingtheseventh。Thentheyweredecorousandsolemntothevergeofmoroseness。Ishouldnotliketobemisunderstoodonthispoint。

  Sundayisablessedday,andthereforeitshouldnotbemadeagloomyone。

  ItistheLord’sday,andIdobelievethatcheerfulheartsandfacesarenotunpleasantinHissight。

  \"Odayofrest!Howbeautiful,howfair,Howwelcometothewearyandtheold!

  DayoftheLord!andtrucetoearthlycares!

  DayoftheLord,asallourdaysshouldbe!

  Ah,whywillmanbyhisausteritiesShutouttheblessedsunshineandthelight,Andmakeoftheeadungeonofdespair!\"

  1About1850。

  ChapterSevenOneMemorableNightTwomonthshadelapsedsincemyarrivalatRivermouth,whentheapproachofanimportantcelebrationproducedthegreatestexcitementamongthejuvenilepopulationofthetown。

  TherewasverylittlehardstudydoneintheTempleGrammarSchooltheweekprecedingtheFourthofJuly。Formypart,myheartandbrainweresofulloffire—crackers,Romancandles,rockets,pin—wheels,squibs,andgunpowderinvariousseductiveforms,thatIwonderIdidn’texplodeunderMr。

  Grimshaw’sverynose。Icouldn’tdoasumtosaveme;Icouldn’ttell,forloveormoney,whetherTallahasseewasthecapitalofTennesseeorofFlorida;thepresentandthepluperfecttenseswereinextricablymixedinmymemory,andIdidn’tknowaverbfromanadjectivewhenImetone。Thiswasnotalonemycondition,butthatofeveryboyintheschool。

  Mr。Grimshawconsideratelymadeallowancesforourtemporarydistraction,andsoughttofixourinterestonthelessonsbyconnectingthemdirectlyorindirectlywiththecomingEvent。Theclassinarithmetic,forinstance,wasrequestedtostatehowmanyboxesoffire—crackers,eachboxmeasuringsixteeninchessquare,couldbestoredinaroomofsuchandsuchdimensions。HegaveustheDeclarationofIndependenceforaparsingexercise,andingeographyconfinedhisquestionsalmostexclusivelytolocalitiesrenderedfamousintheRevolutionaryWar。

  \"WhatdidthepeopleofBostondowiththeteaonboardtheEnglishvessels?\"askedourwilyinstructor。

  \"Threwitintotheriver!\"shriekedthesmallerboys,withanimpetuositythatmadeMr。Grimshawsmileinspiteofhimself。Onelucklessurchinsaid,\"Chuckedit,\"forwhichhappyexpressionhewaskeptinatrecess。

  Notwithstandingthesecleverstratagems,therewasnotmuchsolidworkdonebyanybody。Thetrailoftheserpent(aninexpensivebutdangerousfire—toy)wasoverusall。WewentrounddeformedbyquantitiesofChinesecrackersartlesslyconcealedinourtrousers—pockets;andifaboywhippedouthishandkerchiefwithoutproperprecaution,hewassuretoletofftwoorthreetorpedoes。

  EvenMr。Grimshawwasmadeasortofaccessorytotheuniversaldemoralization。Incallingtheschooltoorder,healwaysrappedonthetablewithaheavyruler。Underthegreenbaizetable—cloth,ontheexactspotwhereheusuallystruck,certainboy,whosenameIwithhold,placedafattorpedo。Theresultwasaloudexplosion,whichcausedMr。Grimshawtolookqueer。CharleyMardenwasatthewater—pail,atthetime,anddirectedgeneralattentiontohimselfbystranglingforseveralsecondsandthensquirtingaslenderthreadofwaterovertheblackboard。

  Mr。GrimshawfixedhiseyesreproachfullyonCharley,butsaidnothing。Therealculprit(itwasn’tCharleyMarden,buttheboywhosenameIwithhold)

  instantlyregrettedhisbadness,andafterschoolconfessedthewholethingtoMr。Grimshaw,whoheapedcoalsoffireuponthenamelessboy’sheadgivinghimfivecentsfortheFourthofJuly。IfMr。Grimshawhadcanedthisunknownyouth,thepunishmentwouldnothavebeenhalfsosevere。

  OnthelastdayofJunetheCaptainreceivedaletterfrommyfather,enclosingfivedollars\"formysonTom,\"whichenabledthatyounggentlemantomakeregalpreparationsforthecelebrationofournationalindependence。Aportionofthismoney,twodollars,Ihastenedtoinvestinfireworks;thebalanceIputbyforcontingencies。Inplacingthefundinmypossession,theCaptainimposedoneconditionthatdampenedmyardorconsiderably—Iwastobuynogunpowder。Imighthaveallthesnapping—crackersandtorpedoesIwanted;butgunpowderwasoutofthequestion。

  Ithoughtthisratherhard,forallmyyoungfriendswereprovidedwithpistolsofvarioussizes。PepperWhitcombhadahorse—pistolnearlyaslargeashimself,andJackHarris,thoughhe,tobesure,wasabigboy,wasgoingtohavearealoldfashionedflintlockmusket。However,Ididn’tmeantoletthisdrawbackdestroymyhappiness。IhadonechargeofpowderstowedawayinthelittlebrasspistolwhichIbroughtfromNewOrleans,andwasboundtomakeanoiseintheworldonce,ifIneverdidagain。

  Itwasacustomobservedfromtimeimmemorialforthetowns—boystohaveabonfireontheSquareonthemidnightbeforetheFourth。Ididn’tasktheCaptain’sleavetoattendthisceremony,forIhadageneralideathathewouldn’tgiveit。IftheCaptain,Ireasoned,doesn’tforbidme,Ibreaknoordersbygoing。Nowthiswasaspeciouslineofargument,andthemishapsthatbefellmeinconsequenceofadoptingitwererichlydeserved。

  Ontheeveningofthe3dIretiredtobedveryearly,inordertodisarmsuspicion。Ididn’tsleepawink,waitingforeleveno’clocktocomeround;

  andIthoughtitneverwouldcomeround,asIlaycountingfromtimetotimetheslowstrokesoftheponderousbellinthesteepleoftheOldNorthChurch。Atlengththelaggardhourarrived。WhiletheclockwasstrikingI

  jumpedoutofbedandbegandressing。

  MygrandfatherandMissAbigailwereheavysleepers,andImighthavestolendownstairsandoutatthefrontdoorundetected;butsuchacommonplaceproceedingdidnotsuitmyadventurousdisposition。Ifastenedoneendofarope(itwasafewyardscutfromKittyCollins’sclothes—line)tothebedpostnearestthewindow,andcautiouslyclimbedoutonthewidepedimentoverthehalldoor。Ihadneglectedtoknottherope;theresultwas,that,themomentIswungclearofthepediment,Idescendedlikeaflashoflightning,andwarmedbothmyhandssmartly。Therope,moreover,wasfourorfivefeettooshort;soIgotafallthatwouldhaveprovedserioushadInottumbledintothemiddleofoneofthebigrose—bushesgrowingoneithersideofthesteps。

  Iscrambledoutofthatwithoutdelay,andwascongratulatingmyselfonmygoodluck,whenIsawbythelightofthesettingmoontheformofamanleaningoverthegardengate。Itwasoneofthetownwatch,whohadprobablybeenobservingmyoperationswithcuriosity。Seeingnochanceofescape,Iputaboldfaceonthematterandwalkeddirectlyuptohim。

  ’Whatonairthairyouadoin’?\"askedtheman,graspingthecollarofmyjacket。

  \"Ilivehere,sir,ifyouplease,\"Ireplied,\"andamgoingtothebonfire。

  Ididn’twanttowakeuptheoldfolks,that’sall。\"

  Themancockedhiseyeatmeinthemostamiablemanner,andreleasedhishold。

  \"Boysisboys,\"hemuttered。Hedidn’tattempttostopmeasIslippedthroughthegate。

  Oncebeyondhisclutches,ItooktomyheelsandsoonreachedtheSquare,whereIfoundfortyorfiftyfellowsassembled,engagedinbuildingapyramidoftar—barrels。ThepalmsofmyhandsstilltingledsothatI

  couldn’tjoininthesport。IstoodinthedoorwayoftheNautilusBank,watchingtheworkers,amongwhomIrecognizedlotsofmyschoolmates。Theylookedlikealegionofimps,comingandgoinginthetwilight,busyinraisingsomeinfernaledifice。WhataBabelofvoicesitwas,everybodydirectingeverybodyelse,andeverybodydoingeverythingwrong!

  Whenallwasprepared,someoneappliedamatchtothesombrepile。Afierytonguethrustitselfouthereandthere,thensuddenlythewholefabricburstintoflames,blazingandcracklingbeautifully。Thiswasasignalfortheboystojoinhandsanddancearoundtheburningbarrels,whichtheydidshoutinglikemadcreatures。Whenthefirehadburntdownalittle,freshstaveswerebroughtandheapedonthepyre。IntheexcitementofthemomentIforgotmytinglingpalms,andfoundmyselfinthethickofthecarousal。

  Beforewewerehalfready,ourcombustiblematerialwasexpended,andadishearteningkindofdarknesssettleddownuponus。Theboyscollectedtogetherhereandthereinknots,consultingastowhatshouldbedone。Ityetlackedfourorfivehoursofdaybreak,andnoneofuswereinthehumortoreturntobed。Iapproachedoneofthegroupsstandingnearthetownpump,anddiscoveredintheuncertainlightofthedyingbrandsthefiguresofJackHarris,PhilAdams,HarryBlake,andPepperWhitcomb,theirfacesstreakedwithperspirationandtar,and,theirwholeappearancesuggestiveofNewZealandchiefs。

  \"Hullo!Here’sTomBailey!\"shoutedPepperWhitcomb。\"He’lljoinin!\"

  Ofcoursehewould。Thestinghadgoneoutofmyhands,andIwasripeforanything—nonethelessripefornotknowingwhatwasonthetapis。Afterwhisperingtogetherforamomenttheboysmotionedmetofollowthem。

  Weglidedoutfromthecrowdandsilentlywendedourwaythroughaneighboringalley,attheheadofwhichstoodatumble—downoldbarn,ownedbyoneEzraWingate。Informerdaysthiswasthestableofthemail—coachthatranbetweenRivermouthandBoston。Whentherailroadsupersededthatprimitivemodeoftravel,thelumberingvehiclewasrolledinthebarn,andthereitstayed。Thestage—driver,afterprophesyingtheimmediatedownfallofthenation,diedofgriefandapoplexy,andtheoldcoachfollowedinhiswakeasfastascouldbyquietlydroppingtopieces。Thebarnhadthereputationofbeinghaunted,andIthinkweallkeptveryclosetogetherwhenwefoundourselvesstandingintheblackshadowcastbythetallgable。Here,inalowvoice,JackHarrislaidbarehisplan,whichwastoburntheancientstage—coach。

  \"Theoldtrundle—cartisn’tworthtwenty—fivecents,\"saidJackHarris,\"andEzraWingateoughttothankusforgettingtherubbishoutoftheway。Butifanyfellowheredoesn’twanttohaveahandinit,lethimcutandrun,andkeepaquiettongueinhisheadeverafter。\"

  Withthishepulledoutthestaplesthatheldthelock,andthebigbarndoorswungslowlyopen。Theinteriorofthestablewaspitch—dark,ofcourse。Aswemadeamovementtoenter,asuddenscrambling,andthesoundofheavybodiesleapinginalldirections,causedustostartbackinterror。

  \"Rats!\"criedPhilAdams。

  \"Bats!\"exclaimedHarryBlake。

  ’Cats!\"suggestedJackHarris。\"Who’safraid?\"

  Well,thetruthis,wewereallafraid;andifthepoleofthestagehadnotbeenlyingclosetothethreshold,Idon’tbelieveanythingonearthwouldhaveinducedustocrossit。Weseizedholdofthepole—strapsandsucceededwithgreattroubleindraggingthecoachout。Thetwoforewheelshadrustedtotheaxle—tree,andrefusedtorevolve。Itwasthemerestskeletonofacoach。Thecushionshadlongsincebeenremoved,andtheleatherhangings,wheretheyhadnotcrumbledaway,dangledinshredsfromtheworm—eatenframe。Aloadofghostsandaspanofphantomhorsestodragthemwouldhavemadetheghastlythingcomplete。

  Luckilyforourundertaking,thestablestoodatthetopofaverysteephill。Withthreeboystopushbehind,andtwoinfronttosteer,westartedtheoldcoachonitslasttripwith。littleornodifficulty。Ourspeedincreasedeverymoment,and,theforewheelsbecomingunlockedaswearrivedatthefootofthedeclivity,wechargeduponthecrowdlikearegimentofcavalry,scatteringthepeoplerightandleft。Beforereachingthebonfire,towhichsomeonehadaddedseveralbushelsofshavings,JackHarrisandPhilAdams,whoweresteering,droppedontheground,andallowedthevehicletopassoverthem,whichitdidwithoutinjuringthem;

  buttheboyswhowereclingingfordearlifetothetrunk—rackbehindfellovertheprostratesteersman,andtherewealllayinaheap,twoorthreeofusquitepicturesquewiththenose—bleed。

  Thecoach,withanintuitiveperceptionofwhatwasexpectedofit,plungedintothecentreofthekindlingshavings,andstopped。Theflamessprungupandclungtotherottenwoodwork,whichburnedliketinder。Atthismomentafigurewasseenleapingwildlyfromtheinsideoftheblazingcoach。Thefiguremadethreeboundstowardsus,andtrippedoverHarryBlake。ItwasPepperWhitcomb,withhishairsomewhatsinged,andhiseyebrowscompletelyscorchedoff!

  Pepperhadslylyensconcedhimselfonthebackseatbeforewestarted,intendingtohaveaneatlittleridedownhill,andalaughatusafterwards。Butthelaugh,asithappened,wasonourside,orwouldhavebeen,ifhalfadozenwatchmenhadnotsuddenlypounceddownuponus,aswelayscramblingontheground,weakwithmirthoverPepper’smisfortune。Wewerecollaredandmarchedoffbeforewewellknewwhathadhappened。

  TheabrupttransitionfromthenoiseandlightoftheSquaretothesilent,gloomybrickroomintherearoftheMeatMarketseemedliketheworkofenchantment。Westaredateachother,aghast。

  \"Well,\"remarkedJackHarris,withasicklysmile,\"thisisago!\"

  \"Nogo,Ishouldsay,\"whimperedHarryBlake,glancingatthebarebrickwallsandtheheavyironplateddoor。

  \"Neversaydie,\"mutteredPhilAdams,dolefully。

  Thebridewellwasasmalllow—studdedchamberbuiltupagainsttherearendoftheMeatMarket,andapproachedfromtheSquarebyanarrowpassage—way。

  Aportionoftheroomspartitionedoffintoeightcells,numbered,eachcapableofholdingtwopersons。Thecellswerefullatthetime,aswepresentlydiscoveredbyseeingseveralhideousfacesleeringoutatusthroughthegratingsofthedoors。

  Asmokyoil—lampinalanternsuspendedfromtheceilingthrewaflickeringlightovertheapartment,whichcontainednofurnitureexceptingacoupleofstoutwoodenbenches。Itwasadismalplacebynight,andonlylittlelessdismalbyday,tallhousessurrounding\"thelock—up\"preventedthefaintestrayofsunshinefrompenetratingtheventilatoroverthedoor—longnarrowwindowopeninginwardandproppedupbyapieceoflath。

  Asweseatedourselvesinarowononeofthebenches,Iimaginethatouraspectwasanythingbutcheerful。AdamsandHarrislookedveryanxious,andHarryBlake,whosenosehadjuststoppedbleeding,wasmournfullycarvinghisname,bysheerforceofhabit,ontheprisonbench。Idon’tthinkI

  eversawamore\"wrecked\"expressiononanyhumancountenancethanPepperWhitcomb’spresented。Hislookofnaturalastonishmentatfindinghimselfincarceratedinajailwasconsiderablyheightenedbyhislackofeyebrows。

  Asforme,itwasonlybythinkinghowthelateBaronTrenckwouldhaveconductedhimselfundersimilarcircumstancesthatIwasabletorestrainmytears。

  Noneofuswereinclinedtoconversation。Adeepsilence,brokennowandthenbyastartlingsnorefromthecells,reignedthroughoutthechamber。

  ByandbyPepperWhitcombglancednervouslytowardsPhilAdamsandsaid,\"Phil,doyouthinktheywill—hangus?\"

  \"Hangyourgrandmother!\"returnedAdams,impatiently。\"WhatI’mafraidofisthatthey’llkeepuslockedupuntiltheFourthisover。\"

  \"Youain’tsmarteftheydo!\"criedavoicefromoneofthecells。Itwasadeepbassvoicethatsentachillthroughme。

  \"Whoareyou?\"saidJackHarris,addressingthecellsingeneral;fortheechoingqualitiesoftheroommadeitdifficulttolocatethevoice。

  \"Thatdon’tmatter,\"repliedthespeaker,puttinghisfacecloseuptothegratingsofNo。3,\"butefIwasayoungsterlikeyou,freean’easyoutsidethere,thisspotwouldn’tholdmelong。\"

  \"That’ssoI\"chimedseveraloftheprison—birds,waggingtheirheadsbehindtheironlattices。

  \"Hush!\"whisperedJackHarris,risingfromhisseatandwalkingontip—toetothedoorofcellNo。3。\"Whatwouldyoudo?\"

  \"Do?Why,I’dpilethem’erebenchesupaginthat’eredoor,an’crawloutofthat’ercwinderinnotime。That’smyadwice。\"

  \"Andwerrygoodadwiceitis,Jim,\"saidtheoccupantofNo。5,approvingly。

  JackHarrisseemedtobeofthesameopinion,forhehastilyplacedthebenchesoneonthetopofanotherundertheventilator,and,climbinguponthehighestbench,peepedoutintothepassage—way。

  \"Ifanygenthappenstohaveaninepenceabouthim,\"saidthemanincellNo。3,\"there’sasufferin’familyhereascouldmakeuseofit。Smallestfavorsgratefullyreceived,an’noquestionsaxed。\"

  Thisappealtouchedanewsilverquarterofadollarinmytrousers—pocket;

  Ifishedoutthecoinfromamassoffireworks,andgaveittotheprisoner。Heappearedtobesogood—naturedafellowthatIventuredtoaskwhathehaddonetogetintojail。

  \"Intirelyinnocent。IwasclappedinherebyarascallynevewaswishestoenjoymywealthaforeI’mdead。’

  \"Yourname,Sir?’Iinquired,withaviewofreportingtheoutragetomygrandfatherandhavingtheinjuredpersonreinstatedinsociety。

  \"Gitout,youinsolentyoungreptyle!\"shoutedtheman,inapassion。

  Iretreatedprecipitately,amidaroaroflaughterfromtheothercells。

  ’Can’tyoukeepstill?\"exclaimedHarris,withdrawinghisheadfromthewindow。

  Aportlywatchmanusuallysatonastooloutsidethedoordayandnight;butonthisparticularoccasion,hisservicesbeingrequiredelsewhere,thebridewellhadbeenlefttoguarditself。

  \"Allclear,\"whisperedJackHarris,ashevanishedthroughtheapertureanddroppedsoftlyonthegroundoutside。Weallfollowedhimexpeditiously—PepperWhitcombandmyselfgettingstuckinthewindowforamomentinourfranticeffortsnottobelast。

  \"Now,boys,everybodyforhimself!\"

  ChapterEightTheAdventuresofaFourthThesuncastabroadcolumnofquiveringgoldacrosstheriveratthefootofourstreet,justasIreachedthedoorstepoftheNutterHouse。KittyCollins,withherdresstuckedabouthersothatshelookedasifshehadonapairofcalicotrousers,waswashingoffthesidewalk。

  \"Arrahyoubadboy!\"criedKitty,leaningonthemop。handle。\"TheCapenhasjistbeenaskin’foryou。He’sgoneuptown,now。It’sanatethingyoudonewithmyclothes—line,and,it’smeyoumaythankforgettin’itoutofthewaybeforetheCapencomedown。\"

  Thekindcreaturehadhauledintherope,andmyescapadehadnotbeendiscoveredbythefamily;butIknewverywellthattheburningofthestage—coach,andthearrestoftheboysconcernedinthemischief,weresuretoreachmygrandfathersearssoonerorlater。

  \"Well,Thomas,\"saidtheoldgentleman,anhourorsoafterwards,beaminguponmebenevolentlyacrossthebreakfasttable,\"youdidn’twaittobecalledthismorning。\"

  ’No,sir,\"Ireplied,growingverywarm,\"Itookalittlerunuptowntoseewhatwasgoingon。\"

  Ididn’tsayanythingaboutthelittlerunItookhomeagain!\"TheyhadquiteatimeontheSquarelastnight,\"remarkedCaptainNutter,lookingupfromtheRivermouthBamacle,whichwasalwaysplacedbesidehiscoffee—cupatbreakfast。

  Ifeltthatmyhairwaspreparingtostandonend。

  \"Quiteatime,\"continuedmygrandfather。\"SomeboysbrokeintoEzraWingate’sbarnandcarriedofftheoldstagecoach。Theyoungrascals!Idobelievethey’dburnupthewholetowniftheyhadtheirway。\"

  Withthisheresumedthepaper。Afteralongsilenceheexclaimed,\"Hullo!\"

  uponwhichInearlyfelloffthechair。

  \"’Miscreantsunknown,\"’readmygrandfather,followingtheparagraphwithhisforefinger;\"’escapedfromthebridewell,leavingnoclewtotheiridentity,excepttheletterH,cutononeofthebenches。’’Fivedollarsrewardofferedfortheapprehensionoftheperpetrators。’Sho!IhopeWingatewillcatchthem。\"

  Idon’tseehowIcontinuedtolive,foronhearingthisthebreathwententirelyoutofmybody。IbeataretreatfromtheroomassoonasIcould,andflewtothestablewithamistyintentionofmountingGypsyandescapingfromtheplace。Iwasponderingwhatstepstotake,whenJackHarrisandCharleyMardenenteredtheyard。

  \"Isay,\"saidHarris,asblitheasalark,\"hasoldWingatebeenhere?\"

  \"Beenhere?\"Icried,\"Ishouldhopenot!\"

  \"Thewholething’sout,youknow,\"saidHarris,pullingGypsy’sforelockoverhereyesandblowingplayfullyintohernostrils。

  \"Youdon’tmeanit!\"Igasped。

  \"Yes,Ido,andwearetopayWingatethreedollarsapiece。He’llmakeratheragoodspecoutofit。\"

  \"Buthowdidhediscoverthatwewerethe—themiscreants?\"Iasked,quotingmechanicallyfromtheRivermouthBamacle。

  \"Why,hesawustaketheoldark,confoundhim!He’sbeentryingtosellitanytimethesetenyears。Nowhehassoldittous。WhenhefoundthatwehadslippedoutoftheMeatMarket,hewentrightoffandwrotetheadvertisementofferingfivedollarsreward;thoughheknewwellenoughwhohadtakenthecoach,forhecameroundtomyfather’shousebeforethepaperwasprintedtotalkthematterover。Wasn’tthegovernormad,though!

  Butit’sallsettled,Itellyou。We’retopayWingatefifteendollarsfortheoldgo—cart,whichhewantedtoselltheotherdayforseventy—fivecents,andcouldn’t。It’sadownrightswindle。Butthefunnypartofitistocome。\"

  O,there’safunnyparttoit,isthere?\"Iremarkedbitterly。

  \"Yes。ThemomentBillConwaysawtheadvertisement,heknewitwasHarryBlakewhocutthatletterHonthebench;sooffherushesuptoWingate—kindofhim,wasn’tit?—andclaimsthereward。’Toolate,youngman,’saysoldWingate,’theculpritshasbeendiscovered。’YouseeSly—bootshadn’tanyintentionofpayingthatfivedollars。\"

  JackHarris’sstatementliftedaweightfrommybosom。ThearticleintheRivermouthBarnaclebadplacedtheaffairbeforemeinanewlight。Ihadthoughtlesslycommittedagraveoffence。Thoughthepropertyinquestionwasvalueless,wewereclearlywrongindestroyingit。AtthesametimeMr。

  Wingatehadtacitlysanctionedtheactbynotpreventingitwhenhemighteasilyhavedoneso。Hehadallowedhispropertytobedestroyedinorderthatbemightrealizealargeprofit。

  Withoutwaitingtohearmore,IwentstraighttoCaptainNutter,and,layingmyremainingthreedollarsonhisknee,confessedmyshareinthepreviousnight’stransaction。

  TheCaptainheardmethroughinprofoundsilence,pocketedthebank—notes,andwalkedoffwithoutspeakingaword。Hehadpunishedmeinhisownwhimsicalfashionatthebreakfasttable,for,attheverymomentbewasharrowingupmysoulbyreadingtheextractsfromtheRivermouthBarnacle,henotonlyknewallaboutthebonfire,buthadpaidEzraWingatehisthreedollars。SuchwastheduplicityofthatagedimpostorIthinkCaptainNutterwasjustifiedinretainingmypocketmoney,asadditionalpunishment,thoughthepossessionofitlaterinthedaywouldhavegotmeoutofadifficultposition,asthereaderwillseefurtheron。

  Ireturnedwithalightheartandalargepieceofpunktomyfriendsinthestable—yard,wherewecelebratedtheterminationofourtroublebysettingofftwopacksoffire—crackersinanemptywine—cask。Theymadeaprodigiousracket,butfailedsomehowtofullyexpressmyfeelings。Thelittlebrasspistolinmybedroomsuddenlyoccurredtome。IthadbeenloadedIdon’tknowhowmanymonths,longbeforeIleftNewOrleans,andnowwasthetime,ifever,tofireitoff。Muskets,blunderbusses,andpistolswerebangingawaylivelyallovertown,andthesmellofgunpowder,floatingontheair,setmewildtoaddsomethingrespectabletotheuniversaldin。

  Whenthepistolwasproduced,JackHarrisexaminedtherustycapandprophesiedthatitwouldnotexplode。

  \"Nevermind,\"saidI,\"let’stryit。\"

  Ihadfiredthepistolonce,secretly,inNewOrleans,and,rememberingthenoiseitgavebirthtoonthatoccasion,IshutbotheyestightasIpulledthetrigger。Thehammerclickedonthecapwithadull,deadsound。ThenHarristriedit;thenCharleyMarden;thenItookitagain,andafterthreeorfourtrialswasonthepointofgivingitupasabadjob,whentheobstinatethingwentoffwithatremendousexplosion,nearlyjerkingmyarmfromthesocket。Thesmokeclearedaway,andthereIstoodwiththestockofthepistolclutchedconvulsivelyinmyhand—thebarrel,lock,trigger,andramrodhavingvanishedintothinair。

  \"Areyouhurt?\"criedtheboys,inonebreath。

  \"N—no,\"Ireplied,dubiously,fortheconcussionhadbewilderedmealittle。

  WhenIrealizedthenatureofthecalamity,mygriefwasexcessive。Ican’timaginewhatledmetodosoridiculousathing,butIgravelyburiedtheremainsofmybelovedpistolinourbackgarden,anderectedoverthemoundaslatetablettotheeffectthat\"Mr。BarkerformerlyofnewOrleans,waskilledaccidentallyontheFourthofJuly,18——inthe2ndyearofhisAge。\"1BinnyWallace,arrivingonthespotjustafterthedisaster,andCharleyMarden(whoenjoyedtheobsequiesimmensely),actedwithmeaschiefmourners。I,formypart,wasaverysincereone。

  AsIturnedawayinadisconsolatemoodfromthegarden,CharleyMardenremarkedthatheshouldn’tbesurprisedifthepistol—butttookrootandgrewintoamahogany—treeorsomething。Hesaidheonceplantedanoldmusket—stock,andshortlyafterwardsalotofshootssprungup!JackHarrislaughed;butneitherInorBinnyWallacesawCharley’swickedjoke。

  WewerenowjoinedbyPepperWhitcomb,FredLangdon,andseveralotherdesperatecharacters,ontheirwaytotheSquare,whichwasalwaysabusyplacewhenpublicfestivitiesweregoingon。FeelingthatIwasstillindisgracewiththeCaptain,Ithoughtitpolitictoaskhisconsentbeforeaccompanyingtheboys。

  Hegaveitwithsomehesitation,advisingmetobecarefulnottogetinfrontofthefirearms。Onceheputhisfingersmechanicallyintohisvest—pocketandhalfdrewforthsomedollarbills,thenslowlythrustthembackagainashissenseofjusticeovercamehisgenialdisposition。Iguessitcuttheoldgentlemantothehearttobeobligedtokeepmeoutofmypocket—money。Iknowitdidme。However,asIwaspassingthroughthehall,MissAbigail,withaveryseverecastofcountenance,slippedabrand—newquarterintomyhand。Wehadsilvercurrencyinthosedays,thankHeaven!

  GreatwerethebustleandconfusionontheSquare。Bytheway,Idon’tknowwhytheycalledthislargeopenspaceasquare,unlessbecauseitwasanoval—anovalformedbytheconfluenceofhalfadozenstreets,nowthrongedbycrowdsofsmartlydressedtowns—peopleandcountryfolks;forRivermouthontheFourthwasthecentreofattractiontotheinhabitantsoftheneighboringvillages。

  OnonesideoftheSquareweretwentyorthirtyboothsarrangedinasemi—circle,gaywithlittleflagsandseductivewithlemonade,ginger—beer,andseedcakes。Hereandthereweretablesatwhichcouldbepurchasedthesmallersortoffireworks,suchaspin—wheels,serpents,double—headers,andpunkwarrantednottogoout。Manyoftheadjacenthousesmadeaprettydisplayofbunting,andacrosseachofthestreetsopeningontheSquarewasanarchofspruceandevergreen,blossomingalloverwithpatrioticmottoesandpaperroses。

  Itwasanoisy,merry,bewilderingsceneaswecameupontheground。Theincessantrattleofsmallarms,theboomingofthetwelve—pounderfiringontheMillDam,andthesilveryclangorofthechurch—bellsringingsimultaneously—nottomentionanambitiousbrass—bandthatwasblowingitselftopiecesonabalcony—wereenoughtodriveonedistracted。Weamusedourselvesforanhourortwo,dartinginandoutamongthecrowdandsettingoffourcrackers。Atoneo’clocktheHon。HezekiahElkinsmountedaplatforminthemiddleoftheSquareanddeliveredanoration,towhichhis\"feller—citizens\"didn’tpaymuchattention,havingalltheycoulddotododgethesquibsthatweresetlooseuponthembymischievousboysstationedonthesurroundinghousetops。

  Ourlittlepartywhichhadpickeduprecruitshereandthere,notbeingswayedbyeloquence,withdrewtoaboothontheoutskirtsofthecrowd,whereweregaledourselveswithrootbeerattwocentsaglass。Irecollectbeingmuchstruckbytheplacardsurmountingthistent:

  ROOTBEER

  SOLDHERE

  Itseemedtometheperfectionofpithandpoetry。Whatcouldbemoreterse?

  Notawordtospare,andyeteverythingfullyexpressed。Rhymeandrhythmfaultless。Itwasadelightfulpoetwhomadethoseverses。Asforthebeeritself—that,Ithink,musthavebeenmadefromtherootofallevil!A

  singleglassofitinsuredanuninterruptedpainfortwenty—fourhours。

  TheinfluenceofmyliberalityworkingonCharleyMarden—foritwasIwhopaidforthebeer—hepresentlyinvitedusalltotakeanice—creamwithhimatPettingil’ssaloon。PettingilwastheDelmonicoofRivermouth。Hefurnishedicesandconfectioneryforaristocraticballsandparties,anddidn’tdisdaintoofficiateasleaderoftheorchestraatthesame;forPettingilplayedontheviolin,asPepperWhitcombdescribedit,\"likeOldScratch。\"

  Pettingil’sconfectionerystorewasonthecornerofWillowandHighStreets。Thesaloon,separatedfromtheshopbyaflightofthreestepsleadingtoadoorhungwithfadedreddrapery,hadaboutitanairofmysteryandseclusionquitedelightful。Fourwindows,alsodraped,facedtheside—street,affordinganunobstructedviewofMarmHatch’sbackyard,whereanumberofinexplicablegarmentsonaclothes—linewerealwaystobeseencareeringinthewind。

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