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。