The Young Ship Builders of Elm Island 18
“O’er Tempé’s god-frequented streams
There broods a holy spell,
And still in Greece, the land of dreams,
Heroic memories dwell.”
“He’s talking to the fishes, Gus: he don’t hear.”
“He don’t want to hear: he suspects what we are after.”
A universal shout, that made the woods ring, now compelled attention.
“Good afternoon, boys.”
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“This afternoon is so delightful, the place so quiet and conducive
to reverie, I have insensibly fallen into reflection respecting a
subject that has often been a matter of thought, and as often caused
perplexity.”
“What may that be, sir?”
“Whether Vulcan didn’t dull his axe when he split Jupiter’s head open.”
“We have a matter that has caused us no little perplexity we want to
know where you keep that boat, and we’re not going to leave till we do
know.”
“I am glad to see young people, the strength of the country, have
wants; wants are the foundation of all progress, both in science and
the arts.”
“How so, Mr. K?”
“Because, Gus, when men begin to have wants they naturally try to
gratify them, and the more they gratify them the more they have, and
thus they better their position. For instance, I wanted pond lilies,
and to catch fish; so I built this boat: that bettered my position,
as you perceive,”--pulling up a pout,--“else, instead of sitting here
quietly fishing and reflecting, I should, like you, be standing on the
shore, looking and longing.”
“Well, we’re going to see.”
“It would be very desirable, as it would remove a great deal
of perplexity from your minds, and restore universal peace and
satisfaction.”
“Why so?”
“Because you are now very much perplexed in opinion, and confused in
your notions; some of you think I keep this boat under water, others
in the top of a tree, and a few, that I have an ointment I got of an
Indian, which, being rubbed on her, turns her into a cat-tail flag; but
seeing is believing, and would at once remove all doubts and reconcile
all conflicting opinions.”
“If you don’t let us see, we won’t come to your Sunday school class
to-morrow.”
“Yes, you will, Gus, because you’ll have to; if you’re absent, you’ll
be marked absent, and Uncle Sam will know the reason why.
‘Are ye not marked, ye men of Dalecarlia?’”
“O, if we could only find out, wouldn’t we hide her where he couldn’t
find her!”
“This is a world of perplexities and disappointments; there is one
thing I have always wanted to ascertain, but latterly have quite
despaired of it; therefore I know how to sympathize with you.”
“What is that, Mr. K.?”
“Where Hannibal got his vinegar.”
“If I live, I mean to ask Uncle Sam; he thinks he’s great on the
classics; that’ll stick him.”
“I’ll get you all the lilies you want, boys.”
“That is not what we want; we want to have the boat, and get them
ourselves.”
“I can appreciate that moral sentiment, Will Gunton, just as I receive
greater enjoyment hauling up this fish,”--pulling in a pickerel,--“than
you do from merely looking at me.”
“O, ye gods and little fishes, if he is not enough to provoke a saint.”
“I assent to that opinion likewise, for I vexed Dr. Woods yesterday.”
“In what way?”
“By asking him what the difference was between whoever and whosoever.”
“Well, if you won’t let us have the boat, or do anything for us, we
won’t love you as we have done; Uncle Sam can’t mark us for that.”
“Yes, you will, Gus, for you can’t help it.”
“What’s the reason we can’t help it?”
“Can you help loving honey?”
“No, sir; because that is natural.”
“Is it not as natural to love those who love us?”
“If you loved us, you would gratify us, and let us have the boat.”
“That is just the reason I don’t let you have it, because I know you
would be drowned.”
“You only say that because you don’t want us to have the boat. You love
us, but you won’t _do_ anything for us.”
“No, I never did anything for you! Who writes your dialogues and
declamations, and does a host of other unmentionable things? There is
not a great deal of gratitude this year, I suppose, because it is so
dry.”
“O, Mr. K., I’ll take it all back! I’m sorry I said it, and sorrier
that I thought it.”
“If I don’t want you to be drowned, I am disposed to contribute to your
enjoyment. I’ll take you all over to the North Parish Pond, where is a
large boat, and sail you to your hearts’ content; that is, if you’ll be
good boys and go away.”
“We are very much obliged to you, but we’ve made up our minds to see
where you keep that boat, and we can’t give it up; that is what we came
for. There are enough of us to surround the pond, flag swamp and all.
You will have to give it up, Mr. K. We are resolved to know, if we stay
here all night.”
“Resolution is a great thing in a young man. Resolution carried the
great Washington across the Delaware. As I understand it, you are, one
and all, resolved to know where I keep this boat.”
“So say we all of us.”
“If I will let you see where I put her, will you be satisfied?”
A unanimous shout testified their assent.
“Well, then, look and see where I put her.”
The boatman, after stringing the fish, and hanging them around his
neck, placing iron on the seat and paddle in order to keep them from
floating up, pulled the plug out of the bottom of the boat, the ballast
carried her down, and he swam ashore. There was one little detail of
these proceedings that even their sharp eyes failed to notice. They
did not see him fasten the plug of the boat to a fishing-line, the
other end of which was attached to the boat, and drop it overboard to
mark the spot. When the little piece of wood, only two inches long,
was in the water, it was no longer visible from the shore, and would
not be easily found, except by one who had taken the bearings of some
objects on the shore from the boat itself. The boys on their way home
congratulated themselves that Mr. K. had disappointed himself as much
as them. At any rate, they would no more be tantalized by witnessing
sport which they could not share. But the Fourth of July morning there
was Mr. K. in the boat, getting lilies!
“We might as well give it up, boys,” said Will Gunton; “we shall find
where he keeps her when we find where Hannibal got his vinegar.”
Upon leaving those parts, we buried her like an Indian chief, with the
paddle and anchor in her, and no Phillips Academy boy, or prowling
theological student, has ever found the grave till this day, nor ever
will.
We haven’t forgotten how these boys felt; therefore we would give such
outlines that any boy of mechanical turn, who has tools, pluck, and
patience, may by their aid build himself a safe and serviceable boat.
Charlie’s boat, the dimensions of which will be given, is rather
narrow, but it was all his log would allow, and he had not yet had
experience enough to deviate from the copy.
But if a boy is to build a boat, he had better make her wider, five
feet beam instead of four, to eighteen of length, or four feet six
inches beam and fourteen feet in length; then she will be stiff, and
need less ballast.
CHAPTER XII.
CHARLIE UNCONSCIOUSLY PREFIGURES THE FUTURE.
THE hay harvest was now secured. From the additional land cleared on
the island, and from the large field of natural grass on Griffin’s
Island, Ben had obtained a noble crop, and also one of rye.
He had a large piece of corn planted on a burn, also potatoes, flax,
and wheat. The garden was in fine order, and everything wore the
appearance of plenty and comfort. The land, at the burning of which
Fred Williams had so nearly met his death, he had not planted again, as
he intended it for an orchard, and did not want to wear it out.
On this piece Charlie and his father now set to work. They cut all the
sprouts that had come up from the stumps, cut down a good many old
stubs that had been left in clearing, picked up all the brands and
pieces of logs, then mowed down all the fire and pigeon weed, that had
come up in quantities, and when it was dry, set it all on fire.
Ben intended, in the fall, to set out his apple trees right among
the stumps and ashes, and never to plough the ground, but to keep the
growth of sprouts and weeds down with the axe and scythe.
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