the uncommercial traveller-第55节
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and malicious with those members; or to be troubled with a similar
uneasiness in our elbows; attended with fistic consequences to our
neighbours; or to carry two pounds of lead in the chest; four
pounds in the head; and several active blue…bottles in each ear。
Yet; for certain; we suffered under those distresses; and were
always charged at for labouring under them; as if we had brought
them on; of our own deliberate act and deed。 As to the mental
portion of them being my own fault in my own case … I should like
to ask any well…trained and experienced teacher; not to say
psychologist。 And as to the physical portion … I should like to
ask PROFESSOR OWEN。'
It happened that I had a small bundle of papers with me; on what is
called 'The Half…Time System' in schools。 Referring to one of
those papers I found that the indefatigable MR。 CHADWICK had been
beforehand with me; and had already asked Professor Owen: who had
handsomely replied that I was not to blame; but that; being
troubled with a skeleton; and having been constituted according to
certain natural laws; I and my skeleton were unfortunately bound by
those laws even in school … and had comported ourselves
accordingly。 Much comforted by the good Professor's being on my
side; I read on to discover whether the indefatigable Mr。 Chadwick
had taken up the mental part of my afflictions。 I found that he
had; and that he had gained on my behalf; SIR BENJAMIN BRODIE; SIR
DAVID WILKIE; SIR WALTER SCOTT; and the common sense of mankind。
For which I beg Mr。 Chadwick; if this should meet his eye; to
accept my warm acknowledgments。
Up to that time I had retained a misgiving that the seventy
unfortunates of whom I was one; must have been; without knowing it;
leagued together by the spirit of evil in a sort of perpetual Guy
Fawkes Plot; to grope about in vaults with dark lanterns after a
certain period of continuous study。 But now the misgiving
vanished; and I floated on with a quieted mind to see the Half…Time
System in action。 For that was the purpose of my journey; both by
steamboat on the Thames; and by very dirty railway on the shore。
To which last institution; I beg to recommend the legal use of coke
as engine…fuel; rather than the illegal use of coal; the
recommendation is quite disinterested; for I was most liberally
supplied with small coal on the journey; for which no charge was
made。 I had not only my eyes; nose; and ears filled; but my hat;
and all my pockets; and my pocket…book; and my watch。
The V。D。S。C。R。C。 (or Very Dirty and Small Coal Railway Company)
delivered me close to my destination; and I soon found the Half…
Time System established in spacious premises; and freely placed at
my convenience and disposal。
What would I see first of the Half…Time System? I chose Military
Drill。 'Atten…tion!' Instantly a hundred boys stood forth in the
paved yard as one boy; bright; quick; eager; steady; watchful for
the look of command; instant and ready for the word。 Not only was
there complete precision … complete accord to the eye and to the
ear … but an alertness in the doing of the thing which deprived it;
curiously; of its monotonous or mechanical character。 There was
perfect uniformity; and yet an individual spirit and emulation。 No
spectator could doubt that the boys liked it。 With non…
commissioned officers varying from a yard to a yard and a half
high; the result could not possibly have been attained otherwise。
They marched; and counter…marched; and formed in line and square;
and company; and single file and double file; and performed a
variety of evolutions; all most admirably。 In respect of an air of
enjoyable understanding of what they were about; which seems to be
forbidden to English soldiers; the boys might have been small
French troops。 When they were dismissed and the broadsword
exercise; limited to a much smaller number; succeeded; the boys who
had no part in that new drill; either looked on attentively; or
disported themselves in a gymnasium hard by。 The steadiness of the
broadsword boys on their short legs; and the firmness with which
they sustained the different positions; was truly remarkable。
The broadsword exercise over; suddenly there was great excitement
and a rush。 Naval Drill!
In the corner of the ground stood a decked mimic ship; with real
masts; yards; and sails … mainmast seventy feet high。 At the word
of command from the Skipper of this ship … a mahogany…faced Old
Salt; with the indispensable quid in his cheek; the true nautical
roll; and all wonderfully complete … the rigging was covered with a
swarm of boys: one; the first to spring into the shrouds;
outstripping all the others; and resting on the truck of the main…
topmast in no time。
And now we stood out to sea; in a most amazing manner; the Skipper
himself; the whole crew; the Uncommercial; and all hands present;
implicitly believing that there was not a moment to lose; that the
wind had that instant chopped round and sprung up fair; and that we
were away on a voyage round the world。 Get all sail upon her!
With a will; my lads! Lay out upon the main…yard there! Look
alive at the weather earring! Cheery; my boys! Let go the sheet;
now! Stand by at the braces; you! With a will; aloft there!
Belay; starboard watch! Fifer! Come aft; fifer; and give 'em a
tune! Forthwith; springs up fifer; fife in hand … smallest boy
ever seen … big lump on temple; having lately fallen down on a
paving…stone … gives 'em a tune with all his might and main。 Hoo…
roar; fifer! With a will; my lads! Tip 'em a livelier one; fifer!
Fifer tips 'em a livelier one; and excitement increases。 Shake 'em
out; my lads! Well done! There you have her! Pretty; pretty!
Every rag upon her she can carry; wind right astarn; and ship
cutting through the water fifteen knots an hour!
At this favourable moment of her voyage; I gave the alarm 'A man
overboard!' (on the gravel); but he was immediately recovered; none
the worse。 Presently; I observed the Skipper overboard; but
forbore to mention it; as he seemed in no wise disconcerted by the
accident。 Indeed; I soon came to regard the Skipper as an
amphibious creature; for he was so perpetually plunging overboard
to look up at the hands aloft; that he was oftener in the bosom of
the ocean than on deck。 His pride in his crew on those occasions
was delightful; and the conventional unintelligibility of his
orders in the ears of uncommercial landlubbers and loblolly boys;
though they were always intelligible to the crew; was hardly less
pleasant。 But we couldn't expect to go on in this way for ever;
dirty weather came on; and then worse weather; and when we least
expected it we got into tremendous difficulties。 Screw loose in
the chart perhaps … something certainly wrong somewhere … but here
we were with breakers ahead; my lads; driving head on; slap on a
lee shore! The Skipper broached this terrific announcement in such
great agitation; that the small fifer; not fifeing now; but
standing looking on near the wheel with his fife under his arm;
seemed for the moment quite unboyed; though he speedily recovered
his presence of mind。 In the trying circumstances that ensued; the
Skipper and the crew proved worthy of one another。 The Skipper got
dreadfully hoarse; but otherwise was master of the situation。 The
man at the wheel did wonders; all hands (except the fifer) were
turned up to wear ship; and I observed the fifer; when we were at
our greatest extremity; to refer to some document in his waistcoat…
pocket; which I conceived to be his will。 I think she struck。 I
was not myself conscious of any collision; but I saw the Skipper so
very often washed overboard and back again; that I could only
impute it to the beating of the ship。 I am not enough of a seaman
to describe the manoeuvres by which we were saved; but they made
the Skipper very hot (French polishing his mahogany face) and the
crew very nimble; and succeeded to a marvel; for; within a few
minutes of the first alarm; we had wore ship and got her off; and
were all a…tauto … which I felt very grateful for: not that I knew
what it was; but that I perceived that we had not been all a…tauto
lately。 Land now appeared on our weather…bow; and we shaped our
course for it; having the wind abeam; and frequently changing the
man at the helm; in order that every man might have his spell。 We
worked into harbour under prosperous circumstances; and furled our
sails; and squared our yards; and made all ship…shape and handsome;
and so our voyage ended。 When I complimented the Skipper at
parting on his exertions and those of his gallant crew; he informed
me that the latter were provided for the worst; all hands being
taught to swim and dive; and he added that the able seaman at the
main…topmast truck especially; could dive as deep as he could go
high。
The next adventure that befe