the story of a bad boy-第25节

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n　Liverpool；　but　it　was　only　a　gal　as　looked　like　her。　The　numbers　of　women　in　different　parts　of　the　world　as　looked　like　her　was　amazin'。　So　a　good　many　years　crawled　by；　an'　I　wandered　from　place　to　place；　never　givin'　up　the　sarch。　I　might　have　been　chief　mate　scores　of　times；　maybe　master；　but　I　hadn't　no　ambition。　I　seed　many　strange　things　in　them　years…outlandish　people　an'　cities；　storms；　shipwracks；　an'　battles。　I　seed　many　a　true　mate　go　down；　an'　sometimes　I　envied　them　what　went　to　their　rest。　But　these　things　is　neither　here　nor　there。

〃About　a　year　ago　I　shipped　on　board　the　Belphcebe　yonder；　an'　of　all　the　strange　winds　as　ever　blowed；　the　strangest　an'　the　best　was　the　wind　as　blowed　me　to　this　here　blessed　spot。　I　can't　be　too　thankful。　That　I'm　as　thankful　as　it　is　possible　for　an　uneddicated　man　to　be；　He　knows　as　reads　the　heart　of　all。〃

Here　ended　Sailor　Ben's　yarn；　which　I　have　written　down　in　his　own　homely　words　as　nearly　as　I　can　recall　them。　After　he　had　finished；　the　Captain　shook　hands　with　him　and　served　out　the　ale。

As　Kitty　was　about　to　drink；　she　paused；　rested　the　cup　on　her　knee；　and　asked　what　day　of　the　month　it　was。

〃The　twenty…seventh；〃　said　the　Captain；　wondering　what　she　was　driving　at。

〃Then；〃　cried　Kitty；　〃it's　ten　years　this　night　sence…〃

〃Since　what？〃　asked　my　grandfather。

〃Sence　the　little　lass　and　I　got　spliced！〃　roared　Sailor　Ben。　〃There's　another　coincydunce　for　you！〃

On　hearing　this　we　all　clapped　hands；　and　the　Captain；　with　a　degree　of　ceremony　that　was　almost　painful；　drank　a　bumper　to　the　health　and　happiness　of　the　bride　and　bridegroom。

It　was　a　pleasant　sight　to　see　the　two　old　lovers　sitting　side　by　side；　in　spite　of　all；　drinking　from　the　same　little　cup…a　battered　zinc　dipper　which　Sailor　Ben　had　unslung　from　a　strap　round　his　waist。　I　think　I　never　saw　him　without　this　dipper　and　a　sheath…knife　suspended　just　back　of　his　hip；　ready　for　any　convivial　occasion。

We　had　a　merry　time　of　it。　The　Captain　was　in　great　force　this　evening；　and　not　only　related　his　famous　exploit　in　the　War　of　1812；　but　regaled　the　company　with　a　dashing　sea…song　from　Mr。　Shakespeare's　play　of　The　Tempest。　He　had　a　mellow　tenor　voice　（not　Shakespeare；　but　the　Captain）；　and　rolled　out　the　verse　with　a　will：



〃The　master；　the　swabber；　the　boatswain；　and　I；

The　gunner；　and　his　mate；

Lov'd　Mall；　Meg；　and　Marian；　and　Margery；

But　none　of　us　car'd　for　Kate。〃



〃A　very　good　song；　and　very　well　sung；〃　says　Sailor　Ben；　〃but　some　of　us　does　care　for　Kate。　Is　this　Mr。　Shawkspear　a　seafarm'　man；　sir？〃　〃Not　at　present；〃　replied　the　Captain；　with　a　monstrous　twinkle　in　his　eye。

The　clock　was　striking　ten　when　the　party　broke　up。　The　Captain　walked　to　the　〃Mariner's　Home〃　with　his　guest；　in　order　to　question　him　regarding　his　future　movements。

〃Well；　sir；〃　said　he；　〃I　ain't　as　young　as　I　was；　an'　I　don't　cal'ulate　to　go　to　sea　no　more。　I　proposes　to　drop　anchor　here；　an'　hug　the　land　until　the　old　hulk　goes　to　pieces。　I've　got　two　or　three　thousand　dollars　in　the　locker；　an'　expects　to　get　on　uncommon　comfortable　without　askin'　no　odds　from　the　Assylum　for　Decayed　Mariners。〃

My　grandfather　indorsed　the　plan　warmly；　and　Sailor　Ben　did　drop　anchor　in　Rivermouth；　where　he　speedily　became　one　of　the　institutions　of　the　town。

His　first　step　was　to　buy　a　small　one…story　cottage　located　at　the　head　of　the　wharf；　within　gun…shot　of　the　Nutter　House。　To　the　great　amusement　of　my　grandfather；　Sailor　Ben　painted　the　cottage　a　light　sky…blue；　and　ran　a　broad　black　stripe　around　it　just　under　the　eaves。　In　this　stripe　he　painted　white　port…holes；　at　regular　distances；　making　his　residence　look　as　much　like　a　man…of…war　as　possible。　With　a　short　flag…staff　projecting　over　the　door　like　a　bowsprit；　the　effect　was　quite　magical。　My　description　of　the　exterior　of　this　palatial　residence　is　complete　when　I　add　that　the　proprietor　nailed　a　horseshoe　against　the　front　door　to　keep　off　the　witches…a　very　necessary　precaution　in　these　latitudes。

The　inside　of　Sailor　Ben's　abode　was　not　less　striking　than　the　outside。　The　cottage　contained　two　rooms；　the　one　opening　on　the　wharf　he　called　his　cabin；　here　he　ate　and　slept。　His　few　tumblers　and　a　frugal　collection　of　crockery　were　set　in　a　rack　suspended　over　the　table；　which　had　a　cleat　of　wood　nailed　round　the　edge　to　prevent　the　dishes　from　sliding　off　in　case　of　a　heavy　sea。　Hanging　against　the　walls　were　three　or　four　highly　colored　prints　of　celebrated　frigates；　and　a　lithograph　picture　of　a　rosy　young　woman　insufficiently　clad　in　the　American　flag。　This　was　labelled　〃Kitty；〃　though　I'm　sure　it　looked　no　more　like　her　than　I　did。　A　walrus…tooth　with　an　Esquimaux　engraved　on　it；　a　shark's　jaw；　and　the　blade　of　a　sword…fish　were　among　the　enviable　decorations　of　this　apartment。　In　one　corner　stood　his　bunk；　or　bed；　and　in　the　other　his　well…worn　sea…chest；　a　perfect　Pandora's　box　of　mysteries。　You　would　have　thought　yourself　in　the　cabin　of　a　real　ship。

The　little　room　aft；　separated　from　the　cabin　by　a　sliding　door；　was　the　caboose。　It　held　a　cooking…stove；　pots；　pans；　and　groceries；　also　a　lot　of　fishing…lines　and　coils　of　tarred　twine；　which　made　the　place　smell　like　a　forecastle；　and　a　delightful　smell　it　is…to　those　who　fancy　it。

Kitty　didn't　leave　our　service；　but　played　housekeeper　for　both　establishments；　returning　at　night　to　Sailor　Ben's。　He　shortly　added　a　wherry　to　his　worldly　goods；　and　in　the　fishing　season　made　a　very　handsome　income。　During　the　winter　he　employed　himself　manufacturing　crab…nets；　for　which　he　found　no　lack　of　customers。

His　popularity　among　the　boys　was　immense。　A　jackknife　in　his　expert　hand　was　a　whole　chest　of　tools。　He　could　whittle　out　anything　from　a　wooden　chain　to　a　Chinese　pagoda；　or　a　full…rigged　seventy…four　a　foot　long。　To　own　a　ship　of　Sailor　Ben's　building　was　to　be　exalted　above　your　fellow…creatures。　He　didn't　carve　many；　and　those　he　refused　to　sell；　choosing　to　present　them　to　his　young　friends；　of　whom　Tom　Bailey；　you　may　be　sure；　was　one。

How　delightful　it　was　of　winter　nights　to　sit　in　his　cosey　cabin；　close　to　the　ship's　stove　（he　wouldn't　hear　of　having　a　fireplace）；　and　listen　to　Sailor　Ben's　yarns！　In　the　early　summer　twilights；　when　he　sat　on　the　door…step　splicing　a　rope　or　mending　a　net；　he　always　had　a　bevy　of　blooming　young　faces　alongside。

The　dear　old　fellow！　How　tenderly　the　years　touched　him　after　this…all　the　more　tenderly；　it　seemed；　for　having　roughed　him　so　cruelly　in　other　days！







Chapter　Seventeen

How　We　Astonished　the　Rivermouthians



Sailor　Ben's　arrival　partly　drove　the　New　Orleans　project　from　my　brain。　Besides；　there　was　just　then　a　certain　movement　on　foot　by　the　Centipede　Club　which　helped　to　engross　my　attention。

Pepper　Whitcomb　took　the　Captain's　veto　philosophically；　observing　that　he　thought　from　the　first　the　governor　wouldn't　let　me　go。　I　don't　think　Pepper　was　quite　honest　in　that。

But　to　the　subject　in　hand。

Among　the　few　changes　that　have　taken　place　in　Rivermouth　during　the　past　twenty　years　there　is　one　which　I　regret。　I　lament　the　removal　of　all　those　varnished　iron　cannon　which　used　to　do　duty　as　posts　at　the　corners　of　streets　leading　from　the　river。　They　were　quaintly　ornamental；　each　set　upon　end　with　a　solid　shot　soldered　into　its　mouth；　and　gave　to　that　part　of　the　town　a　picturesqueness　very　poorly　atoned　for　by　the　conventional　wooden　stakes　that　have　deposed　them。

These　guns　（〃old　sogers〃　the　boys　called　them）　had　their　story；　like　everything　else　in　Rivermouth。　When　that　everlasting　last　war…the　War　of　1812；　I　mean…came　to　an　end；　all　the　brigs；　schooners；　and　barks　fitted　out　at　this　port　as　privateers　were　as　eager　to　get　rid　of　their　useless　twelve…pounders　and　swivels　as　they　had　previously　been　to　obtain　them。　Many　of　the　pieces　had　cost　large　sums；　and　now　they　were　little　better　than　so　much　crude　iron…not　so　good；　in　fact；　for　they　were　clumsy　things　to　break　up　and　melt　over。　The　government　didn't　want　them；　private　citizens　didn't　want　them；　they　were　a　drug　in　the　market。

But　there　was　one　man；　ridiculous　beyond　his　generation；　who　got　it　into　his　head　that　a　fortune　was　to　be　made　out　of　these　same　guns。　To　buy　them　all；　to　hold　on　to　them　until　war　was　declared　again　（as　he　had　no　doubt　it　would　be　in　a　few　months）；　and　then　sell　out　at　fabulous　prices…this　was　the　daring　idea　that　addled　the　pate　of　Silas　Trefethen；　〃Dealer　in　E。　&　W。　I。　Goods　and　Groceries；〃　as　the　faded　sign　over　his　shop…door　informed　the　public。

Silas　went　shrewdly　to　work；　buying　up　every　old　cannon　he　could　lay　hands　on。　His　back…yard　was　soon　crowded　with　broken…down　gun…carriages；　and　his　barn　with　guns；　like　an　arsenal。　When　Silas's　purpose　got　wind　it　was　astonishing　how　valuable　that　thing　became　which　just　now　was　worth　nothing　at　all。

〃Ha；　ha！〃　thought　Silas。　〃Somebody　else　is　tryin'　hi　git　control　of　the　market。　But　I　guess　I've　got　the　start　of　him。〃

So　he　went　on　buying　and　buying；　oftentimes　paying　double　the　original　price　of　the　article。　People　in　the　neighboring　towns　collected　all　the　worthless　ordnance　they　could　find；　and　sent　it　by　the　cart…load　to　Rivermouth。

Whe