首页
The Story of a Bad Boy
书架
书页 | 目录
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第2章
21984字

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。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫,醒来一梦似千年,重生于下堂妃身躯中的她,将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读

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