The Young Marooners on the Florida Coast by John Henry Goldfrap
CHAPTER XXXVII
LAUNCHING THE BOATS--MORE WORK, AND YET MORE--ECLIPSE OF FEB. 12TH,1831--HEALING BY "FIRST INTENTION"--FRANK'S BIRTHDAY--PREPARING FOR AVOYAGE--RAIN, RAIN
The boats came on swimmingly. By the end of the second week of theirsystematic labours they had not only been sufficiently excavated, butthe young shipwrights had trimmed down much of the exterior. They weretwo and a half feet wide, by twenty inches deep, and eighteen feet long.At this stage Robert supposed the work to be nearly done, but Sam shookhis head, and said, "Not half." The most laborious part of the work wasover, but so much more remained, in the way of paring, smoothing,trimming, and bringing into proper shape, that it was full a fortnightbefore they were considered fit for the water.
They were ready for launching on the same day; and though Robert madehis announcement of the fact some hours in the advance of Harold, it wasagreed, that as Sam had been with him half a day more, the race shouldbe considered as even. The launching occupied four days. They weredistant from the water respectively an hundred and an hundred and fiftypaces. A thick forest was to be traversed. It was necessary to clear aroad, build bridges, and cut down the river bank. Robert's was launchedon February 1st, and Harold's on February 3d. On each occasion therewas a general rejoicing, and every person, not excepting Mary and Frank,fired a salute.
But on being launched the boats did not float to please them. One wastoo heavy at the bows, the other leaned too much to one side. Severaldays were spent in correcting these irregularities, and thus closed thefifth week of their labour.
Another week was spent in making the rudders and a pair of oars, andfitting in the seats and masts. This caused them to make another voyageto the wreck, for the purpose of obtaining planks, screws, and othermaterials. They went, of course, in their boats, and had the pleasureof seeing them behave admirably. They were steady, sat well on thewater, and obeyed the oars and helm almost as well as though they hadbeen built in a shipyard.
There were two incidents worthy of note occurring about this time. Onewas the discovery, made first by Frank, of an interesting astronomicalphenomenon. About a quarter before twelve o'clock he had gone to thewater bucket beside the door for a drink of water, when all at once Maryheard him call out,
"Run here, sister, run! The sun has turned into a moon!"
He had looked into the water, and seeing the reflected image of the sunlike a half moon, sharply horned, had strained his eyes by looking upuntil he ascertained that the sun itself was of the same shape. Mary,who had witnessed an event of the kind before, perceived at a glancethat it was an eclipse. She therefore took a basin, and hurried withFrank to the landing, to inform the others of the fact.
"Look in the _water_, brother," said Frank, whose eyes were yet wateryfrom the severe trial he had given them. "You can't look at the sunwithout crying."
For a time, of course, no work was done; all were engaged in watchingthe phenomenon. It was the great annular eclipse of February 12th,1831, in which the sun appeared at many places like a narrow ring oflight around the dark body of the moon. To our young people there wasno ring. They were too far south. The sun appeared like the moon whentwo days old, and the sky and earth were very gloomy.
The other incident was in itself trivial, and would not be introducedhere but that the fact it illustrates is sometimes of real importance.It was simply the healing of a wound by what is called "_firstintention_." Mary was engaged in some of her culinary duties, when, byan unfortunate slip of her hand, the knife which she was using missedits place, and sliced her finger. The piece was not cut _off_, but therewas a large gash, and it bled profusely. Her first act was to wash thewound well in tepid water until the blood ceased to flow; then seeingthat all the clots were removed, she brought the lips of the woundtogether, and kept them so by a bandage and a little case, like thefinger of a glove made fast to the wrist by a piece of tape. The woundsoon underwent a process similar to that of trees in grafting, only farmore rapid. By the next morning the lips began to adhere, and in thecourse of three days the wound was healed--so rapidly will the flesh ofa healthy person recover from a cut if the conditions necessary to"first intention" are observed, viz., that the parts be _brought quicklytogether, and kept without disturbance_.
The next week was spent in fitting up the sails and rigging, andpreparing the boats, so that in case of rough weather they could befirmly lashed together.
Their work was now done. They had been labouring steadily for a monthand a half, and were ready by Friday evening to pack up and start forhome. But they resolved to wait and sanctify the Sabbath. They neededrest: they were jaded in every limb and muscle. Moreover, the next daywas Frank's birthday. Taking everything into consideration, theypreferred to spend that day in rest and rejoicing, partly in honour ofFrank, but more especially as a sort of thanksgiving for theirsuccessful work. And as the voyage home promised to be long, andperhaps perilous, they also determined that they would devote Monday totrying their boats at sea, by an outward voyage round the island.
After Frank had retired, the rest agreed upon the plans by which to makethe following day pleasant and profitable to him.
"I," said Mary, "will make him a birth-day cake."
"And I," said Robert, "will teach him how to shoot a bird."
"And I," said Harold, "will teach him how to swim."
"And I," said Sam, "will sing him a corn song."
They went to bed and slept soundly. It is astonishing how habit canreconcile us to our necessities! Had these young people been set downby any accident, a few months before, in the midst of a lonely prairie,surrounded by a wild forest, full of bears and panthers, afar from theirfriends, and without any other protection than that which they had longenjoyed, they would have been miserable. But they went to sleep thatnight, not only free from painful apprehension, but happy--yes, actually_happy_--when they knew that their nearest neighbours were treacheroussavages, and that they were surrounded nightly by fierce beasts, fromwhose devouring jaws they had already escaped more than once, only bythe blessing of God upon brave hearts and steady hands. How came thischange? It was by cheerful habit. _The labours, dangers, and exposureof men, had given them the hearts of men_. God bless the children! Theyslept in the midst of that leafy forest as sweetly as though they wereat home, and the bright stars that rose by turns to measure out thenight, looked down like so many angel eyes, to watch the place of theirhabitation.
Mary and Frank were the first to awake in the morning. The others,wearied by their long labours, and free from pressing responsibility,abandoned themselves to a repose as sweet as it was needful. Frankmoved first, and his moving awaked Mary, who, on calling to mind thenature of the day, and the resolutions of the night before, put her armsaffectionately round his neck, and said, "Good morning, Mr.Eight-years-old; I wish you many pleasant birthdays."
Frank put his arms round her neck, also, and kissed her; then both beganto dress. Wishing not to disturb the sleepers, they slipped softly fromthe tent. Mary went first to the poultry-pen, which she opened. Theducks quacked with pleasure at her approach, and she watched them asthey dodged through the narrow hole opened for their passage, and ran ina long line with shaking tails and patting feet after the leading drake.Then she raised the portcullis-like gate for the goats and deer; Nannybleated, no doubt intending to say "good morning," but the unmannerlykid and fawn pranced away, mindful of nothing but their expected feastof grass and leaves.
While Mary was engaged with these, Frank went to look after his ownparticular pets. She heard him at the back of Nanny's pen, where thecubs were kept, calling out, "Come along, sir!" then he laughedheartily, but a moment after his voice sounded impatiently, "Quit it,you Pollux! quit it, sir!" then in a distressed tone, "Sister, sister,come help me!" Mary ran to his assistance, yet she could scarcerestrain her risibles at the sight which greeted her eyes. Frank hadloosed the cord which confined the cubs, and was leading them out forthe purpose of
"You ugly beast," he said to the bear, that seemed amazingly to enjoythe joke, and was rising for another frolic. "Get out, sir. I have agreat mind to give you a beating."
"O, no, Frank," said Mary, "don't be angry with your playmate. Rememberwho taught him to wrestle, and remember besides that this is yourbirthday."
Frank's wrath instantly subsided, and jerking down Pollux by the cord,he led both cubs back to the pen, where he secured them, and then washedfrom his face the traces of his defeat.
Sam had by this time come from his shed-room and made the fire forbreakfast, and Robert and Harold, awaked by Frank's call for help,dressed themselves and made their appearance. They all wished Frank apleasant birthday, and hoped he might have as many as would be for hisgood.
"Now, Master Frank," said Harold, while they were sitting together,"what would you have us do for you today? We are all your humbleservants, and ready to do whatever we can for your pleasure."
"Then," said Frank, "the first thing I want you to do, is to carry meright home to father and mother."
"I wish we could, Buddy," said Robert; "but as we cannot do all thattoday, you must try to think of something else."
Frank could think of nothing. Robert suggested that he might spend partof his birthday in learning to shoot.
"But I can shoot now," he replied. "Sister and I have shot many timesalready since we came to the island."
"I mean," said Robert, "that you should learn to use a gun, so as tokill whatever you wish."
"O, yes," said Frank, "I should like that very much. For who knows butsome old bear or panther may come after sister or me yet, before we getaway."
"O, as for bears," Robert maliciously remarked, "I think you will neverneed a gun. I think you will always find a tree."
Frank's face reddened as he returned, "I don't care if I did, sir.Cousin Harold knows that I did exactly right. Didn't I, cousin?"
"Pardon me, Frank," Robert implored, "I did not suppose that you felt sosore about that climbing. I only said it to teaze you. I am sure Ishould have done exactly as you did. But I can't help laughing to thinkhow your feet _twinkled_, as you climbed that tree."
Robert well knew that this half apology would be satisfactory. Frankprided himself on his nimbleness, being so lithe and active that hisplaymates used to call him "squirrel." The allusion to his "twinkling"feet restored him to good humour.
"Now, Frank," said Robert, beginning his lecture with the gun in hand,"the first lesson I wish to teach you is this, _never let the muzzle ofyour gun point to yourself, or to any person_, and never allow anyperson to point one towards you. A gun can never kill where it does notpoint. Even when you are loading, or walking, be careful to hold it so,that if it should go off it could hurt nothing."
He then related several stories, illustrating the fact that almost allaccidents from guns are from careless handling. Frank was a prudentchild. He listened attentively, and then replied,
"Brother Robert, I think I had better let the gun alone till I am older.May be, if I begin so early, I shall shoot myself or somebody else."
Robert was pleased with this mark of caution in his little brother, andsaid, "Hold on to that, Frank, it is a remark worthy of your birthday,and I trust that every return of this day will find you as wise inproportion to your age."
The further instructions intended for Frank that day, being of anout-door character, were interrupted by a rain that commenced about nineo'clock, and held on steadily all day. They employed themselvesleisurely in packing and preparing, first for the short voyagecontemplated on Monday, and also for the longer voyage home. During thewhole day the tent was strewed and confused with the various bags,boxes, trunks, and kegs, intended to receive the articles to be carried.They looked and felt like travellers on the eve of departure. Aboutsunset the rain ceased. The preparations being now complete, they cametogether in the tent, and rested on the sofa. Sam was missing. He hadnot been seen for half an hour, and now it was getting dark. Presentlythey heard a voice ringing musically through the woods, in the directionof the boat landing, "Join, oh, join, oh! Come, boys, we're all here!Join, oh! join, oh!" Frank sprang to his feet, exclaiming, "That is acorn song!"
The music was very simple, and of the kind that may be termedpersuasive. It was the song usually sung by the negroes of oneplantation, when inviting those of the neighbourhood to join them intheir "corn-shuckings." This practice is much more common in the upcountry of Georgia, where the corn crop is large, than on the seaboard,where the principal attention is given to cotton. A corn-shuckingfrolic among these light hearted people, is a scene worth witnessing; itis always held at night, and concluded about midnight with a feast, andis to the negro what a quilting party is to country people.
When Frank heard the first stave of Sam's song, he recalled vividly themerry scenes of the corn-shucking, and running towards the landing, methim, and returned, holding him by the hand, and joining in the chorus.
It was late ere they retired to rest. They began to realize a tendernearness to the loved ones at home, such as they had not felt sinceparting from them. They talked long and gratefully over pastdeliverances and future hopes; then closed the evening as those shouldwho wish to find the Sabbath a day of blessing.
The next morning dawned more dark and uncomfortable than the daypreceding. The whole sky was loaded with clouds, and the rain fellevery minute through the day. The young people probably would havefound their time pass away very dismally had it not been for the piousvivacity of Harold, who laid himself out to make it agreeable. Hefrankly avowed that one reason why he wished to have them unite with himin spending the Sabbath aright, was his desire to succeed in the effortto see their friends that week; and he referred for authority, to thestory told of Sir Matthew Hale, High Chancellor of England, who advisedthat, if there were no higher motive, the Sabbath should be kept sacredas a matter of _policy_; remarking that, for his own part, he couldalmost foretell his success during the week to come, by the way he spentthe Sabbath.
The others, influenced by a variety of considerations, united with himin this effort, and the day passed off not only with pleasure, but withprofit. Robert had always thought in his heart that this story of SirMatthew Hale smacked strongly of superstition; but when he came toreflect that if the Bible is true, of which he had no doubt, the God whospeaks to us now is the same who spoke to Moses, and who actuallyprospered or hindered the children of Israel according to theirobservance of the Sabbath, he changed his opinion so far as this--heresolved for the present to adopt the advice of that great man, and thento watch whether the same results were verified in his own case. Andalthough his reflections upon this point partook of the merelyphilosophic character that, to some extent, marked the operations of hismind, the course upon which he resolved had several good effects; itmade him realize more sensibly his practical relation to God, and causedhim to watch more closely the consequences resulting from the dischargeor neglect not only of this particular duty, but of duty in the general.That resolution, apparently so trifling, and expressed to no one,started him on a perfectly new track, and enabled him to learn, from hisown experience, that "_whoever will watch the providence of God, willnever lack a providence to watch_."
On Monday the weather was worse than before. They did indeed go out,well protected by thick boots, watercoats, and tarpaulin hats, to seeafter their boats; but the day was so chilly, as well as wet, that theirmost comfortable place