"HE WALKED ALL AROUND THE GREAT YARD WITH THE BOYS ON HIS BACK.""HE WALKED ALL AROUND THE GREAT YARD WITH THE BOYS ON HIS BACK."
And when they had been watching a long while, the gong rang. And the elephants all stopped their work at once and went into the shed. And that amused the boys very much, and the gong reminded them that they were very hungry, so they went away to get their dinner. And, after dinner, they watched the elephants again all the long afternoon, and by that time they were tired of watching elephants.
So, the next morning, they got into the bullock carts again, and they went back to the ship. And the boat was waiting for them at the stone steps, andthe sailors rowed them to theIndustry. And they were very tired and glad to get back, and they went to bed right after supper.
And that's all.
nceupon a time there was a wide river that ran into the ocean, and beside it was a little city. And in that city was a wharf where great ships came from far countries. And a narrow road led down a very steep hill to that wharf, and anybody that wanted to go to the wharf had to go down the steep hill on the narrow road, for there wasn't any other way. And because ships had come there for a great many years, and all the sailors and all the captains andall the men who had business with the ships had to go on that narrow road, the flagstones that made the sidewalks were much worn.
That wharf and all the ships that sailed from it belonged to Captain Jonathan and Captain Jacob; and after they had moved their office to Boston the ships sailed from a wharf in Boston. And once, in the long ago, the brigIndustryhad sailed from the wharf in Boston, and she had got to that far country and all the things that she had brought there had been taken out of her and sold. And Captain Solomon had bought the things that she would carry back to Boston, but they were not loaded on theIndustryyet. And Captain Solomon had gone off with little Jacob and little Sol to see some elephants, for hethought the mate could attend to loading the ship.
After Captain Solomon had gone off, the sailors who had rowed him ashore stood there for a few minutes looking after the dust that the bullocks kicked up, and then they turned to get into the boat again. And one of the sailors, who was named Ephraim, saw a man coming toward them, and he knew the man, for the man was a sailor, too, and he and Ephraim had sailed together a long while before, but not in theIndustry. So he waited for the man to come, and the man and Ephraim were glad to see each other and Ephraim asked him where he came from and what ship he was on. For no other ship was in the river at that time.
Then the man said that he had sailedin a ship from England, but the ship had gone off without him while he was ashore; and he wanted to get back to Boston, for he hadn't been there for several years. And he asked Ephraim if there was a chance to be a sailor on theIndustry. But Ephraim said that they had a full crew and there wasn't any chance, for the old man was very strict. He called Captain Solomon the old man, but he wasn't an old man at all, for he wasn't quite forty years old; but sailors always call the captain the old man. And Ephraim was afraid of Captain Solomon, but he needn't have been afraid, for Captain Solomon was a kind man, although he was rather gruff and stern to the sailors.
And so Ephraim advised the man to try to stow himself away on theIndustryuntil she was clear of the land and on blue water, and then to come out and see what would happen. For he knew that Captain Solomon wouldn't go back just to land the man, and he couldn't throw him overboard. And the man said that he would do that, and he thought he should be able to stow away when the ship was loading, but he would have to depend upon Ephraim to feed him for a few days. And Ephraim said that he would, and the man went away and the sailors rowed the boat back to theIndustry.
So the sailors began to load the ship with all the things that Captain Solomon had bought, and many little boats began to go back and forth and there was a good deal of confusion. And in the confusion of the loading the man managed to stowhimself away on theIndustry; and he was in the hold of the ship, as far forward as he could get, so that Ephraim could bring him food and water without much trouble. And the sailors got all the things aboard, and Captain Solomon came back with little Jacob and little Sol. And they got the things to eat on board, and the water that they would drink, and when everything was ready they hoisted up the anchor from the bottom of the river, and they hoisted the sails, and they sailed away down the river and out into the great ocean. And on the second day out, the stowaway came out and worked with the other sailors.
And Captain Solomon was on the quarter deck, looking out over the ocean and at the ship and at the sailors, and he saw the stowaway.
"HE WAS IN THE HOLD OF THE SHIP""HE WAS IN THE HOLD OF THE SHIP"
"Who is that man and where did he come from?" he said to the mate.
And the mate looked and saw the man, and he didn't know. "I'm sure I don't know, sir," answered the mate.
"Call him up," said Captain Solomon.
So the mate called him and he came and stood at the foot of the steps that led to the quarter deck, and Captain Solomon stood at the head of the steps with his hand upon the railing. And the man stood first upon one foot and then upon the other and he looked very uncomfortable.
"Aye, aye, sir," said the man; and he touched his cap.
And Captain Solomon didn't say anything for a long time, but he looked the man over from head to foot, and he looked very fierce and stern, so that the man wasmore uncomfortable than ever. And little Jacob and little Sol stood just behind Captain Solomon.
"Who are you, and where did you come from?" asked Captain Solomon. "Give an account of yourself."
Then the man began to tell that he was a sailor and had been a sailor for many years. And he had shipped, last on an English vessel bound to India, and she had got there all right, but had sailed away without him while he was ashore on leave.
Captain Solomon had to smile at that, though he didn't mean to. And the man went on to say that he wanted to get a passage to Boston and he would have been glad to ship as one of the crew, but he understood that the ship had a fullcrew and that the captain didn't want any more sailors, and so he had stowed away. But he was an able seaman and would be only too grateful for a chance to work with the other sailors if Captain Solomon pleased, sir.
Then Captain Solomon was very angry, and asked how he heard that he had a full crew and didn't want any more sailors; and who told him that an able seaman who wanted to get back to Boston couldn't get a passage on that ship. And the man wouldn't tell, but Captain Solomon saw that Ephraim looked very uneasy, so he knew it was Ephraim. And he called Ephraim, and blew him up sky high, and he said that he had a good mind to put him and the stowaway both on bread and water for a month. When little Jacob heardCaptain Solomon say that, he stepped forward to speak, for he couldn't bear to think that men should be put on bread and water for a month just for that. But little Sol gave him a nudge and whispered to him not to say anything, for he knew well enough that his father hadn't any idea of doing it.
And Ephraim and the stowaway both turned pale and looked as if they were going to be seasick, but they weren't. And after everybody had stood there without speaking for a good while, Captain Solomon spoke to the whole crew, who had all come near, and told them that he didn't want any such actions on his ship again; and if they ever heard of any such case, he wanted them to come right to him, and he would inquire into it. Forhe didn't want them to think that he would ever refuse a passage home to a good sailor. And he told Ephraim and the stowaway that he would think about putting them on bread and water, but he wouldn't do it yet. And if the stowaway did his duty well and proved himself an able seaman he would try to get pay for him when he got back to Boston and saw his owners. But if the man wasn't what he said he was, or didn't attend to his duty, he would be put on bread and water, as sure as his own name was Solomon, and so would Ephraim.
Then the sailors all went about their business, and Captain Solomon blew up the mate for letting a man stow away on theIndustry. And when CaptainSolomon had blown everybody up that he could, he felt very pleasant indeed, and he played with little Sol and little Jacob.
And that's all.
nceupon a time there was a wide river that ran into the ocean, and beside it was a little city. And in that city was a wharf where great ships came from far countries. And a narrow road led down a very steep hill to that wharf, and anybody that wanted to go to the wharf had to go down the steep hill on the narrow road, for there wasn't any other way. And because ships had come there for a great many years, and all the sailors and all the captains and all the men who had business with theships had to go on that narrow road, the flagstones that made the sidewalk were much worn. That was a great many years ago.
The wharf was Captain Jonathan's and Captain Jacob's and they owned the ships that sailed from it; and, after their ships had been sailing from that wharf in the little city for a good many years, they changed their office to Boston. After that their ships sailed from a wharf in Boston.
Once, in the long ago, little Jacob and little Sol had gone in the brigIndustryon a voyage to far countries; and they had been to the countries and had sailed again for home, but they had not got out of the warm oceans. And one morning little Jacob and little Sol came on deck together. They didn't race through theirbreakfast as they had been used to doing, because Captain Solomon had put a stop to that. And, as soon as they got on deck, they looked all around to see what was up that morning. Far away they saw the upper sails of a ship that was going the same way they were, but they didn't see anything else except the blue water, although they looked very carefully out ahead and on both sides. But, right astern of the ship, and pretty near, was a great, enormous bird.
The bird was so near that the little boys could see it very well, and they could see what color it was, and the shape of its bill, but they couldn't see its back nor the top of its head, because the bird was above them. If they had climbed up on the mast they could have seen its back, butthey didn't think of that then. The bird was all white, so far as they could see, and it had a bill that was rather long and straight, and was hooked at the end. And the bird just sailed along and waved a little, up and down, but it didn't move its wings, so far as the boys could see, and they watched it for a long time.
Its wings were enormous. Little Sol thought they were almost as long as the main-top-gallant yard if you could measurethem spread out, as the bird was sailing. And little Jacob looked very wise and he said that he didn't know how long the main-top-gallant yard was, but he should think they might measure two fathom and a half from tip to tip. And little Jacob felt rather proud when he had said that, because he had guessed in fathoms.
Little Sol looked rather scornful and said "Huh!" And then little Jacob asked him what kind of a bird it was, and little Sol didn't know. Then little Jacob said "Huh!" So they went to ask Mr. Steele or Captain Solomon. Captain Solomon was standing right behind them, and he was smiling because he had heard what the boys said. And he said that the bird was an albatross, and that little Jacob was pretty nearly right about the length ofits wings. Little Sol was taken down a peg and didn't say anything.
Then Captain Solomon went on to say that albatrosses often followed ships for days together, and the sailors never could see that they had to move their wings, but they sailed along just as fast as the ship sailed. He had seen lots of them in his time, but he had never seen them do anything else but sail, just as that one was doing then. And how they managed it, he didn't know, and nobody else knew, so far as he had ever heard.
Then little Sol asked what the bird was following the ship for. And Captain Solomon said that he supposed that the albatross was following the ship to get the scraps that the cook threw overboard. At least, he didn't know any other reason,and the albatross took the scraps, anyway. They were like sharks in that way.
Then little Sol asked him if they couldn't catch the albatross with a hook and a piece of pork, as they had caught the shark. And Captain Solomon said that they could, but that Sol had better not try it, if he knew what was good for him; for the sailors thought that it always brought the worst kind of luck to a ship to kill an albatross, and he didn't know but they were right. And little Jacob was glad Captain Solomon said that, for he didn't want the albatross killed, but he would rather watch it sailing along with the ship.
So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there. And the little boys watched it almost all of that day. And the next day it was there, and they watched it, and they watched it the day after the next, too; but the morning after that it wasn't there.
Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather. And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change. The barometer was what Captain Solomon called "the glass," and people could tell, by looking at it, whether it was going to be stormy or not.
And that's all.
nceupon a time there was a wide river that ran into the ocean, and beside it was a little city. And in that city was a wharf where great ships came from far countries. And a narrow road led down a very steep hill to that wharf, and anybody that wanted to go to the wharf had to go down the steep hill on the narrow road, for there wasn't any other way. And because ships had come there for a great many years, and all the sailors and all the captains and all themen who had business with the ships had to go on that narrow road, the flagstones that made the sidewalk were much worn. That was a great many years ago.
The wharf was Captain Jonathan's and Captain Jacob's, and they owned the ships that sailed from it; and, after their ships had been sailing from that wharf in the little city for a good many years, they changed their office to Boston.
Once, in the long ago, the brigIndustrywas tied up at a wharf in Boston. The wharf was much longer than any wharf in Boston is now, for they have filled up the dock that was there with stones and dirt, and they have put more stones and dirt on the top of the old wharf and under it, and they have built a street there, so that the wharf is not half so long as it used tobe. And Captain Jonathan and Captain Jacob had their office on India Street, not very far from the head of the wharf, as it used to be, so that they could go to their ships easily and the captains could go to them.
TheIndustryhad aboard all the things that the sailors would eat and the water that they would drink; and the cargo was all stowed, and the sailors were all on the ship and the sails were loosed. And Captain Solomon came from the office of Captain Jonathan and Captain Jacob, and he walked down the wharf and he went aboard the ship. Then the sailors cast off the ropes that had held her, and they hoisted the sails and sailed away. They sailed out of the harbor and past the islands and into the bay and then intothe great ocean, and Boston was left far astern.
And, when they had been gone from Boston nearly a week, the sailors fixed the sails so that the wind would blow on them the right way, and then they didn't have to change them for a long time, for they were in the part of the ocean that the trade winds blow over. In this part of the ocean the winds blow nearly always from about north-east, so that they are fair winds for a ship that is going south. That is one reason why ships don't always go the way that you would think would be the shortest, for it may be that, by going a way that is a little longer, they will be helped so much by the winds that they will get to the place where they are going sooner than if they went a shorter way.
And there is another reason why ships do not always go the shortest way. In some parts of the ocean the ocean water is moving in one direction and in other parts of the ocean the water is moving in another direction. So, if a captain knows about these ocean currents, he can sail in that part of the ocean where the water is moving in the direction that he wants to go, and the ocean and the winds will both help the ship. Every captain of a ship knows about these ocean currents and these winds, and chooses the part of the ocean where they will help his ship along. Captain Solomon knew all about them.
"CAPTAIN SOLOMON ... WAS WATCHING THE MOON""CAPTAIN SOLOMON ... WAS WATCHING THE MOON"
So theIndustrysailed along, and she had got almost to the place where she would be past the trade winds; and it had got to be the evening of that day, and thesun had set a long time, but the moon had just risen. And Captain Solomon was standing by the rail, and he was watching the moon and the reflection of the moonlight on the water, and he was thinking that he wished theIndustrycould sail right up that broad path of moonlight forever; for it was very beautiful. Captain Solomon had such thoughts sometimes, but he didn't tell anybody about them, for they would think he was crazy, and the mates and the sailors wouldn't like to sail in any ship that he was the captain of. And while he was thinking these thoughts he was startled by the cry of the lookout who was on the forecastle near the bow.
"Hard a-port! Hard a-port!"
And Captain Solomon gave one greatjump for the wheel. "Hard a-port, you lubber!" he cried. "Can't you hear?"
And he grabbed the wheel and whirled it over, and the ship swung off, but she didn't swing very quickly, for theIndustrywasn't very quick at minding her helm. But she did mind it in time, and just as she swung off she shot past something floating. And Captain Solomon looked and he saw that the floating thing was the hull of a great ship. The masts were all gone close to the deck and the hulk barely showed above the water, so that the waves washed over it, although there wasn't much of a sea and the waves weren't high at all. And when he saw that they were safely past the wreck, he turned the wheel the other way, and brought theIndustryback again, and hehad the sailors change some of the sails so that she wouldn't go ahead.
Then he called the sailor who had been on the forecastle, looking out, and he gave that sailor a blowing up, and he was very angry and he blew the man sky-high. He said that it was nothing but luck that they weren't all sent to the bottom, for theIndustrywas heading straight for the floating hulk, and if they had struck it, their chances wouldn't have been worth one of his grandmother's cookies. And he said some other things; and the sailor didn't answer back, for it is not a good plan to answer back to the captain, especially if that captain was Captain Solomon and was angry. But he seemed ashamed and slunk back muttering that he wasn't blind and he was keeping as good a lookout ascould be expected, and nobody could have imagined that there would be that old hulk right in their course, anyway. But Captain Solomon didn't hear him, which was lucky for him.
Then Captain Solomon ordered the mate to have out a boat and go and see what the hulk was, and whether, by chance, there was anybody aboard of it, or anything to tell when she had been abandoned. And he told the mate to take with him a good supply of oil and some oakum and to set fire to the wreck as soon as he was through with her. And the mate had the sailors get out the boat, and he took the oakum and a big bucket of oil, and he was rowed away to the wreck, that was about a quarter of a mile away by that time and shining in the moonlight. And Captain Solomon saw the boat come near the wreck and make fast under her stern, and he saw the mate go on board.
The mate went a little way down the cabin stairs, but he couldn't go all the way down because the cabin was full of water that washed to and fro as the hulk rolled in the ocean. And nobody was there. And the mate looked everywhere that he could go, and he found nobody. He couldn't look into the cook's galley, because the galley had been washed overboard; but he looked into the forecastle, and that had water in it, too, washing to and fro over the floor. But he saw that the clothes of the sailors were all gone except one thing which was washing about in the water on the floor, that looked as ifit had been there a long time, and he couldn't make out what it was.
So he went back to the stern and asked the sailors if they could make out the name or the port of the ship on the stern; for every ship has its name and the name of the city where it belongs painted on the stern. And the sailors said that there wasn't enough of the name left to tell what it was, but it seemed to be a French name. So the mate went back and he put three piles of oakum, one up in the bow, and one in the stern, and one half way between the two. And he soaked the oakum with oil and he poured oil on everything that was dry, and he set fire from the lantern which he carried. Then he hurried to get off and into the boat, and the sailors cast off. And, before they got off,the mate saw that there was seaweed high up on the hulk, which showed that she had drifted about, as she was, for a long time. And the fire blazed up, and they hurried to get away from the wreck.
The fire blazed up, higher and higher, as the boat went back to theIndustry, so that it was roaring by the time the sailors climbed aboard. And they hoisted the boat up, and put it in its place, and Captain Solomon had the sailors change the sails so that the ship would go ahead on her course. And the mate was on thequarter deck, telling Captain Solomon what he had seen. When the mate had got through Captain Solomon thought for a long time.
"That's the Frenchman that was abandoned off Hatteras more'n a year ago," said Captain Solomon at last. "They thought she was sinking. She must have been carried by the currents up towards Norway, maybe, and then down past the west coast of France and Spain. I've heard of derelicts doing that, but I've never seen it before."
And the mate didn't say anything, but they watched the wreck burning. It burned fiercely, but the flames didn't blaze very high, for she hadn't any masts nor any rigging. And the light of the fire made the moonlight look pale and white. Andthey watched her getting farther and farther away as theIndustrysailed on her course.
"I hope," said Captain Solomon, "that there's something aboard of her to sink her."
And just as he said that they saw the light of the fire go out suddenly, and where it had been there was nothing but some smoke in the air and the moon was shining brightly all around.
And that's all.
nceupon a time there was a wide river that ran into the ocean, and beside it was a little city. And in that city was a wharf where great ships came from far countries. And a narrow road led down a very steep hill to that wharf and anybody that wanted to go to the wharf had to go down the steep hill on the narrow road, for there wasn't any other way. And because ships had come there for a great many years and all the sailors and all the captains and all the men who had business with the shipshad to go on that narrow road, the flagstones that made the sidewalks were much worn. That was a great many years ago.
The wharf was Captain Jonathan's and Captain Jacob's and they owned the ships that sailed from it; and, after their ships had been sailing from that wharf in the little city for a good many years, they changed their office to Boston. After that their ships sailed from a wharf in Boston.
Once the brigIndustrywas coming back from far countries to that wharf in Boston, and little Jacob and little Sol were on her. And, when she was nearly in sight of the end of Cape Cod, a great storm came up, and the wind blew like Sam Hill. It blew harder than it had blown at any time while theIndustrywas sailing over the wide ocean to the farcountries and back again. So, at last, Captain Solomon had to turn her around and run for it. But he ran as slow as he could, for he wanted to get to Boston; and he growled and grumbled all the time because he had to go the way he didn't want to.
"AT LAST HE WENT TO SLEEP""AT LAST HE WENT TO SLEEP"
Little Jacob had been feeling rather excited and very glad because he was so nearly home again. But, when theIndustryturned around and sailed away from Boston, he didn't feel glad any more, but he felt rather mournful. And he was just a little bit frightened at the great wind and at the great waves; for Captain Solomon hadn't turned around until he was obliged to, and that was the last minute that it was safe to keep on. It was getting dark, and Captain Solomon thought it would be a pity to run the riskof getting wrecked on the Cape when the brig had gone all the way to Manila and back safely. So little Jacob crept into his bunk and held on tight, because the ship was pitching and rolling so much, and he tried to go to sleep. At last he went to sleep; but he had horrid dreams.
Captain Solomon was on deck all that night, and he had on his oilskins and he was sopping wet outside the oilskins, but inside them he was dry as a bone; for oilskins keep the water out beautifully. And the spray was flying high above the rail and, once in a while, the top of a wave would come aboard in solid green water. But Captain Solomon didn't mind the water. He was only very angry at having to sail away from Boston.
The storm kept on for nearly three daysand little Jacob was pretty miserable but little Sol enjoyed it. Little Sol wasn't so anxious to get home as little Jacob was. And, at last, one morning when little Jacob woke he didn't feel the ship pitching as she had been, and he was surprised to find that he was a little bit excited once more. And he went on deck as soon as he could, and he found that the wind was still blowing pretty hard but not so hard as it had been blowing, and the ship was headed for Boston again. And all the sailors looked cheerful. And Captain Solomon was the most cheerful of all, although he needed some sleep.
"Well, Jacob," he said, "we're headed for home again. I guess you're glad."
"Yes, sir," said little Jacob, smiling, "I am glad. When shall we get there?"
"If this breeze holds," said Captain Solomon, "we'll get in before dark to-night. But I'm afraid it won't hold."
"Oh," cried little Jacob, "Ihopeit will."
"So do I, Jacob," said Captain Solomon. "We'll see."
But the wind got less and less. They passed Provincetown, on Cape Cod, a little while after Captain Solomon and little Jacob and little Sol had finished their dinner, and Jacob felt hopeful. But theIndustrykept going slower as the wind died down, and Jacob's heart kept going down and down. But he watched, to see if he could see Boston. And, at last, it was almost dark and he hadn't sighted Boston, and his heart was almost down in his boots. He thought that he saw some land away off on the western horizon, buthe couldn't be sure whether he did or not, for it was only twilight and the western horizon was all dim and misty. And, suddenly, a little friendly star shone out, just where he was looking.
"Oh," he cried, "what is that star? It just came."
Captain Solomon was standing near him, and he smiled at little Jacob's question.
"That star, Jacob," he said, "is Boston light. We can't get in to-night, but we'll go a little nearer and we'll stand back and forth until daylight. Then we'll go in. But we sha'n't be there to breakfast."
Little Jacob gave a long, shivering sigh. "Well," he said, "I suppose you can't go in to-night. That light is a long way off, isn't it?"
"Yes," said Captain Solomon, "it's along way off. And, besides, the wind is dying out."
Little Jacob didn't say anything for some time.
"The light-keeper must have to stay up all night," he said, then, "to see that his light doesn't go out."
"Yes, Jacob," answered Captain Solomon, "he stays up all night, taking care of you and me. Or he looks out for his end of it. There are two or three of them—the light-keepers. And, in the daytime, he sees that his lamps are filled and his wicks trimmed and his brasses bright and his glasses polished. When night comes he lights his lamp, and he looks at it every little while to make sure that it is burning all right. If it wasn't, there might be a wreck."
Little Jacob stood and watched the light for a long time without saying anything. Captain Solomon stood and watched it, too.
"That is a very friendly light," said littleJacob, at last, drawing a long breath and smiling at the light. Captain Solomon couldn't see the smile, because it was dark; but he heard it in little Jacob's voice.
"It is, Jacob," said Captain Solomon, "a very friendly light."
"I guess it's my bed-time," said little Jacob. "Good-night, captain."
"Good-night, Jacob," said Captain Solomon. "By the time you're up, in the morning, we'll be almost in."
And little Jacob laughed happily and went down to bed.
And that's all.
nceupon a time there was a wide river that ran into the ocean and beside it was a little city. And in that city was a wharf where great ships came from far countries. And a narrow road led down a very steep hill to that wharf, and anybody that wanted to go to the wharf had to go down the steep hill on the narrow road, for there wasn't any other way. And because ships had come there for a great many years and all the sailors and all the captains and all the men who had business with the shipshad to go on that narrow road, the flagstones that made the sidewalks were much worn. That was a great many years ago.
The brigIndustrywas one of the ships that used to sail from that wharf and Captain Solomon was her captain for many years. But, after he had been sailing to far countries for a long time, he thought it would be nice to stop going to sea, for he found that what he wanted was a farm where he could settle down and stay in one place. And, besides, he had three sons; and he didn't want his three sons to go to sea because he knew what a hard life it was.
Little Sol was the oldest of his three sons, and he had been one voyage to far countries. Captain Solomon took him,thinking that the voyage would show him how much better it was to stay ashore and be a farmer than to go to sea and be a captain and have to stand all sorts of storms and perhaps be wrecked. But the voyage to those far countries hadn't made Sol think what Captain Solomon had hoped it would make him think, but it had only made him want to go to sea all the more. Little Sol wasn't little any longer, but he had got to be about sixteen years old. And Captain Solomon's youngest son was the one that was, afterwards, Uncle John and the father of little John, that it tells about in the Farm Stories. And what was the name of the middle son of Captain Solomon I have forgotten. Perhaps it was Seth.
So Captain Solomon bought the farm that he wanted. It was a beautiful farm, with a river running through it, and a great pond in it, and you would have thought that it would have suited Sol exactly. But it didn't. For the one thing that Sol wanted, and that all these beautiful things, the river and the great pond, and the hills and the woods, wouldn't make up for, was the ocean. The farm was twenty miles from the ocean. Sol would have given anything if he could justhearthe ocean. Where he had lived he could hear it all the time, sometimes loud and sometimes soft. It put him to sleep many and many a night, that sound of the sea as it broke on the shore. And he wanted it so badly that he was almost sick, but his father wouldn't let him go to sea, and he wouldn't even let him go to Wellfleet to visit his cousins; for he was very much afraid that Sol wouldn't come home again, but would go off to sea. And at last Sol couldn't stand it any longer. He felt sick all the time and he couldn't sleep and he just hated that farm. So he made up his mind that he would have to run away from home.
It was on his sixteenth birthday that he made up his mind to run away from home. Captain Solomon was a kind father, buthe had been a captain for such a long time that he wanted to run his family and his farm just like a ship and to have everybody do just exactly as he said and ask no questions; and, when anybody didn't seem to want to do just as he said, but began to ask questions and argue, he got very angry. Sol was very sorry to leave his mother, but there was nobody else except his two brothers. And he was very sure that Seth would run away to sea when he got old enough, unless Captain Solomon let him go. But, long before it came to be Seth's time, Captain Solomon had learned better. And John, at that time, was a little boy.
So Sol made his plans. And, when the time came, he left a letter to his father. The letter was scribbled on a leaf that Soltore out of a book, and it was very short, for Sol didn't like to write letters. The letter said that he justhadto go to sea, and that he hoped that his father wouldn't blame him, and that he would come back some day when he had got to be a mate or a captain.
Then there was a letter to his mother. It was longer than the letter to his father and in it Sol said that he was just sick for the sea and that, if he stayed on the farm, he knew he should get sicker and die. The farm was a beautiful farm, but farms were not for him for many years yet. He would rather plough the ocean than plough the earth. Sol was rather proud when he wrote that about ploughing the ocean, for he thought it sounded rather well when he read the letter over. And he subscribedhimself, with a great deal of love, her loving son.
Then Sol made a bundle of the clothes he thought he would need, but the bundle was a small one, for he didn't think that he would need many clothes. And, when it got late that night, and everything was quiet about the house and even his brothers, Seth and John, were sound asleep, Sol opened the window and threw his bundle out. Then he got out and slid down the rain spout. The rain spout made a good deal of noise, but it was wooden and not made of tin, so it didn't make as much noise as a rain spout would make now. Sol was afraid that his father would hear the noise and wake up, so he hid behind the lilac bushes in the corner of the fence. But Captain Solomon had been doing ahard day's work, haying, and he slept very soundly. And, when he found that his father didn't wake up, Sol crept out from behind the lilac bushes and took up his bundle and went out the wide gate.
"TOOK UP HIS BUNDLE AND WENT OUT THE WIDE GATE""TOOK UP HIS BUNDLE AND WENT OUT THE WIDE GATE"
First he turned north and walked quietly along until he had passed the old schoolhouse and had got well into the village. He went carefully, while he was in the village, for he was afraid that somebody might be about and see him. Almost everybody in the village knew Sol, and anybody who met him, at that time of night, would know that he was running away. Perhaps they would call up the constable and have him sent back. Sol shivered when he thought of that. Then he came to the old turnpike road to Boston and he turned toward the east into theturnpike. He hadn't met anybody in the village nor seen a single light.
It doesn't take a good, strong boy of sixteen all night to walk a little more than twenty miles, and Sol loafed along and didn't hurry. Once in a while he sat down to rest or sleep for a few minutes, but he didn't dare to really go to sleep, for fear that he would sleep all the rest of the night; and he had to be in Boston by daylight. And, once in a while, he had to sneak around a toll-house, because he didn't have any money. And, at each toll-house, they made each person that was walking on the turnpike pay some money; perhaps it was a penny that they had to pay. They charged more for each wagon that passed. At last he came into Boston and it wasn't daylight yet. So hewalked over to the Common and lay down under some bushes and went to sleep.