It was the captain of the American , from out of which we were then taking the casks of flour.
“We’ve no sarvice in our country, I’ve a notion, my old bobtail roarer,” said he. “When do you come alongside of my schooner, for tother lading with this raft of yours? Not to-night, I guess.”
“Well, you’ve guessed right this time,” replied old Tom; “we shall lie on the mud till to-morrow morning, with your permission.”
“Yes, for all the world like a Louisiana . You take things coolly, I’ve a notion, in the old country. I don’t want to be hanging head and starn in this little bit of a river of your’n. I must be back to New York afore fever time.”
“She be a pretty craft, that little thing of yours,” observed old Tom; “how long may she take to make the run?”
“How long? I expect in just no time; and she’d go as fast again, only she won’t wait for the breeze to come up with her.”
“Why don’t you heave-to for it?” said young Tom.
“Lose too much time, I guess. I have been chased by an easterly wind all the way from your Land’s End to our Narrows, and it never could me.”
“And I presume the give it up in despair, don’t they?” replied old Tom, with a leer; “and yet I’ve seen the creatures playing across the bows of an English at her speed, and laughing at her.”
“They never play their tricks with me, old snapper; if they do, I cuts them in halves, and a-starn they go, head part floating on one side, and tail part on the other.”
“But don’t they join together again when they meet in your wake?” inquired Tom.
“Shouldn’t wonder,” replied the American captain.
“Pray, captain, what may be that they talk so much about at New York?” Old Tom referred to the first steam vessel, whose qualities at that time had been tried, and an exaggerated report of which had been copied from the American papers. “That ship, or whatever she may be, that sails without masts, yards, or canvas; it is quite above my comprehension.”
“Old country heads can’t take it in. I’ll tell you what—she goes slick through the water, a-head or a-starn, broadside on, or up or down, or any way; and all you have to do is to the fire and warm your fingers; and the more you poke, the faster she goes ’gainst wind and tide.”
“Well, I must see that to believe it, though,” replied old Tom.
“No fear of a capsize, I calculate. My little craft did upset with me one night, in a pretty comfortable heavy ; but she’s smart, and came up again on the other side in a moment, all right as before. Never should have known anything about it, if the man at the wheel had not found his jacket wet, and the men below had a round turn in all the clews of their hammocks.”
“After that round turn, you may belay,” cried young Tom, laughing.
“Yes, but don’t let’s have a stopper over all, Tom,” replied his father. “I consider all this excessively divarting. Pray, captain, does everything else go fast in the new country.”
“Everything with us clean slick, I guess.”
“What sort of horses have you in America?” inquired I.
“Our Kentucky horses, I’ve a notion, would surprise you. They’re goers; at a , beat a North West gal of wind. I once took an Englishman with me in a gig up Allibama country, and he says, ‘What’s this great churchyard we are passing through?’ ‘And stranger,’ says I, ‘I calculate it’s nothing but the we are passing so slick.’ But I once had a horse, who, I expect, was a deal quicker than that. I once seed a flash of lightning chase him for half-an-hour round the , and I guess it couldn’t catch him. But I can’t wait no longer. I expect you’ll come alongside to-morrow afore .”
“Ay, ay, master,” replied old Tom, up—
“’Twas post meridian, half-past four,
By signal I from Nancy parted,
At five she lingered on the shore,
With uplift eyes and broken-hearted.”
“I calculate you are no fool of a screamer,” said the American, shoving off his boat from the , and pulling to his vessel.
“And I calculate you’re no fool of a liar,” said young Tom.
“Well, so he is; but I do like a good lie, Jacob, there’s some fun in it. But what the devil does the fellow mean by calling a of wind—a gal?”
“I don’t know,” replied Tom, “unless for the same reason that we call a girl a blowing.”
Our conversation was here interrupted by Mr Hodgson, the new head clerk, of whom I have hitherto said nothing. He came into the establishment in the place of Mr Tomkins, when we quitted the Battersea , and had taken an evident dislike to me, which appeared to increase every day, as Mr Drummond gave me fresh marks of his . “You, Faithful, come out of that barge directly, and go to your desk. I will have no eye-servers under me. Come out, sir, directly.”
“I say, Mr Quilldriver,” cried old Tom, “do you mean for to say that Jacob is an eye-sarver?”
“Yes, I do; and want none of your impertinence, or I’ll unship you, you old blackguard.”
“Well, then, for the first part of your story, my sarvice to you and you lies; and as for the second, that to be proved.”
Mr Hodgson’s temper was not by this reply of old Tom. My blood was also up, for I had borne much already; and young Tom was bursting with to take my part. He walked carelessly by the head clerk, saying to me as he passed by, “Why, I thought, Jacob, you were ’prentice to the river; but it seems that you’re bound to the counting-house. How long do you mean to sarve?”
“I don’t know,” replied I, as I walked away sulkily; “but I wish I was out of my time.”
“Very well, sir, I shall report your behaviour to Mr Drummond. I’ll make him know your tricks.”
“Tricks! you won’t let him know his tricks. His duty is to take his trick at the wheel,” replied old Tom; “not to be brought up at your cheating tricks at the desk.”
“Cheating tricks, you old scoundrel, what do you mean by that?” replied Mr Hodgson, in a rage.
“My father means ledgerdemain, I suppose,” replied young Tom.
This from a quarter so little expected sent off the head clerk more wroth than ever.
“You seemed to hit him hard there, Tom,” said his father; “but I can’t say that I understand how.”
“You’ve had me taught to read and write, father,” replied young Tom; “and a’ter that, a lad may teach himself everything. I pick up every day, here and there; and I never see a thing or a word that I don’t understand but I find out the meaning when I can. I picked up that hard word at Bartlemy fair.”
“And very hard you hit him with it.”
“Who wouldn’t to serve a friend? But mark my words, father, this won’t last long. There’s a squall blowing up, and Jacob, quiet as he seems to be, will show his teeth ere long.”
Tom was correct in his . I had not taken my seat at my desk more than a minute, when Mr Hodgson entered, and commenced a of abuse, which my pride could no longer allow me to submit to. An , correct and well-written, which I had nearly completed, he snatched from before me, tore into fragments, and ordered me to write it over again. Indignant at this treatment, I refused, and throwing down my pen, looked at him in the face. Irritated at this , he caught up a directory, and threw it at my head. No longer able to command myself, I seized a ruler and returned the . It was whizzing through the air as Mr Drummond entered the room; and he was just in time to witness Mr Hodgson struck on the forehead and felled to the ground, while I remained with my arm raised, upon the cross-bar of my high stool, my face glowing with passion.
Appearances were certainly against me. Assistance was summoned, and the head clerk removed to his , during all which time I remained seated on my stool before the desk, my breast heaving with tumultuous feelings. How long I remained there I cannot say, it might have been two hours; feelings long had been aroused, and whirled round and round in a continual cycle in my brains. I should have remained probably much longer in this state of absorption, had I not been summoned to attend Mr Drummond. It appeared that in the meantime Mr Hodgson had come to his own senses, and had given his own version of the , which had been, to an unjustifiable degree, by the stupid young clerk, who was no friend of mine, and who sought favour with his principal. I walked up to the drawing-room, where I found Mr and Mrs Drummond, and little Sarah, whose eyes were red with crying. I entered without any feeling of alarm, my breast was too full of indignation. Mrs Drummond looked grave and mournful, Mr Drummond severe.
“Jacob Faithful, I have sent for you to tell you that in consequence of your disgraceful conduct to my senior clerk, you can no longer remain under my roof. It appears that what I have been a witness to this day has been but a sequel to behaviour equally and impertinent; that so far from having, as I thought, done your duty, you have constantly neglected it; and that the association you have formed with that drunken old man and his son has led you into this . You may say that it was not your wish to remain on shore, and that you preferred being on the river. At your age it is too often the case that young people consult their wishes rather than their interests; and it is well for them if they find those who are older, and wished them well, to decide for them. I had hoped to have been able to place you in a more respectable situation in society than was my original intention when you were thrown upon me, a ; but I now perceive my error. You have proved yourself not only deceitful but ungrateful.”
“I have not,” interrupted I, calmly.
“You have. I have been a witness myself to your impropriety of conduct, which, it appears, has long been from me; but no more of that. I bound you to the river, and you must now follow up your ; but expect nothing farther from me. You must now work your own way up in the world, and I trust that you will reform and do well. You may return to the until I can you a situation in another craf............