III
His Adjoining Brothers
Yan had many brothers, but only those next him in age were importantin his life. Rad was two years older--a strong boy, who prided himselfon his "common sense." Though so much older, he was Yan's inferiorat school. He resented this, and delighted in showing his muscularsuperiority at all opportunities. He was inclined to be religious,and was strictly proper in his life and speech. He never was known tosmoke a cigarette, tell a lie, or say "gosh" or "darn." He was pluckyand persevering, but he was cold and hard, without a human fiber or adrop of red blood in his make-up. Even as a boy he bragged that he hadno enthusiasms, that he believed in common sense, that he called aspade a spade, and would not use two words where one would do. Hisintelligence was above the average, but he was so anxious to bethought a person of rare sagacity and smartness, unswayed by emotion,that nothing was too heartless for him to do if it seemed in linewith his assumed character. He was not especially selfish, and yet hepretended to be so, simply that people should say of him significantlyand admiringly: "Isn't he keen? Doesn't he know how to take care ofhimself?" What little human warmth there was in him died early, and hesucceeded only in making himself increasingly detested as he grew up.
His relations to Yan may be seen in one incident.
Yan had been crawling about under the house in the low wide cobwebbyspace between the floor beams and the ground. The delightful sensationof being on an exploring expedition led him farther (and ultimately toa paternal thrashing for soiling his clothes), till he discovered ahollow place near one side, where he could nearly stand upright. Heat once formed one of his schemes--to make a secret, or at least aprivate, workroom here. He knew that if he were to ask permissionhe would be refused, but if he and Rad together were to go it mightreceive favourable consideration on account of Rad's self-assertedreputation for common sense. For a wonder, Rad was impressed with thescheme, but was quite sure that they had "better not go together toask Father." He "could manage that part better alone," and he did.
Then they set to work. The first thing was to deepen the hole fromthree feet to six feet everywhere, and get rid of the earth by workingit back under the floor of the house. There were many days of labourin this, and Yan stuck to it each day after returning from school.There were always numerous reasons why Rad could not share in thelabour. When the ten by fourteen-foot hole was made, boards to lineand floor it were needed. Lumber was very cheap--inferior, second-handstuff was to be had for the asking--and Yan found and carried boardsenough to make the workroom. Rad was an able carpenter and now tookcharge of the construction. They worked together evening afterevening, Yan discussing all manner of plans with warmth andenthusiasm--what they would do in their workshop when finished--howthey might get a jig-saw in time and saw picture frames, so as tomake some money. Rad assented with grunts or an occasional Scripturetext--that was his way. Each day he told Yan what to go on with whilehe was absent.
The walls were finished at length; a window placed in one side; a doormade and fitted with lock and key. What joy! Yan glowed with pleasureand pride at the triumphant completion of his scheme. He swept up thefloor for the finishing ceremony and sat down on the bench for a grandgloat, when Rad said abruptly:
"Going to lock up now." That sounded gratifyingly important. Yanstepped outside. Rad locked the door, put the key in his pocket, thenturning, he said with cold, brutal emphasis:
"Now you keep out of my workshop from this on. _You_ have nothingto do with it. It's mine. I got the permission to make it." All ofwhich he could prove, and did.
* * * * *
Alner, the youngest, was eighteen months younger than Yan, and aboutthe same size, but the resemblance stopped there. His chief aim inlife was to be stylish. He once startled his mother by inserting intohis childish prayers the perfectly sincere request: "Please, God,make me an awful swell, for Jesus sake." Vanity was his foible, andlaziness his sin.
He could be flattered into anything that did not involve effort. Hefairly ached to be famous. He was consuming with desire to be pointedout for admiration as the great this, that or the other thing--it didnot matter to him what, as long as he could be pointed out. But henever had the least idea of working for it. At school he was a saddunce. He was three grades below Yan and at the bottom of his grade.They set out for school each day together, because that was a paternalruling; but they rarely reached there together. They had nothing incommon. Yan was full of warmth, enthusiasm, earnestness and energy,but had a most passionate and ungovernable temper. Little put him in arage, but it was soon over, and then an equally violent reaction setin, and he was always anxious to beg forgiveness and make friendsagain. Alner was of lazy good temper and had a large sense of humour.His interests were wholly in the playground. He had no sympathy withYan's Indian tastes--"Indians in nasty, shabby clothes. Bah! Horrid!"he would scornfully say.
These, then, were his adjoining brothers.
What wonder that Yan was daily further from them.
Two Little Savages Page 5