CHAPTER VI
AMANDA'S CONSCIENCE
Amos Cary and Jimmy Starkweather lay on the warm sand in the narrowshadow cast by a fishing dory pulled up on the beach. No chief returningfrom far-off islands could have been more a hero than was Amos among theboys and girls of the settlement. They followed him about, and listenedeagerly to all that he had to tell them of the Indians. Then, too, hewas to go in the "Sea Gull" with Captain Nash, the swiftest schooner andthe smartest captain sailing out of the harbor, and Jimmie Starkweatherfelt that Amos was having greater good fortune than any boy could hopefor.
"Maybe the 'Sea Gull' can't get out of port," said Jimmie, digging hisbare toes in the soft sand. "The English ships keep a sharp outlook fora schooner loaded down with salt fish. I'll bet Captain Nash won't getbeyond Chatham."
"Pooh!" responded Amos scornfully. "We can sail right away from theirold tubs. But 'twill be great if they do follow us."
"'Twould be just your good fortune," said Jimmie. "I do wish my fatherwould let me go with you, Amos. Who knows what adventures you may have!"
For a few moments the two boys did not speak; they lay looking out overthe beautiful harbor, and their minds were full of vague hopes ofadventure. Jimmie was the first to break the silence.
"You won't see Shining Fish again, will you, Amos?"
"No; did I show you what he gave me?" And Amos pulled out a stoutdeerskin thong from inside his flannel blouse. The claw of a bird wasfastened to the thong. "See! It's a hawk's claw," exclaimed Amos; "andas long as I wear it no enemy can touch me. I gave Shining Fish myjack-knife," continued Amos. "You'd like him, Jimmie; he knew storiesabout chiefs and warriors, and he had killed a fox with his bow andarrow. He told me about a chief of their tribe who lived long ago andwas the strongest man that ever lived. He used to go on long journeys,way beyond Cape Cod, with his band of warriors, and once he met anunfriendly tribe, and they laughed when the braves told how strong theirchief was. 'Can he conquer a wild bull?' one of them asked, and thebrave answered, 'Aye, or two wild bulls.'
"So the unfriendly Indians laughed louder, and were glad, for theythought they could destroy the chief even without a battle. Well, theyarranged that this brave chief was to go alone into a fenced-in placeand meet two wild bulls, and if he conquered them the unfriendly tribewould own him the strongest chief in the world, and would be subject tohim. It was great, Jimmie, to hear Shining Fish tell it. He said thegreat chief marched into the place where the bulls were, and they camedashing toward him, and their hoofs rang upon the ground, and theirnostrils sent out sheets of flame, but the chief never flinched a step,and the bulls stopped short and trembled. Then the chief sprang upon thenearest, and seized him by the horns, and they wrestled until the bullfell to its knees tired out. Then he grabbed at the other, and threw it,and all the Indians began to wonder how any chief could be so strong."
"S'pose it's true?" questioned Jimmie.
"Sure!" answered Amos. "What's Captain Stoddard doing to his boat?" hecontinued. Captain Enos was evidently not bound out on a fishing trip,for he was making his boat as tidy as possible.
"He's going to sail over to Brewster to fetch Anne back," answeredJimmie.
"But Anne is going to Boston with Rose Freeman," said Amos.
Jimmie shook his head. "No, the Freemans won't take her because she ranaway," he explained, and looked up in amazement, for Amos had sprung tohis feet and was racing along the beach toward Captain Stoddard's boatas fast as his feet would carry him.
Jimmie laughed. "I'll bet Amos wants to go to Brewster," he decided.
Amos did not want to go to Brewster. But he had instantly resolved thatAnne must not be stopped from going to Boston. Even as he ran he couldsee that there was no time to spare in reaching Captain Enos, for he wasalready pushing off from shore.
"Captain Enos! Captain Enos!" he called frantically, and the captainlooked toward him. "Wait a minute! wait!" yelled the boy, and thecaptain waited, saying good-humoredly:
"Never saw such a boy as that one. He can't bear to see a boat put offunless he's in it."
"Captain Enos, you mustn't bring Anne back," said Amos as he ran outinto the shallow water and grasped the side of the boat. "It wouldn't befair; it wasn't her fault," he added.
"Whose fault was it?" asked the captain.
"Wait!" commanded Amos, remembering his promise to his sister. "Waitjust ten minutes, Captain Enos, before you start. I'll be back," andaway went Amos up the beach and along the sandy path to the house.
"Amos is going to come out first rate, I can see that plain enough,"said Captain Enos, watching the boy's flying figure, and he was notsurprised when he saw Amos coming back with Amanda held fast by thehand.
The boy and girl stopped at the edge of the water.
"Tell him, Amanda," commanded Amos.
"It's my fault," whimpered Amanda. "I got my mother to tell Mrs.Stoddard that Anne slapped me and ran off with the luncheon. And shedidn't. I slapped her."
"Clear as mud," muttered the captain; then in a louder tone, "Amos,you're going to make a good American sailor, and we're all going to beproud of you. And I guess Amanda's going to do better after this," andhe pushed off from shore.
"But you won't go to Brewster now!" called both the children.
"I'll have to. Must go and tell the Freemans that we're willing for Anneto go to Boston, and to tell Anne that her Aunt Martha knows the truth.You just run up and tell Mrs. Stoddard all about it, Amanda," heanswered; and, having sent his boat into deep water, the captain drew inhis oars and began hoisting the big mainsail.
For a few moments the boy and girl stood watching him. Then, with a longsigh, Amanda turned to go toward the Stoddard house. Amos began to feela little sorry for her.
"Say, Amanda, I'll go tell her," he called.
"You mind your own business, Amos Cary," and Amanda turned toward himangrily. "I'll tell Mrs. Stoddard myself, and then I'll go home and tellmy mother. I'll tell everybody, and when everybody hates and despisesme I reckon you'll be satisfied," and without waiting for any responseshe went on up the path.
Amos turned and went back to the shade of the boat, but JimmieStarkweather was no longer there. He wished more than ever that he wasback with Shining Fish. Then he remembered that in another week he wouldbe on board the "Sea Gull." He watched Captain Stoddard's sloop until itwas only a white blur against the distant shore, and then went up thebeach toward home.
Captain Enos had a favoring wind and a light heart, for he was glad toknow that their little maid had not been to blame. "She ran away becauseshe had not been fairly treated. 'Tis what older people sometimes do,"he said to himself. "'Twas the very reason that sent our fathers out ofEngland to America. I'll not fetch Anne back, for she called to me fromthe window and would have told me all the story had I been willing tolisten," and then because his mind was at ease the captain began to singan old song that he had learned as a boy. He had a musical voice, andthe words drifted back pleasantly:
"A fit and fa-vor-able wind To further us provide; And let it wait on us behind, Or lackey by our side; From sudden gusts, from storms, from sands, And from the raging wave; From shallows, rocks, and pirates' hands, Men, goods, and vessel save."
In Brewster time was going very smoothly with Anne. The Freemans werekind and pleasant people, and the big house was filled with many thingsof interest to a little girl. First of all there was black Hepsibah, ablack woman whom Captain Freeman had brought, with her brother Josephus,from Cuba when they were small children. They had grown up in theFreeman household, and were valued friends and servants. Anne liked tohear Hepsibah laugh, and the negro woman's skirts were as stifflystarched as those of Mrs. Freeman herself, who had taught Hepsibah, andtrained her to become an excellent housekeeper.
On the high mantelpiece in the dining-room were great branches ofwhite coral, brought from the South Seas; on each side of the frontdoor were huge pink shells. And in the funny little corner cupboardwere delic
ately tinted pink cups and saucers, and the mahogany tablewas always set with a tall shining silver teapot, and a little fatpitcher and bowls of silver, and the plates were covered with redflowers and figures of queer people with sunshades. Rose told her thatthese plates came all the way from China, a country on the other sideof the earth.
"When does your father say we shall start for Boston?" Anne asked, asthe two girls walked down the shady pleasant street that led to thewharves. Anne was not a dull child, and she noticed that no word hadbeen said of Boston, and began to wonder if Mr. Freeman blamed her forrunning away. "Perhaps your father thinks I am a wicked girl to have runaway," she added before Rose could answer.
"Oh, Anne, no indeed; nobody would think you wicked," Rose answeredpromptly. "But father sent a letter to Captain Enos by Amos, and heexpects that the captain will get word to us to-day or to-morrow----"
"To say whether I may go or not?" interrupted Anne. "Oh, Rose!" andthere was a pleading note in the little girl's voice, "I do want to goso much, and I do wonder and wonder why Amanda should have slapped me,and why Aunt Martha should have punished me. I do wish I could hear AuntMartha say again that I was a good child, as she used often to do."
Rose clasped the little girl's hand affectionately. "I believe thatAmanda was jealous because you were to have this visit," said Rose, "andwho knows, perhaps by this time she is as sorry as can be, and has toldMrs. Stoddard all about it. Perhaps word may come this very night thatyour Aunt Martha thinks you are a good child, and forgives you forrunning away."
As the girls walked along they met a party of men carrying rifles, andhurrying toward Brewster Common.
"They are going to the training field," explained Rose, at Anne'ssurprised exclamation, "and may have to march to Boston to-morrow.Father is anxious to get home."
The wharves at Brewster were much larger and better cared for than theProvince Town landing places; but there were few boats to be seen. Farout a sloop, coming briskly on before a favoring wind, attracted thegirls' attention.
"Rose, that's the 'Morning Star,' Uncle Enos's sloop. I know it is,"declared Anne; "and he will never let any one else sail her, so it'sUncle Enos! Let's hurry! He's coming straight for this very wharf."
The big sloop swung round, the mainsail came rattling down, and CaptainEnos ran his craft skilfully up beside the long wharf just as Anne,closely followed by Rose, came running down the pier.
"Uncle Enos! Uncle Enos!" exclaimed Anne joyfully. "I'm so glad you'vecome," and she clasped both hands around his brawny arm as he stepped onthe wharf. "And here is Rose," she continued as the elder girl steppedforward to speak to the captain.
"Growing more like a rose every day," declared Captain Enos, as he shookhands with Rose. "And here is our little maid all ready to start on thegreat journey, eh?" and he looked kindly down into Anne's smiling face."And what would you girls say if I told you that I had sailed over hereto take Anne back to Province Town?"
"Oh, Uncle Enos!"
"Oh, Captain Stoddard!" exclaimed the girls fearfully.
"Wouldn't like it, eh? Well," said the captain, "then we won't have itthat way, and Anne may go with you."
"Oh, Uncle Enos!"
"Oh, Captain Stoddard!" The exclamations were the same, but the wordswere in such joyous tones that Captain Enos began to laugh heartily, asdid Rose and Anne, so that it was a very merry party that went gaily upthe street toward Mr. Freeman's house, where Captain Enos was warmlywelcomed.
After supper he and Anne had a long talk together about Amanda and Amos."Amanda's had a hard time, I reckon," declared the captain, "and if Iknow aught of her parents she will remember this all her life, and willnot be so ready to bear false witness against her neighbor."
"I did not so much mind Amanda's slapping me," replied Anne soberly,"but I thought when Aunt Martha shut me up that 'twas because she nolonger loved me."
"Tut, tut, and so you walked off into the wilderness. A very wrong thingto do, Anne," and Captain Enos's voice was very grave. "Your runningaway has made a sad talk in the settlement, and some of the people areready to say that we have not treated you well, or you would not havefled from us."
Anne began to realize, for the first time, that she had acted veryselfishly. Thinking of nothing but her wish to go to Boston with Roseshe had made her best friends anxious and unhappy.
They were sitting on the broad sofa in the quiet sitting-room, and Anneleaned against Uncle Enos and said quickly: "I ought to go straight backto Province Town!" She said it in such a sharp voice that Uncle Enoslooked at her wonderingly, and saw that tears were very near falling.
"No, Anne," he answered kindly. "I want you to go with the Freemans, andhave a pleasant visit. Your father's ship will be in Boston in a fewweeks, and he will rejoice to find you there and will bring you safelyback to Province Town."
A Little Maid of Massachusetts Colony Page 6