CHAPTER XXVII
THE RETURN TO BENZEOR'S HOUSE
THERE were several motives in the mind of Little Peter which made himeager to overtake Ted and the fat and kicking Jeshurun, not the least ofwhich was the sense of protection he felt in the presence of thepowerful man. Boyish as Ted was in many ways, his great size andwonderful physical strength made him a companion to be desired in themidst of such dangers as the troubled lad was compelled to face in thosesad times in Old Monmouth.
Accordingly, Little Peter ran eagerly forward, hoping to overtake Tedbefore he should arrive at Benzeor's house, which now was not more thantwo miles away. Long before he came within sight of the place, hediscovered Ted and his steed in advance of him, and from theirmotionless attitude he quickly concluded that Jeshurun had been seizedwith another attack of obstinacy.
His surmise proved to be correct, and as he came nearer he beheld Tedseated by the roadside holding Jeshurun's bridle in his hand, andapparently waiting patiently for the time when the little beast shoulddecide to continue his journey.
"I'm glad to see you, lad," remarked Ted, as Little Peter approached. "Ileft you rather suddenly back there, but when Jesh makes up his mind tostart, it's time for me to go, too, and I can't always stop to saygood-by to my friends. It's easier than walkin', though, but I wish Iknew some way to fix the little rascal. I've been thinkin' as how, ifJeshurun kicked when he waxed fat, it might be that if he waxed thin,the kickin' would go, too, along with the fatness. I say, Little Peter,I want to ask ye a question."
"All right, Ted, go ahead," replied Little Peter, as he fanned hisdripping face with his hat and took a seat beside his companion.
"In your opinion," said Ted soberly, "is the oyster a wild animal, or atame one?"
"What?"
"Is the oyster a wild animal or a tame one? Maybe you don't think he'san animal at all, only just an insect; but my opinion is that he's ananimal, and what I'd like to know is whether he's wild or tame."
"He isn't savage, anyway," remarked Little Peter demurely.
"I'm not talkin' about whether he's savage or not, but whether he's wildor tame. That's been a-botherin' me a good bit, and I just can't findany answer. Whoa! Whoa there, Jesh! What's the matter with ye? If yewant to start on, I'm your man." These last remarks were directed at themule, which had begun to display some of the qualities of the famouscharacter for whom he had been named; but his owner's words served tocalm him, and Jeshurun soon stood in such an abject attitude that, toone who was not familiar with his ways, wickedness and kicking wouldnever have been suspected of him.
"Maybe the oyster's a bird more than he is an insect," said LittlePeter. "When his shell is spread out it looks something like wings."
"No, he isn't a bird, he's a animal," said Ted, "and what I want to knowis whether he's a tame or a wild one."
"What do you want to know for?"
"Why, the way of it is this: Some time ago I planted an oyster-bed offthe mouth of the river, and the first thing I knew my neighbors wasa-helpin' themselves to it. When I said I didn't like that very much,and those oysters was mine, all the men did was to laugh. Yes, sir, jestlaughed," repeated Ted, as if he felt aggrieved at the levity of hisneighbors. "Then, they went on to tell me that I couldn't plant oysters,same as I did 'taties and things in my garden. Oysters was wild thingsand belonged to anybody that found them, jest the same as turtles andclams and wild geese did. I've been a-puzzlin' my head a good deal overit, and I can't make it out. I planted them oysters for Sallie,--she'smy wife, ye know,--and as long as she had all she wanted of 'em, Ididn't care how much the neighbors helped themselves; but when it comesto sayin' that them oysters I planted don't belong to me, but any onecan go and take all he wants, jest as if they was clams, orgooseberries, or--or--or--saltwater, I don't know what to do about it.What do you think, Little Peter?" he added anxiously.
"I don't know; I never thought of it before."
Absurd as the question appears to us, it was far from being so to thepeople of Old Monmouth in the times of which we are writing. So warmhad the discussion become that it was soon after carried into thecourts, and in 1808 a case was tried before the supreme court, but nodefinite decision was gained. In 1821 another famous trial was held, andfinally in 1858 the supreme court decided that oysters were both tameand wild. Where they had grown naturally and without being planted, theywere to be considered as wild and the property of any one who chose totake them; but where they had been planted, and there was no naturalgrowth, the oysters were "tame" and the property of the one who had madethe bed. Even after that decision there was trouble for a long time inOld Monmouth over the question, although to-day it is generally acceptedthat a man may own oysters as he does other animals.
"I'm sorry ye can't help me," said Ted.
"So am I, but I'm not thinking of oysters just now. I want to go up toBenzeor Osburn's more than anything else."
"I'm with ye. We're so near, maybe Jeshurun will be willing to go, if hedoesn't have to carry me on his back. I'll try him and see."
To the surprise of both, Jeshurun appeared to be willing to resume thejourney and obediently followed Ted, who led him by the bridle reinwhich he slipped over the mule's head.
In this wise they all walked on, but as they came nearer to the end oftheir journey, conversation ceased. Little Peter was thinking of thechildren and trying to devise some plan by which he might care for them.What his companion's thoughts were did not appear, but the expressionupon his face had undergone a change, and from the occasional word hedropped, which sounded very like "Hangin' Sallies," the lad thought heknew what was going on in Ted's mind. What would occur if Benzeor shouldbe found at his home, Little Peter could not determine; but he feltassured from Ted's manner that this time his neighbor would not escapeso easily as he had when the angry man had given him his involuntarybath in the waters of the Shrewsbury River.
However, there was a deal of comfort for the lad in the company of hispowerful friend; and as Benzeor's little house now appeared in thedistance, he was more and more rejoiced that he was not compelled toapproach it alone. If Indian John's words were correct, Benzeor was notthere now; but it was more than possible that John had been mistaken,or that the man had returned since his visit in the early morning.
These possibilities were sufficiently strong to increase Little Peter'sexcitement, and when they turned into the lane which led up to the househis heart was beating rapidly and his breathing was hard and fast. As heglanced toward the place, he suddenly discovered some children playingin the yard and instantly recognized two of them as his own littlebrothers.
The children, then, were safe; and with a sigh of relief he turned tohis companion and said, "There are my little brothers! They're allright, and so far it looks better."
"Hangin' Sallies!" muttered Ted; and Little Peter said no more, as heperceived that his companion's rage over the treatment his wife hadreceived had returned with increased force.
Suddenly out from the barn beyond the house started two men onhorseback, riding directly down the lane toward them. Startled andperplexed by the sight, both Little Peter and Ted stopped and waited forthe men to approach. If the lad had been alone he would instantly haveturned and fled without waiting to see who the strangers were; butTed's presence restrained him, and although he was thoroughly alarmed,he waited with his companion.
As the horsemen came nearer he discovered that they were BarzillaGiberson and Jacob Vannote, the two men who had been with Tom andBenzeor on their voyage to New York just before Tom's departure from hisfoster-father's home. Quickly recalling what Tom had reported of theirconversation at that time, the sight of them now did not tend to allayhis fears; but Ted's presence was a source of comfort, and, although hewas trembling in his excitement, he did not speak.
Barzilla instantly stopped his horse as he recognized Little Peter, and,leaning forward on his horse's neck as he spoke, said, "Where'sBenzeor?"
"I don't know," replied Little Peter. "Isn't he here?"
"What do you want of him?"
"You and he both will know more about that after we've found him,"replied Barzilla, as he touched his horse with his spurs, and both menrode swiftly down the lane and soon disappeared from sight up the road.
Little Peter told his companion of his suspicions as they resumed theirwalk, and Ted quickly stopped, and, shaking his fist in the direction inwhich the horsemen had disappeared, said, "Hangin' Sallies! Maybe I'dbetter take after them, if I don't find Benzeor."
"No, no, Ted. Come on, we're almost here now."
They soon entered the yard, and as the children discovered the presenceof their brother they ran eagerly to him and threw themselves into hisarms.
"I want to go home. I want to go home. May we go home now?" said one ofthem.
Little Peter's eyes filled with tears as he lifted the child in his armsand said, "No, I'm afraid not. We haven't any home now."
"But I want to go home," persisted the little fellow pleadingly. "Idon't want to stay here any longer. I want to go home."
"Hasn't Benzeor been good to you?"
"Yes, but he isn't here. I want to go home. I want to go home."
Little Peter glanced up and saw that Ted's face was moving strangely,and that the tears were streaming from his eyes. The powerful man had aheart as tender as a woman's, and the piteous pleadings of the homeless,motherless little lad were more than he could endure.
"Here, Little Peter!" said Ted hastily. "You go in the house, and I'lllook after the babies while you're gone. Here, my lads and lassies all!Come take a ride on the back of Jeshurun."
In a moment the grief of the little ones was forgotten, and, laughing intheir delight, they were lifted upon the back of Jeshurun, who to allappearances had suddenly become as mild and gentle as a lamb.
Little Peter glanced back at the laughing group as he started toward thehouse, and then looking up beheld Sarah standing in the doorway. Herface was red with weeping and she evidently was in great distress.
"Why, Sarah!" exclaimed Little Peter. "What's the trouble? What is it?"
"My father! My father!" sobbed Sarah, burying her face in her hands.
"What's happened to him? Is he killed? Is he dead?"
"No, no. It's worse than that."
"Worse than that? What do you mean?"
"Oh, Little Peter, don't _you_ know?" exclaimed the girl, looking upagain as she spoke.
Peter made no reply. He did not know just what it was to which Sarahreferred, and although he had his own suspicions, he did not feel thathe could refer to them in the presence of the troubled girl.
"Have you seen Tom?" said Sarah suddenly.
"No. He's in the army, I think, and I haven't been near that."
"You wouldn't have to go very far. They say they're both near here, andthat there either has been a battle or there will be one soon. I wishTom was here. If you see him, won't you tell him to come back just assoon as he can?"
"Yes, if I see him. I don't know that I shall very soon, though. I don'tknow what to do, Sarah. I came to see about the children."
"They're all right. They seem to be now, don't they?" she said, as aburst of laughter came from the noisy group. "Perhaps you don't want toleave them here now, though," she added, her eyes filling with tearsonce more as she spoke. "I wish you would leave them. It isn't much wecan do for you, but we want to do what we can."
There was an intensity in Sarah's manner which Little Peter could notunderstand. He was in ignorance of all that Sarah knew, and perhaps ifhe had known his reply might have been somewhat different.
"It's good of you, Sarah. I don't know what to do or where to go."
"You can stay here, too."
"No, no. I can't do that," he said hastily; and then fearing that he hadsaid too much, added, "I'll leave the children for a little while.They'll be safe here till after the battle you tell about."
"I wish you would, Peter. You couldn't please us better. Who's that manwith you?" she added, apparently for the first time becoming aware ofTed's presence.
"A man to see your father," said Little Peter evasively. "Is he home?"
"No, no," and Sarah shuddered as she spoke. "He came last night, but hedidn't stay long. He went away again, and I don't know when he'll comeagain. It'll be a long time. I hope"--
What Sarah hoped for she did not explain, and Little Peter said, "Iwant to talk with Ted before I say anything more. He's the man out therewith the children. I'll be back in a minute."
Many minutes passed, however, before the lad returned. He called to Tedand for a long time they talked together. Ted was decidedly averse tothe plan of leaving the children in Benzeor's home, and freely offeredto take them with him to the place where he had left Sallie and his ownlittle ones, also venturing to refer several times to the fact thatSallie was his wife.
Pleased as Little Peter would have been to accept the offer, Sarah'spleadings could not be forgotten, and as he felt that the children wouldbe safe where they then were, he declined the kind offer of Ted.
"I'll tell you what, my lad," said Ted at last. "If the armies are asnear here as the girl says they are, the thing for you and me to do isto go over there. They may need us, too. The most I've done so far hasbeen to look out for that stuff the men brought up the Shrewsbury in thesupply boat. That's all in good hands now, and I'm free to go. Jesh willbe glad to go, too."
"But you can't leave Sallie and the babies."
"Yes, I can, too. Sallie's my wife, ye know, and when I took her over tothe Dennises I told her I might not be back for a week or two. She won'tbe disappointed, and Jesh will be tickled to pieces to join the army.Jest look at his ears now. When his ears is that way, I always knowJeshurun wants to fight the Dutch butchers."
"We've no other place to go to, or at least I haven't," said LittlePeter thoughtfully. "Well, we'll do as you say. I'll go and tell Sarah."
"I'm so glad you'll leave the children," said Sarah eagerly, when LittlePeter reported the decision which had been made. "It isn't much we cando, as I told you, but we do want to do everything we can for you."
"It's good of you to take them."
"It's good of you to leave them. There's one thing, though, I must tellyou. We haven't much to eat in the house. There's some meal over at themill, and father would have gone for it if he'd been home to-day. But heisn't here and I don't know what we'll do."
"You'd like to have me go over there and get it, before we start," saidthe boy. "Have you got your horses yet?"
"Yes, there are two in the barn, and you can take the heavy wagon. It'skind of you to do it, Little Peter, but it won't take you long, and youdon't know how much it will help us just now."
"I'll go right away."
Little Peter turned and explained to Ted the cause of the delay. Atfirst, Ted insisted upon going with him, but as the lad explained thatonly two hours would be required for the journey, he persuaded him toremain.
In a few minutes the two horses had been led forth from the barn, andhitched to the wagon ("geared" was what Ted called the task), and thenLittle Peter mounted the seat, grasped the reins in his hands, andturned down the lane, on what proved to be the most eventful ride in allhis life.
Boys of Old Monmouth: A Story of Washington's Campaign in New Jersey in 1778 Page 27