by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
FOR PERU--TO-MORROW!
Even this narrow escape had no effect. I was not more afraid of thewater than ever; but _rather liked_ it all the more on account of thevery excitement which its dangers produced.
Very soon after I began to experience a longing to see foreign lands,and to travel over the great ocean itself. I never cast my eyes outupon the bay, that this yearning did not come over me; and when I sawships with their white sails, far off upon the horizon, I used to thinkhow happy they must be who were on board of them; and I would gladlyhave exchanged places with the hardest-working sailor among their crews.
Perhaps I might not have felt these longings so intensely had I beenhappy at home--that is, had I been living with a kind father and gentlemother; but my morose old uncle took little interest in me; and therebeing, therefore, no ties of filial affection to attach me to home, mylongings had full play. I was compelled to do a good deal of work onthe farm, and this was a sort of life for which I had no natural liking.
The drudgery only increased my desire to go abroad--to behold thewonderful scenes of which I had read in books, and of which I hadreceived still more glowing accounts from sailors, who had once beenfishermen in our village, and who occasionally returned to visit theirnative place. These used to tell us of lions, and tigers, andelephants, and crocodiles, and monkeys as big as men, and snakes as longas ships' cables, until their exciting stories of the adventures theyhad experienced among such creatures filled me with an enthusiasticdesire to see with my own eyes these rare animals, and to take part inthe chasing and capturing of them as the sailors themselves had done.In short, I became very tired of the dull monotonous life which I wasleading at home, and which I then supposed was peculiar to our owncountry; for, according to our sailor-visitors, in every other part ofthe world there was full store of stirring adventures, and wild animals,and strange scenes.
One young fellow, I remember, who had only been as far as the Isle ofMan, brought back such accounts of his adventures among blacks andboa-constrictors, that I quite envied him the exciting sports he hadthere witnessed. Though, for certain reasons, I had been well schooledin writing and arithmetic, yet I had but a slight knowledge ofgeography, as it was not a prominent branch of study in our school. Icould scarce tell, therefore, where the Isle of Man lay; but I resolved,the first opportunity that offered, that I should make a voyage to it,and see some of the wonderful sights of which the young fellow spoke.
Although this to me would have been a grand undertaking, yet I was notwithout hopes of being able to accomplish it. I knew that upon oddoccasions a schooner traded from our port to this famed island, and Ibelieved it possible, some time or other, to get a passage in her. Itmight not be so easy, but I was resolved to try what could be done. Ihad made up my mind to get on friendly terms with some of the sailorsbelonging to the schooner, and ask them to take me along with them onone of their trips.
While I was patiently waiting and watching for this opportunity anincident occurred that caused me to form new resolutions and drove theschooner and three-legged island quite out of my head.
About five miles from our little village, and further down the bay,stood a large town. It was a real seaport, and big ships came there--great three-masted vessels, that traded to all parts of the world, andcarried immense cargoes of merchandise.
One day I chanced to have been sent there, along with a farm-servant ofmy uncle, who drove a cart full of farm produce which he was taking tothe town for sale. I was sent to assist him, by holding the horse whilehe was engaged disposing of the contents of the cart.
It happened that the cart was drawn up near one of the wharves where theshipping lay, so that I had a fine opportunity of looking at the greatleviathans of vessels moored along the quay, and admiring their tallslender masts and elegant rigging.
There was one ship directly opposite to us that particularly attractedmy admiration. She was larger than any that was near, and herbeautifully tapering masts rose higher by several feet than those of anyother vessel in the port. But it was neither her superior size nor hermore elegant proportions that fixed my attention so earnestly upon her,though these had at first attracted it. What rendered her sointeresting in my eyes was the fact that she was about to sail verysoon--upon the following day. This fact I learnt from a large board,which I saw fastened in a conspicuous place upon her rigging, and uponwhich I read the following:--
"The _Inca_--for Peru--To-morrow."
My heart began to thump loudly against my ribs, as if some terribledanger was near, but it was only the emotion caused by the wild thoughtsthat rushed into my mind as I read the brief but stirringannouncement--"For Peru, _to-morrow_."
Quick as lightning ran my reflections, all having their origin in thequestion, self-asked: why cannot I start "for Peru, to-morrow?" Whynot?
There were grand impediments, and many of them; I knew that, wellenough. First, there was my uncle's servant, who was by my side, andwhose duty it was to take me home again. Of course, it would have beenpreposterous to have asked his consent to my going.
Secondly, there was the consent of the people of the ship to beobtained. I was not so innocent as to be ignorant of the fact, that apassage to Peru, or to any other part of the world, was a thing thatcost a great deal of money; and that even little boys like myself wouldnot be taken without paying.
As I had no money, or not so much as would have paid for a passage in aferry-boat, of course this difficulty stared me in the face, veryplainly. How was I to get passage?
As I have said, my reflections ran as quick as lightning, and before Ihad gazed for a dozen minutes upon that beautiful ship, the impediments,both of the passage-money and the guardianship of the farmer's man,vanished from my thoughts; and I had come to the determination, withfull belief in being able to carry it out, that I _should_ start forPeru to-morrow.
In what part of the world Peru lay, I knew no more than the man in themoon; not near so much, since he has a good view of it on moonlightnights, and must know very well where it is. My school learning hadextended no farther than to reading, writing, and arithmetic. In thelast I was quite an adept, for our village teacher was rather clever at"ciphering," and took great pride in proving his accomplishment, bycommunicating what he knew to his pupils. It was the leading branch ofstudy in his school. Geography, however, had been neglected, almostuntaught; and I knew not in what part of the world Peru lay, though Ihad heard that there was such a country.
The returned sailors already mentioned had spoken much about Peru--thatit was a very hot country, and a very long way from England, a full sixmonths' voyage. I had heard, moreover, that it was a country ofwonderful gold mines, and blacks, and snakes, and palm-trees; and thiswas enough for me. It was just the sort of place I desired to see. ForPeru, then, was I bound, and in the good ship _Inca_.
My next reflection was how I should act--how get over the difficultyabout the passage-money, and also escape from the guardianship of myfriend "John," the driver of the cart. The former would appear thegreater dilemma, though in reality it was no such thing; at least, so Ithought at the time. My reasons for thinking so were these: I had oftenheard of boys running away to sea--of their being accepted on boardships, and allowed to become boy-sailors and afterwards able seamen. Iwas under the impression that there was not much difficulty about thematter, and that almost any boy who was big enough and smart enoughwould be taken aboard, if he was but willing to work for it.
My only apprehension at the time was about my own bigness, or rather"littleness," for I knew that I was still but a very small shaver--smaller even than my age would indicate--though I had a well-knit frame,and was tolerably tight and tough. I had some doubt, however, about mysize, for I was often "twitted" with being such a very little fellow. Iwas fearful, therefore, that this might be an obstacle to my being takenas a boy-sailor; for I had really made up my mind to offer myself assuch on board the _Inca_. With regard to "John," my appreh
ensions werevery great. On the first impulse, I thought of no other plan than togive him the slip, and leave him to go home without me. After a littlereflection, I perceived that that course would never do. John would beback in the morning with half-a-dozen of his kind--and perhaps my unclehimself--in quest of me. They would most likely arrive before the shipshould sail, for vessels rarely take their departure at an early hour inthe morning. The bellman would raise the hue and cry. The whole townwould be traversed, and perhaps the ship searched, where, of course, Ishould be found, delivered up, carried home, and, beyond doubt, severelywhipped; for I knew my uncle's disposition well enough to believe thatthat would most certainly be the wind-up of the adventure. No, no, itwould never do to let John and his cart go home without me.
A little reflection convinced me of this, and at the same time helped meto resolve upon a better plan. The new resolve was to go back alongwith my guardian John, and then take my departure from home itself.
Without imparting aught of my design, or making John in any way myconfidant, I mounted into the cart along with him, and rode back to thevillage. I reached home as quietly, and apparently as little concernedabout anything that was passing in my mind, as when I left it in themorning.