Lion Ben of Elm Island

by Elijah Kellogg

  CHAPTER VII.

  CAPTAIN RHINES RIDING OUT A GALE BEFORE THE FIRE.

  The morning succeeding Ben’s return from Boston gave tokens of a comingstorm.

  “Ben,” said Captain Rhines, “we’re going to have a gale of wind; here’san old roll coming from the east’ard, and the surf is roaring on theWhite Bull. Let us take the canoe, slip over to Elm Island, and get acouple of lambs, before it comes on. I’m hankering after some fresh‘grub.’”

  When, having caught the lamb, they were pulling out of the harbor, theold gentleman, resting on his oar, looked back upon the mass of forest,and said, “What a tremenjus growth here is! here are masts and yards,bowsprits and topmasts, for a ship of the line; and there’s no end ofthe small spars and ranging timber; a great deal of it, too, ought tobe cut, for it has got its growth, and will soon be falling down. It isfirst-rate land, and would make a capital farm after it’s cleared. Iwish old father Welch had to give it to me; he never would miss it. Ibelieve my soul all he keeps it for is for the sake of coming down hereonce in three or four years, and going over there gunning ’long withme.”

  At noon the gale came on with great violence. The captain tookadvantage of the stormy afternoon to kill a lamb, and have a regular“tuck out” on a sea-pie. Under his directions, Mrs. Rhines lined thelarge pot with a thick crust, put in the lamb and slices of pork,with flour, water, and plenty of seasoning, and covered the wholewith a crust, which Captain Rhines pricked full of holes with hismarline-spike.

  In addition to this were pudding, pies, and fried apples; coffee,which was seldom indulged in at that day; and last, but not least, adecanter of Holland gin beside his plate. When they had despatched thissubstantial repast, the family, eight in number, all drew up aroundthe fire. The old house shook with the violence of the gale; the raincame down in torrents; the roar of the surf was distinctly heard in theintervals of the gusts, while the blaze went up the great chimney insheets of flame.

  The old seaman flung off his coat, kicked off his boots, and sittingdown in the midst of this happy circle, while the cheerful lightflickered around his weather-beaten form, animated by as noble a heartas ever throbbed in human breast, cried, as he listened to the clatterwithout, “Blow away, my hearty; while she cracks she holds; let themthat’s got the watch on deck keep it; it’s my watch below; eight hoursin to-night.”

  He then sat some time in silence, with his hands clasped over hisknees, and looking into a great bed of rock-maple coals. Rousing upat length, he laid his hard hand on his wife’s shoulder, and, with anexpression of heartfelt happiness on his rugged features, that wasperfectly contagious, said, “Mary, I do believe I’ve never had onehardship too many. When I think how poor I began life; what my parentssuffered before they got the land cleared; why, I’ve seen my poorfather hoe corn when he was so weak from hunger that he could scarcelystand. There were times when we should have starved to death, if it hadnot been for the old dog (stooping down and patting Tige’s head, wholay stretched out before the fire, with his nose on his master’s foot).How glad I felt as I carried them the first dollar I ever earned! andhow glad they were to get it! Well, as I was saying, when I hear thewind whistle, and the sea roar, as it does now, I can’t help thinkinghow many such nights on ship’s deck, wet, worn out, listening to theroar of the surf, and expecting the anchors to come home every minute;next ‘vige’ perhaps in the West Indies; men dying all around me, likesheep, with the yellow fever and black vomit. When I look back, andfeel it’s all over, that I’ve got enough to carry me through, can dowhat little duty I’m fit for, among my comforts, and surrounded bymy family, I don’t believe I ever could have had the feelings I’vegot in my bosom to-night, before this comfortable fire, if I hadn’tbeen through the cold, the hunger, the dangers, and all the othermiseries first;” and he rolled up his sleeves in the very wantonness ofenjoyment, to feel the grateful warmth of fire on his bare flesh.

  “I don’t wonder you do feel so, husband,” replied his wife; “as yousay, you’ve enough to carry you through, as far as this life isconcerned; but there is another life after this, and, perhaps, ifwe get to the better world, that also will seem sweeter for all thecrosses we take up, and the self-denial we go through in getting there.I’ve often told you, Benjamin, that you lack but one thing; for surelynever woman had a kinder husband, or children a better father, thanyou have always been.”

  “God bless you, Mary!” exclaimed the old seaman in the fulness of hisheart; “I’ve never been half so good a husband as I ought, and mustoften have hurt your feelings; for I’m a rough old sea-dog; never hadany bringing up, but grew up just like the cattle.

  “I never see John Strout but it puts me in mind of his oldest brother,George. We both of us shipped for the first time, as able seamen, inthe same vessel; we were about of an age--‘townies;’ both in the samewatch, full of blue veins and vitriol, and were forever trying titlesto see which was the best man. It was hard work to tell, when the watchwas called, whose feet struck the floor first, his’n or mine. If hegot into the rigging before I did, I’d go up hand over fist on theback-stay. I’ve known him to go on the topsail yard in his shirt-flapsto get ahead of me. We allers made it a p’int to take the weatherearing, or the bunt of a sail, away from the second mate, who was theowner’s nephew, and put over the head of his betters.”

  “Was that the reason, father,” said Ben, “you wouldn’t let me go to seawith you?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “I’ve seen enough of these half-and-half fellers putin to command before they are fit for it, just to lose better men’slives, and destroy other people’s property.”

  “I think you have the right of it, father. I don’t believe I shall everbe sorry that I came in at the hawsehole, instead of the cabin windows.”

  “One terrible dark night, in the Gulf,” continued the old man, “allhands were on the yard trying to furl the fore-topsail; my sheath-knifewas jammed between my body and the yard, so that I couldn’t get at it;I reached and took his’n out of the sheath, which he wore behind, andused it; but when I went to put it back again, he was gone; when or howhe went, nobody ever knew. I was young then, and new at such things. Wehad allers been together. I couldn’t keep it out of my mind, and didn’twant to stay in the vessel after that, for everything I took hold ofmade me think of him.”

  “Don’t you think, husband,” said his wife, “that we ought to thinkwhere our blessings come from, and not to think it’s all our own work?”

  Though Captain Rhines had a rugged temper of his own when roused, withonly the education he had picked up at sea, and the culture acquiredby friction as he was knocked about in the world, yet he was perfectlymoral, and temperate for that day; that is, he was never intoxicated.He had a great respect for religion, especially his wife’s, she beinga woman of admirable judgment and ardent piety. She was not in thepractice of reproving every unguarded expression, and annoying him withexhortations; telling the ministers her anxieties and fears about him,and urging them to talk to him on the spot, whether they were in aframe to converse, or he to listen. She was satisfied he knew where herheart was, that she prayed earnestly for him, and let it rest at that,save when, as on the present occasion, he put the words in her mouth.

  “Well, wife,” he replied, willing to change the subject, “you’ve gotreligion enough for both of us.”

  “No, husband, that must be every one’s own work.”

  “That ain’t all, neither. How many years was I going to sea, justcoming home to look in to the door, and say, ‘How are you all?’ thenoff again, leaving you to manage farm, family, and hired help! Why,I had scarcely any more care of my family than an ostrich has of hereggs. It seems so much more happy to be with them now, on that veryaccount! I’m half a mind to believe what I then thought to be the worsttrial of all, was a blessing, too. I only wish that great critter overthere in the corner,” pointing to Ben, “could get half so good orgood-looking a wife as his mother is; but he’s so homely, and there’sso much of it, I’m afraid t
here’s not a ghost of a chance for him.”

  At this there was a general titter amongst the young folks. Ben couldhold in no longer, but astonished his parents by telling them what he_had_ done, and what he _meant_ to do.

  “By heavens, Ben!” exclaimed his father, springing to his feet, “you’vebeen fishing to some purpose; I’d moor head and stern to that girl, andlie by her as long as cables and anchor would hold.”

  “I don’t know how to build a log house,” said Ben; “and they’ve beenout of use so long round here, I don’t know anybody that does.”

  “I do. Isaac Murch; he helped tear down our old log house, when I wasa boy. I suppose you know he is the most ing’nious critter that everlived. I believe he could make a man, if he should set out for it; andI don’t know but he could put a soul in him after he was done. Yourgrandfather was old and childish, and hated to have the house torndown; so I got Isaac to make a model of it, to please him. I know thathe could make one exactly like it, if he had a mind to. I really thinkI should come to see you a good deal oftener if you were living in theold house, or one that looked just like it.”

  “But, father, he wouldn’t work out.”

  “He’d do most anything to accommodate you or Sally Hadlock; for, whenher father was living, he and Isaac were like two fingers on one hand.I believe he thinks as much of the Hadlock children as he does of hisown. There’s no knowing how much he’s done for those children first andlast.”

  The next day Ben rode over to Isaac’s, who, with his wife, gave him awarm welcome.

  “By the way,” said she, “are you engaged to be married to SallyHadlock? At any rate, I heard so, and it come pretty straight; own uplike a man; murder will out.”

  “If it is so, I hope it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “Ben Rhines, if you’ve got Sally Hadlock, it’s the best day’s work youever did in your life.”

  “I don’t know what you’ll say when I tell you the rest of it.” He theninformed them that he had bought Elm Island, and was going to live onit.

  “But, Ben, is Sally willing to go on that island to live? I’m sure Ishould be frightened to death to live there.”

  “’Twas her own plan. She wouldn’t hear to my going to sea; and whenI said I didn’t know of any way to live ashore, unless I bought thatisland, she said ’twas just the thing. I was intending to build a framehouse next summer; but she says, ‘Build a log house, go right into it,and build a frame house when you’re better able;’ and declares she’lllive in a log house, and nothing else. I had money enough, that I gotprivateering, to have bought the island, and built the house on’t; butI felt it my duty to help my father out of his difficulties.”

  “Goodness! gracious! goodness me!” exclaimed Hannah Murch, holding upboth hands. “Ben Rhines, are you a wizard, to bewitch the girls afterthis fashion? Such offers as that girl has had, to my sartin knowledge!She loves you, Ben, and you may be sure of that to begin with. Well!well! well! this beats all the story books.”

  “She’s just right,” said Isaac. “She knows that Ben gives up thecap’in’s berth to please her; that he’ll have a hard scratch of it, andshe means to scratch, too. You’re just right, both of you.”

  “Now, Uncle Isaac,” said Ben, “this house must go right up. Will yougo on with me and another man, and ‘boss’ the job?”

  “I will, Ben; and I won’t turn my back to any body for building a loghouse.”

  “To-day is Thursday. I should like to begin Monday, if you can come.”

  “Well, I don’t know anything to hender; if you haven’t got anybodylooked out to help you, I think you’d better get Joe Griffin; he’s astrapping stout feller, handy with an axe, or any kind of tools. I knowhe’ll go; and if you say so, I’ll bring him along with me, and we’ll beat the landing at sunrise, or thereabouts.”

  During Ben’s absence, the widow Hadlock put on her changeable silk,which her husband bought in foreign parts, and her best cap, and takingher knitting-work, went over to Captain Rhines’s. When she came back,she reported that it was all right, and the Rhineses were as muchpleased with the match as she was.