A Little Maid of Province Town

by Alice Turner Curtis

  CHAPTER XVII

  THE SLOOP, "PEGGY"

  The sloop, "Peggy," was becalmed. Anne, Amanda and Amos looked over thesmooth stretch of water, but there was not a ripple to be seen. Sincesunrise, the boat had not moved. They had made the start at midnight, asthey had planned, and had sailed away under a fair wind; but before thesun rose the wind had died away, and the mainsail now swung back and forthand the boat drifted slowly with the current.

  None of the children had thought of bringing a jug of fresh water, and thesalt fish and corn bread which they had brought along for food made themvery thirsty.

  "We're off Barnstable now," said Amos. "I've a mind to let the boat driftin nearer shore and anchor, and then row ashore in the tender and get somewater."

  THE BOAT BEGAN TO TIP]

  "How far is Barnstable from Boston?" asked Anne.

  "Miles and miles," answered Amos. "'Tis only about half-way up the capefrom Province Town."

  "Then we could not walk to Boston from there?"

  "No," said Amos; "why should we walk? There'll be a good breeze comesunset. All we need is a good drink of water, and there's a water-jug inthe cabin. I can take it ashore and fill it at some spring."

  As the children talked, the current had carried the boat steadily towardshore, but now it did not move.

  "She's stuck on a sand-bar," exclaimed Amos, "and the tide's turning.Perhaps I can walk ashore."

  It was not long before the boat began to tip to one side, and as the tidewent out, they found themselves on a sand-bar, a full half mile fromshore. The water seemed to flow in little channels, like wide brooks, hereand there, between the boat and the land, and Amos wondered if he couldeither jump or wade those channels. The hot July sun beat down upon them,they were very thirsty and uncomfortable, and Amanda began to wish herselfat home.

  "We ought not to have started," she said, ready to cry. "I know my motherwon't like it, and Mistress Stoddard will not like it, either."

  Anne was very quiet. She was thirsty, hot and uncomfortable, and being runaground on a sand-bar near a strange shore was a very different thing fromher other prosperous voyage with Captain Enos. What if they should neverreach Boston at all?

  "They will all think that we have run away this time," said Amos, who hadstepped over the side of the boat onto the sand-bar.

  "Oh, no, they won't," said Anne. "I wrote on a smooth chip, 'Amanda andAmos and I have gone to Boston to find my father,' and put it on thekitchen table."

  "I believe I could get across those channels some way," declared Amos,"and I am so thirsty that I'm going to try it."

  Amanda brought him the small stone jug from the cabin, and telling thegirls not even to step out of the boat until he came back, Amos startedfor the shore. They saw him wade the first channel, run across a longstretch of wet sand, cross the other channel and reach the shore safely.

  "Goody!" exclaimed Amanda; "now he will find a spring, fill the jug andhurry back, and we can have a good drink of water," and she turnedsmilingly to Anne. But Anne was looking very sober. She had been thinkingover her other trip, and now remembered what Mrs. Stoddard had said whenshe returned from Boston.

  "Oh, Amanda!" she said, looking ready to cry, "when I ran off before withUncle Enos, Aunt Martha did tell me that I must never do so again. Now Ihave disobeyed her, and perhaps she will not want me to live with her anymore."

  "Then you can live with your father," answered Amanda cheerfully.

  "But my father was to live with us," said Anne. "He was to have the big,pleasant loft that looks toward the water, and was to help Uncle Enos withthe fishing. Perhaps they will not want either of us since I have been sounruly and disobedient."

  Amanda longed to tell Anne that she should have a home with her, but sheremembered that the white kitten had to be given away because they couldnot afford to keep it, and so kept silent.

  "I hope Amos will not linger," she said, after a little silence. "Heforgets that we are as thirsty as he is."

  The little girls watched the shore anxiously, expecting every minute tosee Amos hurrying back with a jug full of fresh water, but time passed andhe did not come.

  "I think the tide has turned," said Amanda. "See, the channels arewidening every minute. If Amos does not come soon the water will be toodeep. Oh, dear! I am afraid something has befallen him."

  "What could befall him?" questioned Anne. "'Tis a smooth and pleasantshore, with much taller trees than grow about Province Town. He is justplaying about and has forgotten us."

  Anne was nearly right, for after Amos had found a fine boiling spring andhad drunk all he wanted and then filled his jug, he had sat down to restunder a wide-spreading oak tree. The day was hot, he was very tired andsleepy, having been awake all the night before, and without forgetting the"Peggy" or her crew, he dropped gently off to sleep. The tide came in,lifted the "Peggy" from the sand-bar and a gentle breeze carried hersteadily out from shore, and Amos slept on, knowing nothing of what hadhappened. The sun was very low in the western sky when he awoke. He satup, rubbed his eyes, snatched up the jug and ran to the shore, but therewas no boat to be seen.

  Amos was now thoroughly frightened. He ran up and down the quiet shore,calling the name of his boat and shouting, "Amanda!" "Anne!" at the top ofhis voice. The shadows of the summer night deepened, a little haze roseover the water, and Amos, crouching down near the water's edge, waited fornight to come.

  "I know I shall never sleep any more," he whispered to himself, hardlydaring to think of what might happen to the little girls. He wished thathe had lowered the mainsail before coming ashore.

  "I ought to have dropped anchor, anyway," he said aloud, and almost forgotto be hungry in his anxiety.

  The shadows grew deeper, night settled down on land and sea and Amos wentfast asleep again, with his bare feet almost within reach of the wavesthat rolled so softly up over the smooth sand.

  Anne and Amanda watched the tide come in about the "Peggy," and soon feltthe boat move under them. Then the mainsail filled and swung out, as thebreeze came up.

  "Try and steer ashore, Amanda," exclaimed Anne.

  "I dare not touch the rudder," said Amanda. "Whenever I have been in aboat, my father has told me to sit still; and I do think it is the bestthing we can do now, Anne."

  "Mayhap the wind will take us home again," said Anne, "and then yourfather will come back and find Amos."

  "More like 'twill take us straight out to sea," said Amanda.

  "'Tis all my fault," said Anne; "I did prevail on you and Amos to come."

  "We both liked well to come," answered Amanda stoutly. "Amos should haveknown better, for he is older. But he likes a risk over well, and now hecan play shipwrecked to his heart's desire."

  "My eyes are heavy with sleep," said Anne. "Let us say the small prayerthat Elder Haven taught us and sleep a little. 'Tis dark and foggy; we cansee nothing."

  Amanda reached out her sunburned little hand and clasped Anne's, and theyrepeated aloud the prayer, asking for help and protection, which ElderHaven had taught them; then, curling themselves up in the bottom of theboat, they went fast asleep.

  But the "Peggy" did not sail far. The wind died away, and the boat driftedwith the tide. When the little girls awoke it was bright sunshine, and abig ship was coming slowly down upon them.

  "'Tis a Britisher!" Amanda exclaimed; "like as not she's bound for Englandand will carry us straight off," and Amanda began crying bitterly.

  Before Anne could answer there came a hail from the ship, and Anne andAmanda called back, "Sloop 'Peggy'! Sloop 'Peggy'!" as loudly as theycould, as they had heard Province Town captains do in answer to hails fromharbor boats.

  It was not long before the big vessel was near enough for the sailors todistinguish that there were only two little girls on board the driftingsloop, and a man was ready with a stout boat-hook, which he grappled aboutthe "Peggy's" mast, and a big man with reddish hair and blue eyes sliddown a rope and swung himself on board the sloop.

  "Zounds!
" exclaimed the sailor, "if 'Tis not the little Province Town maidagain! And adrift like this. I'll have to take you to England and letBetsey and Harriet take care of you!"

  Before he had finished both Anne and Amanda had begun to cry. They weresure now that they should never see home again, and William Trull had sometrouble in convincing them that he did not mean to take them to England.

  But the captain had small patience with the delay, and called out that'twas best to sink the sloop rather than lose a fair wind out of harbor.

  "I cannot be leaving two helpless maids adrift," William Trull calledback. "They are from the Province Town settlement."

  "Take them back to it, if you like, and find your way across the Atlanticas best you may," retorted the English captain angrily. "We can't stand byfor such folly."

  Poor William Trull looked at the little girls in dismay. To be leftstranded on American territory was the last thing he desired.

  "Can't you tow our boat down to Province Town?" pleaded Anne. "We won'thurt you."

  "Ha! ha!" laughed the captain, and even William Trull joined in thelaughter of the crew, while Anne and Amanda wondered why the sailorslaughed. "Well," and the captain's voice was more friendly as he leanedover his ship's railing and gazed down at the little girls, "if you won'trun us down we'll take you along that far. You can stay on the sloop,Trull, till we get near the tip of the cape. 'Tis plain American childrenare not easily frighted."

  The sloop was now taken in tow, and although the little girls pleaded thata boat be sent to find Amos, William Trull shook his head.

  "'twill not do," he declared, "to ask it of the captain; and if the boy bea smart boy he'll make his way home, never fear."

  It was some comfort to Amanda to declare that Amos was the smartest boy inthe settlement; that he could make fire as Indians did, and that he knewmany ways of snaring birds and fish.

  "Never fear for a boy like that," said the sailor.

  Anne was eager to ask him if he knew anything of her father, and WilliamTrull owned that he did.

  "'twas your father who some way got word to Newburyport and Portsmouth mento be ready to fight," he said. "'twas cleverly done, they tell me, but noone has found out how."

  "I know," said Anne, "because I helped." Then remembering CaptainStoddard's caution, she put her hand over her mouth. "I must not tell,"she said.

  The sailor looked at her in astonishment. "Even the children are'rebels,'" he declared, "and helping when chance comes. 'Tis a greatcountry. I'll not question you, child, but I'll tell my little girls aboutyou, and that you helped to send the English home. Your own father willsoon be telling you how the Americans drove the English; but you must keepa kind thought for me."

  "Oh, I do wish you would stay and be an American, Mr. William Trull, andbring your little girls to live in Province Town," said Anne.

  "Who knows?" said the sailor. "It may be I'll be coming back with myfamily. I like this country well. Your father will be coming to ProvinceTown soon, never fear," he added, "for now Boston port is open to all, andthe fishermen are going in and out as they please."

  Amanda had not been much interested in what the sailor had to say. She wasthinking that Amos must be very hungry; and when William Trull climbedaboard the big vessel and the sloop dropped behind near the Province Townshore, she was greatly rejoiced.

  It was not long that the "Peggy" was alone. Men on shore had been watchingand were quick to recognize the sloop, and a boat was sent out. Amandarecognized that her father was in it, as well as Captain Enos and JimmieStarkweather, and called out in delight. There was an anxious crowd on thebeach, and Mrs. Stoddard and Amanda's mother ran eagerly forward to greetthe little girls, and to ask what had become of Amos.

  It was soon evident that Jimmie Starkweather and the other boys wereinclined to be envious of Amos's good fortune; and when Mr. Cary made hisown boat ready to sail for Barnstable to bring Amos home Jimmie was veryproud to be selected to accompany him.

  "How shall we ever feel safe about thee, child?" said Mrs. Stoddard, asshe and Anne walked toward home. "Are you always to be seeking your fatherwithout telling us? If you had but waited you would have saved us all thisworry, and Amos would now be safe at home."

  "But I have news, Aunt Martha," pleaded Anne. "Mr. William Trull told memy father might soon be with us. I will not leave you again, unless,indeed, you no longer want me."

  "Of course we want you, Anne. But I have better news than the Englishsailor gave you. Look! Here comes some one whom you will be glad to see,"but before she had finished speaking Anne had sprung forward with anexclamation of delight, for her father was coming down the path to theshore.

  "I came down in one of Mr. Freeman's fishing-boats," he explained, as,hand in hand, he and Anne walked back to join Mrs. Stoddard. Anne dancedalong happily, and Mrs. Stoddard smiled as she looked at the little girl.

  "And now I hope for peace," declared the good woman. "Anne will not letyou go again, John Nelson. You will have to be content to stay in ProvinceTown."

  The next day Elder Haven came to see John Nelson to hear more about thegreat triumphs of the Americans; and when Anne's father told him ofCaptain Stoddard's trip to Newburyport, with Anne carrying the importantmessage for the Newburyport patriots, the good clergyman held up his handsin wonder. "She is a brave little maid," he said. "It should be put onrecord that a maid of Province Town helped the Americans to win their justcause against King George. Indeed it should."

  "She is a brave child," agreed Captain Enos. "I was sure of it when Iheard her defend her father at the spring," and the good captain chuckledat the remembrance of Anne's battle with the Cary children, who were nowher staunchest friends.

  "Amos is safe home, and proud enough; he is lording it well over hismates," said Elder Haven. "You must not run away again, Anne," he addedmore gravely, resting a gentle hand on the dark head.

  "No, oh, no!" replied Anne, "not unless my father and Aunt Martha andUncle Enos go with me."