Author: Oliver Optic
Category: Adventure
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CHAPTER XI.
BUILDING THE RAFT.
I found Sim Gwynn at our landing-place on the verge of the swamp, whichwas a safe spot for him, as he could retreat, at the approach of apursuer, where no one could follow him without a boat. On the raft lay asharp axe, which assured me he had not remained in the swamp all thetime during my absence.
"Where did you get that axe, Sim?" I asked, disturbed by an unpleasantfear that he had been disregarding the rights of property.
"I got it up to Barkspear's," replied he, laughing, as though he haddone a clever thing.
"Then you must carry it back again, Sim. I won't have any stealingdone!" I added, sharply.
"Hookie! You don't think I'd steal--do you, Buck Bradford?"
"Didn't you take that axe from Barkspear's?"
"Yes, I did; but that's my axe, you see; and that makes all thedifference in the world. That axe was gin to me by Squire Mosely. Hisbest cow got out, and came down into this swamp. She got mired in themud, and couldn't get out. I dug her out for him, and took her home.Squire Mosely wanted to do something for me, and asked me what he shouldgive me. I was going to say something to eat; but I felt kinder 'shamed.I was cuttin' wood for the fire, when he come over, with an old bluntaxe, the only one Barkspear would let me use. So I told him I'd like agood axe, because I couldn't think of anything else I wanted. He gin methe best axe he could find in town. I used it when Barkspear wan'tround; but I kept it hid away in the barn. I went up and got it afteryou left."
"All right, Sim; I don't want to have anything done that isn't right."
"What you goin' to do with them ropes, Buck?" he asked, as I threw theclothes-lines upon the raft.
"We want them to haul the logs out with."
Sim was in high spirits, and I concluded that he had filled himselfagain from the provisions I brought. I was confident that he would besatisfied as long as the rations were supplied. We poled the raft overto the branch of the creek; and, as I had the plan of the structure wewere to build in my mind, we lost no time in commencing the work.
"I don't know what you're goin' to do, Buck," said Sim, as he picked uphis axe; "but I can chop as well as the best on 'em. If you'll tell mewhat to do, I'll go into it like a hund'ed of bricks."
"You won't need your axe yet," I replied, assured there would be nodifference of opinion in regard to the manner of constructing the raft,for my companion had few ideas of his own. "We must build the raft onthe stream."
I selected two logs from the pile, thirty feet in length, attached oneof the lines to each of them, and hauled them out of the pile of lumber,though not till after we had secured the boards, slabs, and othersmaller pieces. We placed them side by side over the deep water. I thennailed each end of a couple of slabs to the inner log, at the twoextremities of it. We next rolled the outer log away from the otheruntil the two were ten feet apart, and the other end of the slab wasnailed to it, thus forming the shape of the raft--thirty feet long, andten feet wide.
"Now, Sim, we want another log thirty feet long," I continued, when thework was laid out.
"I see it," replied Sim; and, in his eagerness to be useful, I wasfearful he would tumble into the river, for he was rather clumsy in hismovements.
I cut one of the lines in two, and carefully secured the frame to thetrees on shore, using the other line to float the logs down to thestructure. There was only one other stick in the heap that was thirtyfeet in length, and we pushed this under the cross slabs, and nailed ithalf way between the two. For the rest of the groundwork of the raft wewere obliged to use shorter sticks; but we made a solid platform oflarge logs.
"Now, Sim, bring on your slabs, ten feet long," said I, as I took myhatchet and nails.
"I'll fetch 'em as fast as you can nail 'em on," replied my willingassistant.
"Take this pole as a measure, and cut them off the right length. Youcan try your axe now," I added, throwing him a stick I had cut the widthof the raft.
He kept me well supplied with materials, until I had covered the logswith slabs, nailing them down to each stick. By this time I had used upall my nails, and it was nearly the supper hour. I did not like to leavethe work in which I was so much interested, but I had to go for themail; and I wished to do so on the present occasion, in order to makesome purchases in Riverport for the enterprise.
"I must go now, Sim," I said to my fellow-laborer.
"Hookie! You ain't a-goin' to stop work so soon--are you?" demanded he,with an aggrieved look.
"I must."
"But I want to do something more."
"You may cut up those small logs into pieces ten feet in length. Theyare to be placed crosswise on the raft, to keep us well up out of thewater."
"I'll do it; and I'll have 'em all ready when you come down in themorning."
"Where are you going to sleep to-night, Sim?" I asked.
"I don't know--in somebody's barn," replied he with a grin, which mademe feel that his lodging did not disturb him.
"You can sleep in our barn, if you like. No one goes into it very often,except myself."
"Thank ye, Buck. I always knowed you'd help me, and that was what Iwanted to see you for."
"Have you anything left for supper?"
"Plenty, Buck. I couldn't eat all you gave me this forenoon."
"I will bring you a good supply in the morning."
I left him, and hastened back to the house. My tyrants had been so busyin entertaining their distinguished guest that they probably had notthought of me. The squire was in the parlor with Mrs. Fishley, who wasas lovely as a summer day. She had company, and I was safe enough aslong as the senator remained. My woes would come as soon as he departed;but I hoped to have the raft ready for a movement by that time.
Supper was not on the table, and I went into the store to see if themail was ready. Mr. Barkspear was there, engaged in telling CaptainFishley that his good-for-nothing "help" had run away and left him.
"Hev you seen anything of Sim Gwynn?" said Mr. Barkspear, turning to meas I entered the store.
That was a hard question, and I decided not to pay any attention to it.I asked Ham if the mail was ready to go, and was hastening out to thebarn to harness Darky, when Captain Fishley called me back.
"Are you deaf, Buck?" demanded he, sharply, and with that ugly look hehad worn since our troubles began.
"Not much," I replied.
"Mr. Barkspear asked you if you had seen Sim Gwynn. Why don't you answerhim?"
"I would rather not answer him," I replied; for, whatever other faults Ihad, I felt above lying and stealing.
"That means, I s'pose, that you have seen him," added Barkspear, in thatpeculiar whining tone which always indicates a mean, stingy man.
I made no reply, for I had no idea of betraying Sim, on the one hand, orof lying, on the other.
"Why don't you speak, Buck?" growled the captain.
"I have seen him, and he has run away. That's all I have to say aboutit."
"I didn't think your boy would try to kiver him up. Sim hadn't anybusiness to run away, jest when he was gittin' big enough to be somehelp to me about the farm."
"I would have run away if I had been in his place," I ventured toremark, perhaps foolishly, for I could not bear to see Barkspearassuming to be an injured man, when his own meanness had driven poor Simfrom his home.
"I allus took care on him, and sent him to school every winter, whenthere warn't much to do; and it's shameful for him to treat me so. Hehain't got no gratitude in him."
"Did you have any trouble with him?" asked the captain.
"Well, we did hev a little yesterday mornin'. He stole some things outof the house, and I licked him for't," replied Barkspear, rathersheepishly.
"He ought to be licked if he stole," said Captain Fishley, glancingsternly at me; "or if he didn't behave himself, and be respectful to hisemployers."
"What did he steal, Mr. Barkspear?" I asked, indignantly.
"Well, he stole some things out of the buttery."
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br /> "Yes, sir! That's just what he stole--something to eat! He didn't havebreakfast enough to keep his stomach from grumbling, and he stole apiece of boiled pork and some cold potatoes."
"That boy eats more'n enough for four men!" exclaimed Barkspear, indisgust.
"No matter if he does; he ought not to be starved. In this house we haveenough to eat, and that which is first rate too. When Sim told me hedidn't get enough to eat, I pitied him, for I'm not used to suchthings."
Captain Fishley almost smiled at this "first-rate notice" of the fare athis house; and my judicious commendation saved me any more hardquestions from him.
"When boys are growing, they feed pretty strong," added the captain, nowentirely non-committal.
"Sim was half starved, and I gave him some of the good things from ourbuttery; and I don't think anybody here will say I stole them. Theydon't call it stealing when any one takes something to eat, either forhimself or to give to some one that's hungry."
Captain Fishley looked benevolent and magnanimous, but he did not sayanything. He took credit to himself for the state of things I explained.
"Sim has run away, and if you want to know where he has gone, you mustask some one besides me," I added.
"There! that will do," interposed the captain, sternly. "You may go andharness the horse."
While I was hitching Darky to the post, I saw Barkspear leave the store,and I do not think he obtained much sympathy from Captain Fishley. Iwish I could have spoken as highly of the Christian love and kindness ofhis house as I had of its hospitality and good fare. We had an extranice supper that evening, out of respect to the distinguished guest.Everything was pleasant at the table, and Mrs. Fishley seemed to be theloveliest woman in the world. I am afraid there are a great manyfamilies that appear better before company than at other times.
When I was getting into the wagon to go to Riverport with the mail,Squire Fishley presented himself, and said he would ride a little waywith me, and walk back. He seated himself by my side, and I drove off. Iwas glad he was only going a short distance, for his presence would haveinterfered with my operations in procuring supplies for the raft. But Iwas glad to see him alone, for I wished to ask him whether the wholeforty-six dollars he had given me was intended for me. If it was amistake, I did not desire to take advantage of it, though the loss ofthe money would defeat my enterprise with the raft.