The Young Ship-Builders of Elm Island Page 3

  CHAPTER II.

  GUNNING ON THE OUTER REEFS.

  BEN thought it was now a favorable time to do something to the house,and made up his mind to speak to Uncle Isaac and Sam when they came onfor their gunning excursion, in order to obtain the aid of one to dothe joiner, and the other the mason work, for he and Charlie could dothe outside work. While preparing the cargo of the Ark, Ben had laidby, from time to time, such handsome, clear boards and plank as he cameacross, which were now thoroughly seasoned, having been kept in thechamber of the house. He also had on hand shingles and clapboards.

  They now began to remove the hemlock bark from the roof, and replace itwith shingles. To work with tools, to make something for his father andmother, was ever a favorite employment of Charlie.

  Aside from this, his great delight was to make boats; his house underthe big maple was half full of boats, of all sizes, from three inchesto two feet long. As he sat by the fire in the evenings, he wasalmost always whittling out a boat. When he went to Boston, in thePerseverance, he sought the ship-yards and boat-builders’ shops. He hada boat on each corner of the barn, one on the top of the big pine, andone on the maple, besides having made any number for John, Fred, andlittle Bob Smullen.

  He was now greatly exercised in spirit in respect to the boat he wasto make from the big log. He had resolved to make a model, and thenimitate it, and was racking his brain in respect to the proportions;for he was very anxious she should be a good sailer.

  He had not a moment to spare while they were shingling the house, itbeing necessary to do it quickly, for fear of rain; but the moment theroof was completed, he hid himself in the woods, and with blocks set towork upon the model.

  While thus busied, he recollected having heard Captain Rhines say, thatif anybody could model a vessel like a fish, it would sail fast enough.He thought a mackerel was the fastest fish within his reach.

  “There are mackerel most always round the wash rocks,” said he. “I’llmodel her after a mackerel.”

  The next morning, just before sunrise, he was off the reef, inthe “Twilight,” and succeeded in catching three mackerel and somerock-fish. Not wishing any spectators of his proceedings, he hid thebiggest mackerel in some water, to keep him plump, took the others,and went in to breakfast. He next took some of the blue clay from thebed of the brook, that was entirely free from stones and grit, andwould not dull a razor; and, mixing it with water and sand, till itwas of the right consistence, put it into a trough. Into this paste hecarefully pressed the fish; then he took up the trough, and, finding asecret place at the shore, where the sun would come with full power, heplaced it on the rocks, and sifted sand an inch thick over the clay andfish, and left it to harden.

  In the course of three days, he found the fish had putrefied, and theclay gradually hardened under the sand without breaking. He now sweptoff the sand, exposing it to the full force of the sun till it wascompletely dry; then he made a slow fire, and put the trough and clayinto it, increasing the heat gradually till he burned the trough away,and left the clay with the exact impress of the mackerel in it, as redand hard as a brick.

  “There’s the shape of the mackerel, anyhow,” said Charlie,contemplating his work with great satisfaction; “but how I’m going toget a model from it is the question; however, there is time enough tothink of that between this and spring.”

  He deposited his model in his house under the great maple, and devotedall his time to helping his father improve the appearance of the house.

  Our readers will recollect that the logs, of which the house was built,were hewed square at the corners and windows; so Ben and Charliejust built a staging, and, stretching a chalk line, hewed the wholebroadside from the ridge-pole to the sill square with the corners. Theyaccomplished this quite easily at the ends, but on the front and backit was more difficult to hew the top log under the eaves; but theyworked it out with the adze.

  Originally the house had but two windows on a side, and, as these wereon the corners to admit of putting in others, it looked queer enough.They now cut out places for two more in a side, and intended, afterhaving smoothed the walls, to clapboard them; but their work wasinterrupted for the time by the arrival of Uncle Isaac, Joe Griffin,Uncle Sam, and Captain Rhines, to go on the long-talked-of gunningexcursion.

  “I don’t see,” said Uncle Isaac, “how you do so much work; I think itis wonderful, the amount you and this boy have done since we were here.”

  “There’s one thing you don’t consider,” said Ben: “a person here is nothindered; there’s not some one running in and out all the time, andhe is not stopping to look at people that go along the road; he’s notplagued with other people’s cattle, and don’t have to fence againstthem; he’s not out evenings visiting, but goes to bed when he has donework, and the next morning he feels keen to go to work again. It’s myopinion, if a man is contented, he will stand his work better, livelonger, and be happier, on one of these islands than anywhere else.”

  As they were to start at twelve o’clock at night, they went to bed atdark. Captain Rhines slept on board the vessel, as he could wake atany hour he chose. He was to call the others if the weather was good;if not, they were to wait for another chance. It was bright moonlight;a little wind, north-west, just enough to carry them along, andperfectly smooth. The place to which they were bound was an outlyingrock in the open ocean, more than seven miles beyond the farthest land,upon which, even in calm weather, the ground swell of the ocean brokein sheets of white foam, and with a roar like thunder; but when astrong northerly wind had been blowing for a day or two, it drove backthe ground swell, and when the northerly wind in its turn died away,there would be a few hours, and sometimes a day or two, of calm, whenthere was not the least motion, and you might land on the rock; but itwas a delicate and dangerous proceeding, requiring great watchfulness,for although there might be no wind at the spot, yet the wind blowingat sea, miles distant, might in a few moments send in the ground swelland cut off all hope of escape. As the north wind made no ground swell,the rock could be approached on the south side, even when a moderatenorth wind was blowing.

  They were familiar with all these facts, and had accordingly chosen thelast of a norther, that had been blowing two days, and was dying away.

  Some hours before day they arrived at the place--a large barren rock,containing about three acres, with a little patch of grass on thehighest part of it, and a spring of pure water, that spouted up fromthe crevices in the rock; a quantity of wild pea vines and bayberrybushes were growing there, among which, in little hollows in the rock,the sea-gulls laid their eggs, without any attempt at a nest.

  As they neared the rock, they sailed through whole flocks of sea-birds;some of them, asleep on the water, with their heads beneath theirwings, took no notice of them; others, as they heard the slight ripplemade by the vessel’s bows, flew or swam to a short distance, and thenremained quiet.

  Not a word was spoken save in whisper, when, at a short distanceoutside the rock, the sails were gently lowered, and the anchorsilently dropped without a splash to the bottom. The “decoys,” thatis, wooden blocks made and painted in imitation of sea-birds, and theguns, were put into the canoe, and landing in a little cove, theygently hauled the canoe upon the sea-weed, and anchored their decoyswith lines and stones a little way from the rock, so as to present theappearance of a flock of sea-fowl feeding, and, lying down, awaiteddaybreak.

  The sea-fowl lie outside during the night, but as the day breaks theybegin to fly into the bay after food and water, and when they see thedecoys, they light down among them and are shot; they are also shot onthe wing as they fly over; and in those days they were very numerousamong all the rocks and islands.

  It was a terribly wild and desolate place; the tide at half ebbrevealed the rock in its full proportions; on the shore side it ran outinto long, broken points, ragged and worn, with innumerable holes andfissures, fringed with kelp, whose dark-red leaves, matted with green,lay upon the surface of the water; while on the ocean side,
the long,upright cliffs dropped plump into the sea, and were covered with apeculiar kind of sea-weed, short, because, worn by the ceaseless actionof the waves, it had no time to grow: all impressed the mind with asingular feeling of loneliness and desolation.

  These hardy men, born among the surf, and by no means given tosentiment, could not repress a feeling of awe, as they lay theresilent, and listened to the roar of the sea, that rolled in eddies ofwhite foam among the ragged points, being raised by the north wind,while on the other side there was not a motion.

  There is something in the hoarse roar of the surf, when heard in thedead hours of night on such a spot, that is more than sublime--it iscruel, relentless. As we listen to it in such a place, from whichthere is more than a possibility that we may not escape, we realizehow impotent is the strength or skill of man against the terrific rushof waters. We call to mind how many death-cries that sullen roar hasdrowned, how many mighty ships that gray foam has ground to powder, andlook narrowly to see if the giant that thus moans in his slumbers isnot about to rouse himself for our destruction. Yet to strong naturesthere is an indescribable charm that clings to places and perils likethese, and does not fade away with the occasion, but lives in thememory ever after. These men could have shot sea-fowl enough near home,without fatigue or peril; but that very safety would have diminishedthe pleasure.

  It was evident that thoughts similar to those we have described werepassing through Ben’s mind.

  He said, in a whisper, “Uncle Isaac, do you suppose the sea ever breaksover here?”

  “I suppose it does,” was the reply; “but only when a very high tide anda gale of wind come together. Old Mr. Sam Edwards came on here oncein November, and his canoe broke her painter and got away from him,and he had to stay ten days, when a vessel took him off; but they hada desperate time to get him; and when they got him he couldn’t speak.He piled up a great heap of rocks to stand upon, to make signals tovessels, and to keep the wind off; and when he went on the next springthey were gone.”

  “But there is white clover growing here, and red-top, which shows thatthe salt water cannot come very often, nor stay very long when it doescome.”

  It was now getting towards day; they had three guns apiece, which theyloaded, and placed within reach of their hands. As the day broke, thebirds began to come, first scattering, then in flocks; as they came on,they continued to fire as fast as they could load, the birds falling bydozens into the water, until the birds were done flying, the sun beingwell up.

  They now took the canoe and picked up the dead and wounded birds, manyof the latter requiring a second shot, then going on board the schoonerwith their booty, got their breakfast, after which they ran off tenmiles to sea, on to a shoal, to try for codfish; and as they hadmenhaden and herring for bait, they caught them in plenty.

  “Halloo!” said Ben; “I’ve got a halibut; stand by, father, with thegaff.”

  They caught three more in the course of the forenoon. After dinner theysplit and salted their fish, and cutting out the nape and fins of thehalibut, threw all the rest away, as in those days they did not thinkit worth saving.

  “Now,” said Uncle Isaac, “what do you think of having a night at thehake?”

  They ran into muddy bottom near to the rock, anchored, and lay down tosleep till dark, and then began to catch hake. The hake is a fish thatfeeds on the muddy bottom, and bites best in the night.

  Just before day they went on to the rock again, and shot more birdsthan before. Uncle Isaac and the others were so much engrossed withtheir sport, that they thought of nothing else. But Ben, who wasnaturally vigilant, and had noticed that there was a little air ofwind to the south, and the sea had a different motion, kept his eyeupon it, and shoved the canoe to the edge of the water. All at once heexclaimed, in startling tones,--

  “To the boat! The sea is coming!”

  They seized their guns, and sprang into the canoe.

  “I’ll shove off,” said Ben.

  Uncle Isaac and Captain Rhines took the oars, while Uncle Sam, on hisknees, was ready to bale out what water might come in.

  The great black wave could now be seen rolling up higher and higheras it came. Ben, giving the canoe a vigorous shove, which sent hersome yards from the rock, leaped in, and grasped the steering paddle,keeping her directly on to meet the threatening wave. As she met itand rose upon it, she stood almost upright; and for a moment it seemedas if she would fall back and be dashed on the rock; but the powerfulstrokes of the resolute oarsmen, added to the momentum she had alreadyattained, forced her up the ascent, and they were safe. Had they beentwice her length nearer the rock, they had been lost, as the sea,arrested in its progress by the rock, “combed” (curled over), whennothing could have saved them.

  “A miss is as good as a mile,” said the captain, as he looked back andsaw the spot where they had so lately stood white with foam.

  “I’ve left my best powder-horn,” said Ben.

  “We’ve left a couple dozen of birds,” said Uncle Isaac; “but we’veenough without them.”

  They now dressed the fish they had caught, went to sleep, and slepttill noon; then, as they had a fair wind home, debated, while sittingin the little cabin, what they should do more.

  “We have some bait left,” said Uncle Isaac; “we ought to do somethingmore.”

  “Hark!” cried the captain, whose ear had caught a familiar sound;“mackerel, as I am a sinner!”

  Rushing on deck, they saw mackerel all around the vessel, leaping fromthe water, their white bellies glancing in the sun. In a moment lineswere thrown over with bait, and soon numbers of them were flapping onthe deck.

  It was now near sundown, the wind began to blow in fitful gusts, andonce in a while, amid the constant dash of waves, a great sea wouldcome and break with a roar far above the general dash of waters. Butthey were too eager in the pursuit of their prize to heed the weather.

  At length a few drops of rain falling on the captain’s bare arms causedhim to look up and around.

  He instantly exclaimed,--

  “Haul in your lines; we must be out of this; we are full near enough tothese breakers to have them under our lee, and night coming on.”

  It was a most perilous position to the eye of a landsman, and notwithout risk to them. The vessel was rolling heavily at her anchor lessthan a quarter of a mile from the rock, and abreast of the middle andhighest part of it, while its long, shoal points stretched out eachway for more than a mile, white with foam; the whole ground also, forthree or four miles around the rock, was full of shoal spots and sunkenreefs, which made a bad, irregular sea; and the roar from so manybreakers was terrible. But if there is anything that will do its dutyin a heavy head-beat sea, it is an old-fashioned pinkie.

  As the little craft, gathering way, came up to the wind, the sea pouredin floods over her bows, while, with whole sail and her lee rail underwater, she jumped through it, and gradually drew off from the dangerousreefs.

  Leaving the long reefs to the leeward, they now kept away before itwith a fair wind for home. Taking in all but the foresail, they wentalong under moderate sail, that they might split their fish as theywent, and before dark.

  When they reached the island, it was quite dusk. The sea was pouringin sheets of foam upon the rocks, and the white froth, drifting toleeward, had filled the main channel; so that to enter it seemed, toan inexperienced eye, to be rushing into the very jaws of destruction;but, as they dashed along by the very edge of the surf that fringed the“Junk of Pork,” just when the little vessel, rising on the crest of atremendous wave, seemed to be rushing directly on the rocks, Ben, whostood at the fore-sheet, hauled it aft, the captain put down his helm,and the vessel, luffing up, shot through the froth and around the pointinto the quiet harbor in front of the house. Uncle Isaac let go theanchor, and in a moment she was peacefully riding where there was nota ripple, with the roar of surf all around her, and bunches of whitefroth drifting lazily alongside.

  It is these strong contrasts which make the
charm of life along shore,and that so attach rugged spirits to the sea; and though those who liveamong these scenes do not talk about them as others do, who seldomwitness them, yet they feel them, and they are a part of their life.Taking out the birds and guns, they put them into the canoe to take onshore. Charlie met them there, and was dumb with astonishment at thesight of so many birds.

  They were wet, tired, cold, and hungry, for they had been fishing dayand night; but as they entered the house, all was changed. A blazingfire was roaring in the great chimney, and flinging its cheerful lighton the bright pewter on the dressers and snow-white floor.

  The table stood in the floor, covered with smoking victuals, andSally, with her handsome face shining with joy, stood ready to greether husband. Sailor was at her side, wagging his tail with franticviolence, ready to jump upon his master as soon as Sally should releasehim. There were also warm water, soap, and towels to wash the “gurry”from their hands, and the salt of the spray from their faces. Great wasthe physical and mental happiness of these tired, hungry men, as theysat down to eat, conscious that they had succeeded in their efforts,and obtained the means of comfort and support for their families.

  Perhaps some of our readers may think it strange that Ben should wantto go fishing when he had been engaged in that business all summer; butthe fish caught in the hot weather were salted very heavily, in orderto keep them, and that they might bear exportation to all parts of theworld; but these were to be slack salted for their own use.