CHAPTER NINE.
GATHERING PIPPINS.
I did not understand it at the time, but that accident made me a veryexcellent friend in the shape of Ike, the big ugly carter and packer,for after his fashion he took me regularly under his wing, and watchedover me during the time I was at Old Brownsmith's.
I'm obliged to stop again over that way of speaking of themarket-gardener, but whenever I write "Mr Brownsmith," or "the oldgentleman," it does not seem natural. Old Brownsmith it always was, andI should not have been surprised to have seen his letters come by thepostman directed _Old Brownsmith_.
Ike used to look quite pleasant when I was busy near him, and while hetaught me all he knew, nothing pleased him better than for me to callhim from his digging, or hoeing, or planting, to move a ladder, or lifta basket, or perform some other act that was beyond my strength.
All the same, though, he had a way of not showing it.
I had been at the garden about a week when Old Brownsmith began talkingabout picking some of his pippins to send to market.
"I hear they are making a good price," he said, "and I shall try a fewsieves to-morrow morning, Grant."
"Yes, sir," I said, for the sound of apple-picking was pleasant.
"I suppose if I were to send you up one of the apple trees with abasket, you would throw yourself out and break one of your limbs."
"Oh no, sir!" I said. "I could climb one of the trees and pick theapples without doing that."
"Thank you," he replied; "that's not the way to pick my apples. Why,don't you know that the fruit does not grow in the middle of a tree, butround the outside, where the sun and wind can get at the blossom?"
"I didn't know it," I said rather ruefully. "I seem to be veryignorant. I wish I had been more to school."
"They wouldn't have taught you that at school, my lad," he said smiling."Why, of course you did not know it. I didn't know such things when Iwas your age. Look here. You must have a ladder put for you against atree, and take a basket with a hook to the handle. There, I'll showyou; but you are sure you will not tumble?"
"I'll take care, sir," I said. "I'll be very careful."
It was a sunny morning, and leading the way, Old Brownsmith went out towhere Ike was busy putting in plants with a dibber, striding over astretched-out line, making holes, thrusting in one of the plants he heldin his left hand, and with one thrust or two of the dibber surroundingit with the soft moist earth.
He raised himself unwillingly, and went off to obey orders; one of thework-women was sent to fetch some flat sieves; while from one of thesheds I brought a couple of deep cross-handled baskets to each of whicha wooden hook was attached.
By the time we had walked to where the king-pippin trees stood withtheir tall straight branches, Ike was before us with a ladder, with thelower rounds made of great length, so as to give width to the bottom.
I had noticed this before when I had seen the ladders hanging up in thelong shed, and now asked the reason why they were so made.
"To keep them from tilting over when you are up there," said OldBrownsmith. "Gently, Ike, don't bruise them. Ah! there they go."
For, as Ike thumped down the bottom of the ladder, and then let the toplean against the tree, a couple of apples were knocked off, to comedown, one with a thud on the soft soil, the other to strike in the forkof the tree and bound to my feet.
"Some on 'em's sure to get knocked off," growled Ike. "Who's agoin' topick?"
"He is," said Mr Brownsmith shortly.
"Then you don't want me no more?"
"Not at present."
"Then I may go on with my planting?"
"Yes."
"Ho!"
I could not help feeling amused at the way in which this conversationwas carried on, and the heavy clumsy manner adopted by Ike in goingaway.
"There you are, Grant," said Old Brownsmith, "plenty of apples. What doyou say--can you go up the ladder safely and pick them?"
"Oh yes, sir!" I cried.
"And you will not fall?"
"Oh! I shall not fall, sir," I cried laughing.
"Very well. Up you go then. Take your basket and hook it on to theround of the ladder where you are picking, then take each applecarefully, raise it, and it will come off at a point on the stalk whereit joins the twig. Don't tear them out and break the stalks, or theybecome unsaleable."
"I'll mind, sir," I said. "I know the big Marie Louise pears at homeused to come off like that at a joint."
"Good!" he cried smiling, and tapping my shoulder. "When you've pickedan apple of course you'll throw it into the basket?"
"Yes, sir."
"You'd better not," he cried sharply. "Lay it in as tenderly as youcan. If you throw it in, the apple will be bruised--bruised apples areworth very little in the market, and soon decay."
"I'll mind them, sir," I said, and eagerly mounting the ladder I beganto pick the beautiful little apples that hung about me, Old Brownsmithwatching me the while.
"That's right," he said encouragingly. "When you get your basket nearlyfull, bring it down and empty it very gently in one of the sieves--gently, mind."
I promised, and he went away, leaving me as busy as could be in the warmsunshine, thoroughly enjoying my task, picking away carefully at theapples, beginning low down, and then getting higher and higher till Ifelt the ladder bend and the branch give, and I had to hold on tightlyby one hand.
I had to go down three times to empty my basket, pouring out the applesvery gently so as not to bruise them, and at last I had picked all thepippins I could reach from the ladder.
I got down and proceeded to move it, so as to get to another part of thetree.
It was easy enough, after I had got it free of the twigs, to pull theladder upright, and this done I looked at the place where I meant to putit next, and getting hold of it tightly, began to lift it by the spokesjust as I had seen Ike manage it.
The fact did not occur to me that I was a mere boy and he a muscularman, for I'm afraid I had plenty of conceit, and, drawing in a longbreath, I lifted the ladder straight up easily enough, took a couple ofsteps in the right direction, and then felt to my horror that thestrength of my arms was as nothing as soon as the balance ceased to bepreserved, for in spite of my efforts the top of the ladder began to goover slowly, then faster and faster, then there was a sharp whishingcrash as the bough of a pear-tree was literally cut off and a bump and asharp crack.
The top of the ladder had struck the ground, breaking several feet rightoff, and I was clinging to the bottom.
One minute I was happy and in the highest of spirits; now I was plungedinto a state of hopeless despair as I wondered what Old Brownsmith wouldsay, and how much it would cost to repair that ladder.
I was so prostrated by my accident that for a minute or so I stoodholding on to the broken ladder, ruefully gazing at my work, and once Iactually found myself looking towards the wall where the trainedplum-trees formed a ladder easy of ascent for Shock, and just as easyfor me to get over and run for it--anywhere so as not to have to meetOld Brownsmith after destroying his property.
"Well, you've been and gone and done it now, young 'un, and no mistake,"said a gruff voice; and I found that Ike had come softly up behind me."I thought it was you tumbling and breaking of yourself again; but theladder. Oh my!"
"I couldn't help it," I cried piteously; "the top was so heavy, itseemed to pull it over when I tried to move it. Please how much will anew one cost?"
"Cost!" said Ike grimly, as he stood looking with one eye at the ladder,with the other at me--"hundred--hundred and twenty--say a hundred poundat the very outside."
"A hundred pounds!" I cried aghast.
"Well, not more'n that," said Ike. "Trying to move it, was you? and--why, you've smashed that branch off the pear-tree. I say, hadn't youbetter cut and run?"
"I don't know, Ike," I said hopelessly; "had I?"
"Well, I don't think I would this time. The ganger perhaps'll let youoff if you
pay for it out of your wage."
"But I don't have any wages," I said in despair.
"You don't!" he cried. "Well, then, you're in for it. My word, Iwouldn't be you for a crown."
I stood gazing helplessly from the ladder to Ike and back, half feelingthat he was imposing upon me, but in too much trouble to resent it, andas I stared about a robin came and sat upon the broken branch, andseemed to be examining how much damage I had done.
"Well, what shall we do, young 'un?" said Ike.
"I suppose I must go on picking with the broken ladder," I saidgloomily.
"You ain't going to cut then?"
"No," I said firmly.
"Then look here," said Ike; "suppose I take the broken ladder up intothe shed, and hang it up, and bring another. When the ganger finds ithe'll think it was Shock broke it, and then you'll be all right, eh?What do you say to that?"
"That I wouldn't be such a coward," I said stoutly. "I shall tell MrBrownsmith myself."
"Oh, very well!" said Ike, stooping and picking up the broken ladder."Here, give me that bit. I'll soon be back. Don't much matter. On'yfour foot gone, and we wanted a shorter one. This'll just do."
"Then it won't cost a hundred pounds?" I cried.
"No; nor a hundred pennies, boy. It was only my gammon. I'll soon beback."
I felt as if a load had been lifted off my breast as Ike came back at aheavy trot with a fresh ladder and planted it for me against theapple-tree.
"That's about safe," he cried. "If you feel yourself falling, hook oneof your ears over a bough and hang on. Never mind the ladder: let thatgo."
"That's nonsense!" I said sharply, and Ike chuckled.
"Look ye here, boy," he said, as I thanked him and ran up the ladderwith my empty basket, "I'll take that bough as you broke in among thegooseberries, where he never hardly comes, and I'll tell him that Ibroke the ladder moving it. You've had plenty of trouble already, andmy shoulders is bigger than yours."
"But it wouldn't be true," I said.
"Wouldn't it?" he replied, with a queer look. "Well, I suppose itwouldn't; but I'll tell him all the same."
"No," I cried, after a fight with a very cowardly feeling within me thatseemed to be pulling me towards the creep-hole of escape, "I shall tellhim myself."
Ike turned off sharply, and walked straight to where the broken pearbough lay, jumped up and pulled down the place where it had snapped off,opened his knife, and trimmed the ragged place off clean, and then wentback to his work.
"Now he's offended," I said to myself with a sigh; and I went on pickingapples in terribly low spirits.