CHAPTER III.
THE BOYS CONSCIOUS OF HIGHER AIMS.
Those luxurious boys, not satisfied with eating soft bread, lollingin their new chairs, bathing and frisking in the blue waters of theMediterranean, resolved to sleep in the Bird's Nest, as they hadchristened the structure in the tree. This was a plan of Ned, whoproposed taking their beds up into the tree and sleeping there.
"Don't let us sleep on that old straw, but throw it away and get somefresh," said Walter; "though, upon second thoughts, I don't know wherewe should get it. These peasants only raise rye, and rye straw is toohard, only fit for stuffing horse collars. Let us get moss and beechleaves, Ned; the old leaves that have fallen off will be just thething, only dry them."
"So we will."
"I'll tell you what I've been thinking of. Wonder I didn't think of itbefore."
"Let's hear."
"We've been here some time, little or nothing to do, and have not beenfifty rods from the beach. Suppose before two days there should comea gale of wind, a real snorter, set the blockading fleet a flying,everything head over heels, and it is, up topgallant-mast, send uptopgallant and royal yards, mast-head the topsail, man the windlass,up anchor and away for Marseilles. By and by we get home. CharlieBell and Captain Rhines say (as I know they will), 'Well, boys, haveyou seen any place you like better than home? What kind of land isit? What crops do they grow? Did the people seem happy, and do theylive any better or know any more than we do? Do they live by farming,fishing, lumbering, or manufacturing? Are they any better off sincethey killed their king and a good part of their aristocracy than theywere before?' We should have to scratch our heads, and say, 'We don'tknow; had plenty of time, but didn't go anywhere.' 'What did you dowith yourselves,' they will ask. 'We made a nest in the top of a tree,took our beds up, and slept there; made chairs, sat there, talked, andwent a fishing.'"
"Don't say any more, Walter. I'm sure you've made it out bad enough."
"Then, perhaps, they would think, if they didn't say it, that it wasrather small business for a mate of a vessel who wanted to be master,and a young fellow who wanted to be mate, and had run the broadside ofa hundred gun ship, and been twice wounded, to be spending all theirtime building birds' nests: better leave that to the birds, and setabout the business they were made for."
"Come, grandfather," replied Ned, patting Walter's cheek, "just leavethat alone; this nest is not without its use. We must have some placefor a lookout to watch the fleet: and, were it not for this, thecaptain would have to go the best part of a mile to a hill. Thesechairs are a real comfort to him, as well as to us. I'm sure it isour duty to do anything we can for him, who is so good to us, andputs us ahead. A fellow must have some fun to oil the wheels and makeeverything run smooth; besides, _grandpa_, you will be obliged toallow, that if I first thought of making the nest, you have put tentimes the work in it I ever intended doing; and I'm sure the chairswere all your own getting up; and now you want to get moss to fill bedswith."
"There, you've said enough, you little monkey."
"I think this nice warm climate, just like May, makes anybody feel lazyand shiftless. Only think, Wal, at home, now, they are all covered upin snow, icicles hanging from the cattle's noses, and big roaring firesin the houses; and here I saw yesterday, right on the side of thatlittle knoll, strawberries in blossom."
"I guess you're right, Ned," said Walter, stretching himself; "and thatis just as our Joe is always saying--the frost puts the grit in."
"I guess so, for there don't seem to be much grit in the folks here; itseems as though the women did half the work."
"Let us ask the captain, Ned, for liberty to go and take a look at thecountry; then we can get information, and something to fill our bedswith, besides having a good time--pleasure and profit, youngster."
"Where shall we sleep; out doors?"
"Yes; take a blanket (the weather is warm), just to keep the dew off."
"And we can carry provisions?"
"Yes, and fireworks."
"I should like that; it would be something like what we were going todo at Pleasant Cove, when uncle Isaac was hurt. I never was in thewoods; always have been either at school or at sea."
"I don't think you'll find much woods, I can't see from the tree anythat I should call woods. There seems to be as much about this oven asanywhere, and I suppose that was left to shelter and conceal the harborfor the smugglers."
"I tell you, Walter, 'twill seem real nice, after being penned upaboard ship, to lie down under a tree, stretch out, loll about, no'anchor watch,' don't care whether school keeps or not, even if youdon't do any more than that."
"There's a roll of canvas under my berth. I'll ask the captain to giveus enough to make a couple of packs."
Having obtained the canvas, needles, and twine, they were soon in theBird's Nest, sewing and talking over their proposed tramp. They invitedJacques to make one of the party; but he was about to return and resumehis employment of fishing, and in the mean time keep watch of theEnglish fleet, and pick up any information that was valuable, until hisservices should be again required as pilot.
Walter sent Ned to the captain for liberty, which he not only gavecheerfully, but added, "There's nothing to be done; you may stay aslong as you like; only be sure, if you see any change in the weather,to hurry aboard."
Ned, delighted, thanked the captain most enthusiastically.
"You know, Ned," said he, "you have not enjoyed much for a boy. You'venever had a great deal of boyhood, you were kept at school very closelyby your parents, then went to sea, was cast away. When you got overthat, went right off again, was wounded, suffered a great deal, andthen was disappointed in respect to the good time you were reckoningupon at Pleasant Cove with Mr. Murch and Walter. Now you are a rightdown good boy, Ned, and I hope you will enjoy yourself, for nobody cantell what will befall us next."
Having set out at sunrise, they travelled till noon, and after gainingthe summit of a high hill, lay down beneath a tree to rest. Their lifeon shipboard had entirely unfitted them for walking; the strap of thepacks cut their shoulders, and they were thirsty, for the dry, barrenplains of Provence afforded no water: they were extremely fatigued.
After stretching themselves at full length upon the ground to rest,not caring whether school kept or not, they went in quest of water, andat last came to a place where a very little trickled from a seam in theledge, but was evaporated by the hot sun, nearly as fast as it ran,barely moistening the rock.
"What shall we do, Walter?"
"I'll show you."
He broke some branches from a clump of pine bushes, set them againstthe rock, then sat down with Ned under them. The bushes kept off thesun, and the water, no longer evaporating, collected in a little cavityof the rock, and they were bountifully supplied. Opening their packs,they began to eat with the greatest relish.
"We're all right now, Wal!" said Ned.
"I shall be when I get this junk of beef down. It came from ElmIsland--Lion Ben's old brindled ox. Only see the fat on it!--that goesto the right place, Ned. I call this rather a poor, mean country; thesoil seems to be a hungry gravel, all burnt up; scarcely any wood."
"I suppose they don't need a great deal, only a little to cook with,the weather is so warm."
"The captain says they have cold winds in the spring, from themountains, and hail and snow--hail enough sometimes to kill sheep anddestroy the whole crop."
They now resumed their packs and went on, chatting and making theirobservations in respect to the land and the peasants whom they saw atwork in the fields.
"Where do these people live?" asked Ned. "I don't see a house, althoughthere are plenty of fields, and people at work in them. Only see thewomen shovelling sand and picking up rocks! As I live, if there ain't ahorse and jackass working together!"
"Look over there," said Walter; "see those oxen, the yoke lashed totheir horns."
"Wonder where they cut any hay!" said Ned; "don't see anymowing-fields."
"I don't
suppose they need much; they have no snow to lie, and thecattle graze all winter."
"I should think so, by the looks of them."
"O, Ned, what kind of a tree is that, with those rough things on thebranches? Let's go and see. Why, it's a chestnut! Here are some justsuch as they sell in the stores."
"Why, Walter, didn't you ever see a chestnut tree before?"
"No; they don't grow our way; only walnuts and butternuts."
"There's plenty of them in Massachusetts. But what are all these stonewalls built round the sides of the hills for? and what is that growingon them?"
"Vines; I've seen those in Spain."
"But how do they ever get any manure up there?"
"Lug it on their backs in baskets."
"I guess this land must all belong to one man, for I don't see anydivision fences; only once in a while a ditch, or a little pile ofstones. He must have an everlasting sight of land, for I can't see anyhouse. What kind of a tree is that with pale green leaves?"
"An olive."
"Is that what they make oil from, Walter?"
"Yes."
"And that one next to it?"
"A fig tree."
"How do you know?"
"Jacques showed me one at Marseilles, last voyage, in a garden."
"And these others?"
"I don't know what they are."
"I think it's queer. Here are pines, beeches, and ash, just such as wehave at home, and olives and figs growing right among them. I don'tsee, when we get all the rest, why we can't have the olives and figs."
They now ascended a hill, and, upon reaching the summit, looked downupon a vale, which presented so striking a contrast to the dry andbarren soil they had passed over as to cause them to exclaim, "Howbeautiful!"
It was indeed a lovely spot. The place itself, the productions ofthe earth, and surrounding scenery, were so entirely different fromanything the boys had ever witnessed, that they remained for somemoments lost in silent wonder. It was sheltered from the mountainblasts by hills, whose sides were terraced and covered with vines.Skirting the base of the hills, on the north side, flowed a broad, deepbrook, from which the water, conducted in canals in all directions,watered the whole vale. Not a fence, ditch, or hedge marred thebeautiful harmony of the picture, where the soil, abundantly watered,sheltered, and beneath a fervid sun, manifested an exuberance unknownin more northern climes.
"Look, Walter. I see the spire of a church, or something that lookslike it, between those two hills."
"Yes; I see it. Those people seem very kind. Let us go and have a talkwith that old man who is at work at the foot of that tree with such alot round him; all the family, I guess. You speak to him, Ned."
Walter knew that the French he had learned from the exiles atSalem was quite different from the patois of Provence, being thelanguage of cultivated society, whereas Ned had picked his up fromPeterson, Jacques, and Mr. Bell, and it was the very dialect of thislocality,--the dialects, in different parts of France, differing almostas much as the climate. Walter had also learned many words from thesame source as Ned.
"I'll speak to him; I can talk their lingo first rate now; but let ussit down and rest a while."
"I'm real tired; where shall we sleep to-night?"
"Under that high cliff, the other side of the valley; and we can drinkfrom the brook. I see some trees there, and we can make our fire rightunder them, drive a stake into some crevice, hang our kettle, and havea cup of tea."
"Think we couldn't get some milk of those folks, Wal?"
"I expect it would be goat's milk, if we did."
"Goat's milk is first rate, I tell you. We had two goats aboard theMadras."
"Perhaps it is; but it always seemed to me that it must taste just as agoat smells."
"O, Wal, what a boy you are! Who ever heard of tasting a smell?"
"I don't care. There's a mighty difference between a cow and a goat. Acow's breath is as sweet as a rose."