The Young Ship-Builders of Elm Island

  CHAPTER XI.

  POMP’S POND.

  NO matter what year we were at Andover. There was then, and I supposeis now, in that staid old town, a certain pond, called Pomp’s Pond, inwhich grew any quantity of pond lilies, and some small fish.

  These lilies grew in deep water, which was black, full of sediment andslime, and withal not very pleasant to go into. These lilies were ingreat request among the theological and Phillips Academy students.

  The Academy boys were also very fond of fishing there; and the onlyavailable boat was a wherry, belonging to a man by the name ofGoldsmith, who, to keep the boys from getting her, kept her at hishouse near by.

  When any parties wished to hire her, he hauled her down with his oxen,and, when their time was up, hauled her back again.

  We were as fond of lilies and fishing as the next one; but the idea ofbeing tied down to Goldsmith did not agree at all with our notions. Werequired a larger liberty, and altogether more searoom. We thereforeresolved to build a wherry of our own, to go and come when we liked,moonlight nights and all. We had at first intended to make her largeenough to take a friend or two with us, but the difficulty thatpresented itself at the outset was, where we should keep her. If wekept her at the pond, all the Academy boys would be in her from morningtill night, and when we wanted her, they would be off in the pond, orthe oars would be lost or broken, and besides, she would be too heavyto haul out and hide in the woods.

  As a preliminary, we made a critical survey of the pond andsurroundings, when it appeared that upon one side was a quagmire,abounding in cat-tail (cooper’s) flags, abutting on some sandy landcovered with a thick growth of pitch-pine and brush. In view ofthese circumstances, we resolved to make a wherry only large enoughto contain our own person, and so light that we could carry it onthe shoulder, or, by tying the ends of our neckerchief together, andflinging it over the stem, drag it through this flag swamp, where noone could follow, and hide it in the woods. We had also ascertained afact not known to the boys--that the roots of the flag will supportone; but if you step between, down you go.

  What a nice thing it would have been, then, to have had some one tellus how to make the boat! But there was no one, and, like Charlie onElm Island, we were flung upon our own resources; nor was material soplentiful with us as with him: however, we procured some apple treelimbs, where Jacob Abbot had been trimming his orchard, for timbers,and went into Mr. Hidden’s carpenter’s shop to build her.

  I shan’t tell you how wide she was, but when we sat in the middle ofher, there was very little room between our body and the sides; andin order to have her as light as possible, the planks were only threesixteenths of an inch thick, and the timbers and knees in proportion.It was necessary to keep a little ballast in, both to keep her steady,and to put at one end when we were in the other, and which, toeconomize room, consisted of some flat, thick pieces of iron. In sonarrow a craft, which it required almost the skill of a rope-dancer tokeep on her bottom, it is evident the seat must be low: it consisted ofa board laid across the bottom, with three cleats, three inches thick,nailed across the under side, to keep it up a little from the bottom;for though she was perfectly tight, as far as leakage was concerned,her planks were so thin, as, after a while, to soak water, which wasat length in a great degree remedied by painting her; she was as lightas an Indian canoe of the same size, which we, at one time, thought ofmaking, but were prevented from want of bark.

  When she was done, and a paddle made, one evening when there werestars, but no moon, we carried her on our shoulder to the sandy groundat the edge of the flag swamp, and dug a hole large enough to receiveher, carrying all the earth dug out, in a basket, and throwing it intothe pond; we then put her in the hole, and covered the mouth of it withbrush that had lain a long time in the woods, so that nothing appearedto attract notice.

  Great was the surprise of the visitors to the pond, the next Saturdayafternoon, to see a person in a boat, anchored, and quietly fishing.

  Strenuous were the efforts of the Academy students to find where thisnew craft was kept, increasing in vigor as pond-lily time drew near.Every nook and corner of the woods was searched, and every bush peepedunder in vain.

  It was equally idle to watch and see where he landed: all they knewwas, that he disappeared among the flags, and before they could maketheir way through the mud and thick mat of bushes that margined thatside of the pond, the boat was no longer visible, and he would be foundsitting under a tree, or with his hands full of lilies.

  Equally unsuccessful were all attempts to persuade him to let them getinto her, a very good reason for which being the certainty of theirupsetting, which the following occurrence will attest.

  One sunshiny morning we were strolling with a friend, who has sincemade some stir in the world, along the shores of the pond in quest ofberries. There were a great many lilies in bloom, some of which hedesired to present to a _friend_.

  “Come, K., go and get your boat and pick some of those lilies.”

  “I will if you’ll give me your word that you will remain here, and notfollow, to see where I take her from, or where I put her.”

  “Well, I will; I’ll sit down on this rock, and won’t stir from it tillyou return. Let _me_ go and get them,” he said, as we brought thelittle affair to the beach.

  “You can’t go in her; you’ll upset.”

  “Tell me I can’t go in a boat! I was born and brought up on Cape Cod,and have been used to boats all my life.”

  “Can’t help where you were born; going in a thing like that isn’t amatter of birthright. I have a cousin who is a watchmaker, and I usedto sleep with him, but I can’t make a watch for all that; you’d haveher bottom up in five minutes.”

  “Nonsense; take my gun, and let me get the lilies.”

  We took the gun and went into the woods; but it was not long beforewe heard the cries of, “Help! help!” and returning to the pond, foundthe surface covered with floating lilies, in the midst of which was abroad-brimmed hat, the boat bottom up, and our Cape Cod friend clingingto her.

  Those were pleasant days, rainbow-tinted; and though more sombre hueshave since succeeded, I love to look even on the sky from which theyhave faded.

  There was a fine set of boys at Phillips Academy then, many of whomhave nobly justified their early promise; while others, the centre ofmany loving hearts, have gone to early graves, like a leaf that fallsin June. It is sometimes hard to keep back the tears, as I recallthose bright faces, and the pleasant hours we have spent together,especially in the Sunday school.

  Gus Daniels was a splendid boy: how we all loved him! Well do Iremember when he came to the mansion-house, fresh from home, ashrinking, diffident boy, and was set down at the breakfast-table, witha large company of theological students, too frightened to ask foranything, and trying to make himself as small as possible. We helpedthe little fellow, endeavored to converse with and assure him, and atdinner found him again beside us. The next Sunday morning found him inmy class in Sunday school; and, as those will who are like attempered,we gradually grew together: how I loved him! and perceiving what wasin him, I began to stimulate and encourage him to worthy effort; heleaped under it like a generous horse to the pressure of his rider’sknee. Many a Phillips Academy boy and Harvard student will rememberhim, who died just as he was putting on his harness. But then there wasno shadow of the sepulchre, nor taint of disease, upon him. There wasan innate attractiveness which made it pleasant even to sit in the sameroom with him, though no word was spoken, and his lovable and takingways won every heart.

  The lilies were now in full bloom, and he, with others, had resolvedupon a mighty and combined attempt to find the whereabouts of thatmysterious boat. I was made aware, while quietly fishing, of thepresence of a great number of boys on the the shore.

  “Mr. K.!”

  No reply.

  “Mr. K.!”

  “In Zanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure dome decree, Where Alph, the sacred river, ran, Through caverns measurele
ss to man, Down to a sunless sea.”

  “Speak louder, Gus.”

  “_Mr. K.!_”

  “O’er Tempé’s god-frequented streams There broods a holy spell, And still in Greece, the land of dreams, Heroic memories dwell.”

  “He’s talking to the fishes, Gus: he don’t hear.”

  “He don’t want to hear: he suspects what we are after.”

  A universal shout, that made the woods ring, now compelled attention.

  “Good afternoon, boys.”

  “Good afternoon, sir.”

  “This afternoon is so delightful, the place so quiet and conduciveto reverie, I have insensibly fallen into reflection respecting asubject that has often been a matter of thought, and as often causedperplexity.”

  “What may that be, sir?”

  “Whether Vulcan didn’t dull his axe when he split Jupiter’s head open.”

  “We have a matter that has caused us no little perplexity we want toknow where you keep that boat, and we’re not going to leave till we doknow.”

  “I am glad to see young people, the strength of the country, havewants; wants are the foundation of all progress, both in science andthe arts.”

  “How so, Mr. K?”

  “Because, Gus, when men begin to have wants they naturally try togratify them, and the more they gratify them the more they have, andthus they better their position. For instance, I wanted pond lilies,and to catch fish; so I built this boat: that bettered my position,as you perceive,”--pulling up a pout,--“else, instead of sitting herequietly fishing and reflecting, I should, like you, be standing on theshore, looking and longing.”

  “Well, we’re going to see.”

  “It would be very desirable, as it would remove a great dealof perplexity from your minds, and restore universal peace andsatisfaction.”

  “Why so?”

  “Because you are now very much perplexed in opinion, and confused inyour notions; some of you think I keep this boat under water, othersin the top of a tree, and a few, that I have an ointment I got of anIndian, which, being rubbed on her, turns her into a cat-tail flag; butseeing is believing, and would at once remove all doubts and reconcileall conflicting opinions.”

  “If you don’t let us see, we won’t come to your Sunday school classto-morrow.”

  “Yes, you will, Gus, because you’ll have to; if you’re absent, you’llbe marked absent, and Uncle Sam will know the reason why.

  ‘Are ye not marked, ye men of Dalecarlia?’”

  “O, if we could only find out, wouldn’t we hide her where he couldn’tfind her!”

  “This is a world of perplexities and disappointments; there is onething I have always wanted to ascertain, but latterly have quitedespaired of it; therefore I know how to sympathize with you.”

  “What is that, Mr. K.?”

  “Where Hannibal got his vinegar.”

  “If I live, I mean to ask Uncle Sam; he thinks he’s great on theclassics; that’ll stick him.”

  “I’ll get you all the lilies you want, boys.”

  “That is not what we want; we want to have the boat, and get themourselves.”

  “I can appreciate that moral sentiment, Will Gunton, just as I receivegreater enjoyment hauling up this fish,”--pulling in a pickerel,--“thanyou do from merely looking at me.”

  “O, ye gods and little fishes, if he is not enough to provoke a saint.”

  “I assent to that opinion likewise, for I vexed Dr. Woods yesterday.”

  “In what way?”

  “By asking him what the difference was between whoever and whosoever.”

  “Well, if you won’t let us have the boat, or do anything for us, wewon’t love you as we have done; Uncle Sam can’t mark us for that.”

  “Yes, you will, Gus, for you can’t help it.”

  “What’s the reason we can’t help it?”

  “Can you help loving honey?”

  “No, sir; because that is natural.”

  “Is it not as natural to love those who love us?”

  “If you loved us, you would gratify us, and let us have the boat.”

  “That is just the reason I don’t let you have it, because I know youwould be drowned.”

  “You only say that because you don’t want us to have the boat. You loveus, but you won’t _do_ anything for us.”

  “No, I never did anything for you! Who writes your dialogues anddeclamations, and does a host of other unmentionable things? There isnot a great deal of gratitude this year, I suppose, because it is sodry.”

  “O, Mr. K., I’ll take it all back! I’m sorry I said it, and sorrierthat I thought it.”

  “If I don’t want you to be drowned, I am disposed to contribute to yourenjoyment. I’ll take you all over to the North Parish Pond, where is alarge boat, and sail you to your hearts’ content; that is, if you’ll begood boys and go away.”

  “We are very much obliged to you, but we’ve made up our minds to seewhere you keep that boat, and we can’t give it up; that is what we camefor. There are enough of us to surround the pond, flag swamp and all.You will have to give it up, Mr. K. We are resolved to know, if we stayhere all night.”

  “Resolution is a great thing in a young man. Resolution carried thegreat Washington across the Delaware. As I understand it, you are, oneand all, resolved to know where I keep this boat.”

  “So say we all of us.”

  “If I will let you see where I put her, will you be satisfied?”

  A unanimous shout testified their assent.

  “Well, then, look and see where I put her.”

  The boatman, after stringing the fish, and hanging them around hisneck, placing iron on the seat and paddle in order to keep them fromfloating up, pulled the plug out of the bottom of the boat, the ballastcarried her down, and he swam ashore. There was one little detail ofthese proceedings that even their sharp eyes failed to notice. Theydid not see him fasten the plug of the boat to a fishing-line, theother end of which was attached to the boat, and drop it overboard tomark the spot. When the little piece of wood, only two inches long,was in the water, it was no longer visible from the shore, and wouldnot be easily found, except by one who had taken the bearings of someobjects on the shore from the boat itself. The boys on their way homecongratulated themselves that Mr. K. had disappointed himself as muchas them. At any rate, they would no more be tantalized by witnessingsport which they could not share. But the Fourth of July morning therewas Mr. K. in the boat, getting lilies!

  “We might as well give it up, boys,” said Will Gunton; “we shall findwhere he keeps her when we find where Hannibal got his vinegar.”

  Upon leaving those parts, we buried her like an Indian chief, with thepaddle and anchor in her, and no Phillips Academy boy, or prowlingtheological student, has ever found the grave till this day, nor everwill.

  We haven’t forgotten how these boys felt; therefore we would give suchoutlines that any boy of mechanical turn, who has tools, pluck, andpatience, may by their aid build himself a safe and serviceable boat.

  Charlie’s boat, the dimensions of which will be given, is rathernarrow, but it was all his log would allow, and he had not yet hadexperience enough to deviate from the copy.

  But if a boy is to build a boat, he had better make her wider, fivefeet beam instead of four, to eighteen of length, or four feet sixinches beam and fourteen feet in length; then she will be stiff, andneed less ballast.