Every Man for Himself Part 8

"'Well?' says he.

"'It ain't very kind,' says I.

"'What would _you_ do,' says he, 'if _you_ was me?'

"I give un a look that told un, an' 'twas against my will I done it.

"'Well,' says he, 'you can't blame me, then.'

"No more I could.

"'Now I'll get the grub from the forecastle, lad,' says he, 'an' we'll cast off. The _Wings o' the Mornin'_ isn't good for more'n half an hour more. You bide on deck, Tumm, an' leave the swine t' me.'

Then he went below.

"'All right,' says he, when he come on deck. 'Haul in the line.' We lashed a water-cask an' a grub-box t' the raft. 'Now, Tumm,' says he, 'we can take it easy. We won't be in no haste t' leave, for I 'low 'tis more comfortable here. Looks t' me like more moderate weather. I feels pretty good, Tumm, with all the work done, an' nothin' t' do but get aboard.' He sung the long-metre doxology. 'Look how the wind's dropped!'

says he. 'Why, lad, we might have saved the _Wings o' the Mornin'_ if them pigs had done their dooty last night. But 'tis too late now-an'

it's _been_ too late all day long. We'll have a spell o' quiet,' says he, 'when the sea goes down. Looks t' me like the v'y'ge might be pleasant, once we gets through the night. I 'low the stars'll be peepin'

afore mornin'. It'll be a comfort t' see the little mites. I loves t'

know they're winkin' overhead. They makes me think o' G.o.d. You isn't got a top-coat, is you, lad?' says he. 'Well, you better get it, then. I'll trust you in the forecastle, Tumm, for I knows you wouldn't wrong me, an' you'll need that top-coat bad afore we're picked up. An' if you got your mother's Bible in your nunny-bag, or anything like that you wants t' save, you better fetch it,' says he. 'I 'low we'll get out o' this mess, an' we don't want t' have anything t' regret.'

"I got my mother's Bible.

"'Think we better cast off?' says he.

"I did. The _Wings o' the Mornin'_ was ridin' too low an' easy for me t'

rest; an' the wind had fell to a soft breeze, an' they wasn't no more rain, an' no more dusty spray, an' no more breakin' waves. They was a shade on the sea-the first shadow o' the night-t' hide what we'd leave behind.

"'We better leave her,' says I.

"'Then all aboard!' says he.

"An' we got aboard, an' cut the cable, an' slipped away on a soft, black sea, far into the night.... An' no man ever seed the _Wings o' the Mornin'_ again.... An' me an Jowl was picked up, half dead o' thirst an'

starvation, twelve days later, by ol' Cap'n Loop, o' the Black Bay mail-boat, as she come around Toad Point, bound t' Burnt Harbor....

"Jowl an' me," Tumm resumed, "fished the Holy Terror Tickles o' the Labrador in the _Got It_ nex' season. He was a wonderful kind man, Jowl was-so pious, an' soft t' speak, an' honest, an' willin' for his labor.

At midsummer I got a bad hand, along of a cut with the splittin'-knife, an' nothin' would do Jowl but he'd lance it, an' wash it, an' bind it, like a woman, an' do so much o' my labor as he was able for, like a man.

I fair got t' _like_ that lad o' his-though 'twas but a young feller t'

home, at the time-for Jowl was forever talkin' o' Toby this an' Toby that-not boastful gabble, but just tender an' nice t' hear. An' a fine lad, by all accounts: a dutiful lad, brave an' strong, if given overmuch t' yieldin' the road t' save trouble, as Jowl said. I 'lowed, one night, when the _Got It_ was bound home, with all the load the salt would give her, that I'd sort o' like t' know the lad that Jowl had.

"'Why don't you fetch un down the Labrador?' says I.

"'His schoolin',' says Jowl.

"'Oh!' says I.

"'Ay,' says he; 'his mother's wonderful particular about the schoolin'.'

"'Anyhow,' says I, 'the schoolin' won't go on for all time.'

"'No,' says Jowl, 'it won't. An' I'm 'lowin' t' harden Toby up a bit nex' spring.'

"'T' the ice?' says I.

"'Ay,' says he; 'if I can overcome his mother.'

"''Tis a rough way t' break a lad,' says I.

"'So much the better,' says he. 'It don't take so long. Nothin' like a sealin' v'y'ge,' says he, 't' harden a lad. An' if you comes along, Tumm,' says he, 'why, I won't complain. I'm 'lowin' t' s.h.i.+p with Skipper Tommy Jump o' the _Second t' None_. She's a tight schooner, o' the Tiddle build, an' I 'low Tommy Jump will get a load o' fat, whatever comes of it. You better join, Tumm,' says he, 'an' we'll all be t'gether. I'm wantin' you t' get acquainted with Toby, an' lend a hand with his education, which you can do t' the queen's taste, bein' near of his age.'

"'I'll do it, Jowl,' says I.

"An' I done it; an' afore we was through, I wisht I hadn't."

Tumm paused.

"An' I done it-nex' March-s.h.i.+pped along o' Tommy Jump o' the _Second t'

None_, with Jowl an' his lad aboard," he proceeded.

"'You overcame the wife,' says I, 'didn't you?'

"''Twas a tough job,' says he. 'She 'lowed the boy might come t' harm, an' wouldn't give un up; but me an' Toby pulled t'gether, an' managed her, the day afore sailin'. She cried a wonderful lot; but, Lord! that's only the way o' women.'

"A likely lad o' sixteen, this Toby-blue-eyed an' fair, with curly hair an' a face full o' blushes. Polite as a girl, which is much too polite for safety at the ice. He'd make way for them that bl.u.s.tered; but he done it with such an air that we wasn't no more'n off the Goggles afore the whole crew was all makin' way for he. So I 'lowed he'd _do_-that he'd be took care of, just for love. But Jowl wasn't o' my mind.

"'No,' says he; 'the lad's too soft. He've got t' be hardened.'

"'Maybe,' says I.

"'If anything happened,' says he, 'Toby wouldn't stand a show. The men is kind to un now,' says he, 'for they doesn't lose nothin' by it. If they stood t' lose their lives, Tumm, they'd push un out o' the way, an'

he'd go 'ithout a whimper. I got t' talk t' that lad for his own good.'

"Which he done.

"'Toby,' says he, 'you is much too soft. Don't you go an' feel bad, now, lad, just because your father tells you so; for 'tis not much more'n a child you are, an' your father's old, an' knows all about life. You got t' get hard if you wants t' hold your own. You're too polite. You gives way too easy. _Don't_ give way-don't give way under no circ.u.mstances. In this life,' says he, ''tis every man for hisself. I don't know why G.o.d made it that way,' says he, 'but He done it, an' we got t' stand by.

You're young,' says he, 'an' thinks the world is what you'd have it be if you made it; but I'm old, an' I knows that a man can't be polite an'

live to his prime on this coast. Now, lad,' says he, 'we isn't struck the ice yet, but I 'low I smell it; an' once we gets the _Second t'

None_ in the midst, 'most anything is likely t' happen. If so be that Tommy Jump gets the schooner in a mess you look out for yourself; don't think o' n.o.body else, for you can't _afford_ to.'

"'Yes, sir,' says the boy.

"'Mark me well, lad! I'm tellin' you this for your own good. You won't get no mercy showed you; so don't you show mercy t' n.o.body else. If it comes t' your life or the other man's, you put _him_ out o' the way afore he has time t' put _you_. Don't let un give battle. Hit un so quick as you're able. It'll be harder if you waits. You don't have t' be _fair_. 'Tisn't expected. n.o.body's fair. An'-ah, now, Toby!' says he, puttin' his arm over the boy's shoulder, 'if you feels like givin' way, an' lettin' the other man have your chance, an' if you _can't_ think o'

yourself, just you think o' your mother. Ah, lad,' says he, 'she'd go an' cry her eyes out if anything happened t' you. Why, Toby-oh, my! now, lad-why, _think_ o' the way she'd sit in her rockin'-chair, an' put her pinny to her eyes, an' cry, an' cry! You're the only one she've got, an'

she couldn't, lad, she _couldn't_ get along 'ithout you! Ah, she'd cry, an' cry, an' cry; an' they wouldn't be nothin' in all the world t' give her comfort! So don't you go an' grieve her, Toby,' says he, 'by bein'

tender-hearted. Ah, now, Toby!' says he, 'don't you go an' make your poor mother cry!'