Elsie at Nantucket Page 3

  CHAPTER III.

  "And I have loved thee, Ocean!"

  Captain Raymond, always an early riser, was out on the bluffs before thesun rose, and in five minutes Max was by his side.

  "Ah, my boy, I though you were sound asleep, and would be for an houryet," the captain remarked when they had exchanged an affectionategood-morning.

  "No, sir, I made up my mind last night that I'd be out in time to seethe sun rise right out of the sea," Max said; "and there he is, justpeeping above the waves. There, now he's fairly up I and see, papa, whata golden glory he sheds upon the waters; they are almost too bright tolook at. Isn't it a fine sight?"

  "Yes, well worth the sacrifice of an extra morning nap--at least once ina while."

  "You must have seen it a great many times, papa."

  "Yes, a great many; but it never loses its attraction for me."

  "Oh, look, look, papa!" cried Max; "there's a fisherman going out; hehas his dory down on the beach, and is just watching for the right waveto launch it. I never can see the difference in the waves--why one isbetter than half a dozen others that he lets pass. Can you, sir?"

  "No," acknowledged the captain; "but let us watch now and try to makeout his secret."

  They did watch closely for ten minutes or more, while wave after wavecame rushing in and broke along the beach, the fisherman's eyes all thewhile intent upon them as he stood motionless beside his boat; thensuddenly seeming to see the right one--though to the captain and Max itdid not look different from many of its neglected predecessors--he gavehis dory a vigorous push that sent it out upon the top of that verywave, leaped into the stern, seized his oars, and with a powerful strokesent the boat out beyond the breakers.

  "Bravo!" cried Max, clapping his hands and laughing with delight; "see,papa, how nicely he rides now on the long swells! How I should like tobe able to manage a boat like that. May I learn if I have the chance?"

  "Yes," said his father; "I should like to have you a proficient in allmanly accomplishments, only don't be foolhardy and run useless risks. Iwant my son to be brave, but not rash; ready to meet danger withcoolness and courage when duty calls, and to have the proper trainingto enable him to do so intelligently, but not to rush recklessly into itto no good end."

  "Yes, papa," Max answered; "I mean to try to be just such a man as myfather is; but do you mean that I may take lessons in managing a boat onthe sea, if I can find somebody to teach me?"

  "I do; I shall inquire about among the fishermen and see who is capableand willing for the task. Come, let us go down to the beach; we shallhave abundance of time for a stroll before breakfast."

  At that moment Lulu joined them with a gay good-morning to each; she wasin a happy mood. "Oh, what a lovely morning! what a delightful placethis is!" she cried. "Papa, can't we take a walk?"

  "Yes, Max and I were about starting for one, and shall be pleased tohave your company."

  "I'd like to go to Tom Never's Head, papa," said Max.

  "Oh, so should I!" cried Lulu.

  "I believe they call the distance from here about two miles," remarkedthe captain reflectively; "but such a walk before breakfast in thisbracing air I presume will not damage children as strong and healthy asthese two of mine," regarding them with a fond, fatherly smile. "So comealong, we will try it."

  He took Lulu's hand, and the three wended their way southward alongSunset Heights, greatly enjoying the sight of the ocean, its wavesglittering and dancing in the brilliant sunlight, their booming sound asthey broke along the beach and the exhilarating breeze blowing fresh andpure from them.

  "This is a very dangerous coast," the captain remarked, "especially inwinter, when it is visited by fierce gales; a great many vessels havebeen wrecked on Nantucket coast."

  "Yes, papa," said Max; "I heard a story the other day of a ship that waswrecked the night before Christmas, eight or ten years ago, on thisshore. Nobody knew that a ship was near until the next morning, whenpieces of wreck, floating barrels, and dead bodies were cast up on thebeach.

  "They found that one man had got to land alive; they knew it because hewas quite a distance from the beach, though entirely dead when theyfound him. You see there was just one farmhouse in sight from the sceneof the disaster, and they had alight that night because somebody wassick; and they supposed the man saw the light and tried to reach it, butwas too much exhausted by fatigue and the dreadful cold, for it seemedhis clothes had all been torn off him by the waves; he was stark nakedwhen found, and lying on the ground, which showed that he had struggledhard to get up after falling down upon it.

  "I think they said the ship was called the Isaac Newton, was loaded withbarrels of coal-oil, and bound for Holland."

  "What a terrible death!" Lulu said with a shudder, and clinging moretightly to her father's hand; "every one drowned and may be half frozenfor hours before they died. Oh, papa, I wish you didn't belong to thenavy, but lived all the time on land! I am so afraid your ship will bewrecked some time," she ended with a sob.

  "It is not only upon the water that people die by what we call accident,daughter," the captain answered; "many horrible deaths occur onland--many to which drowning would in my opinion be far preferable.

  "But you must remember that we are under God's care and protectioneverywhere, on land and on sea; and that if we are His children no realevil can befall us. I am very glad you love me, my child, but I wouldnot have you make yourself unhappy with useless fears on my account.Trust the Lord for me and all whom you love."

  They pressed onward and presently came upon a lovely lakelet near thebeach, as clear as crystal and with bushes with dark green foliagegrowing on all sides but that toward the sea.

  They stopped for a moment to gaze upon it with surprise and admiration,then pushed on again till the top of the high bluff known as Tom Never'sHead was reached.

  They stood upon its brink and looked off westward and northward over theheaving, tumbling ocean, as far as the eye could reach to the line wheresea and sky seemed to meet, taking in long draughts of the pure,invigorating air, and listening to the roar of the breakers below.

  "What is that down there?" asked Lulu.

  "Part of a wreck, evidently," answered her father; "it must have beenthere a long while, it is so deeply imbedded in the sand."

  "I wish I knew its story," said Lulu; "I hope everybody wasn't drownedwhen it was lost."

  "It must have happened years ago, before that life-saving station wasbuilt," remarked Max.

  "Life-saving station," repeated Lulu, turning to look in the directionof his glance; "what's that?"

  "Do you not know what that means?" asked her father. "It is high timeyou did. Those small houses are built here and there all along our coastby the general government, for the purpose of accommodating each a bandof surf-men, who are employed by the government to keep a lookout forvessels in distress, and give them all the aid in their power.

  "They are provided with lifeboats, buoys, and other necessary things toenable them to do so successfully. If it were not too near breakfasttime I should take you over there to see their apparatus; but we mustdefer it to some other day, which will be quite as well, for then we maybring a larger party with us. Now for home," he added, again takingLulu's hand; "if your appetites are as keen as mine you will be glad toget there and to the table."

  "Two good hours to bathing-time," remarked Mr. Dinsmore, consulting hiswatch as they rose from the breakfast table. "I propose that we utilizethem in a visit to Sankaty lighthouse."

  All were well satisfied to do so, and presently they set off, somedriving, others walking, for the distance is not great, and even feeblefolk often find themselves able to take quite long tramps in the bracingsea air.

  Max and Lulu preferred to walk when they learned that their fatherintended doing so; then Grace, though extremely fond of driving, beggedleave to join their party, and the captain finally granted her request,thinking within himself that he could carry her if her strength gaveout.

  The little face
grew radiant with delight.

  "Oh, you are a nice, good papa!" she cried, giving him a hug and kiss,for he was seated with her upon his knee.

  "I am glad you think so," he said, laughingly, as he returned hercaress. "Well, as soon as I have helped your mamma into the carriage wewill start."

  They set out presently, Grace holding fast to one of his hands whileLulu had the other, and tripping gayly along by his side till, passingout of the village, they struck into the narrow path leading to Sankaty;then the little maid moved along more soberly, looking far away over therolling billows and watching the progress of some vessels in the offing.

  They could hear the dash of the waves on the beach below, but could notsee it for the over-hanging cliffs, the path running some yards distantfrom their brink.

  "I want to see where the waves come up," said Lulu; "there's Max lookingdown over the edge; can't we go and look too, papa?"

  "Yes, with me along to take care of you," he said, turning from the pathand leading them seaward; "but don't venture alone, the ground mightcrumble under your feet and you would have a terrible fall, going downmany feet right into the sea."

  They had reached the brink. Grace, clinging tightly to her father'shand, took one timid peep, then drew back in terror. "Oh, papa, how fardown it is!" she exclaimed. "Oh, let's get away, for fear the groundwill break and let us fall."

  "Pooh! Gracie, don't be such a coward," said Lulu. "I shouldn't beafraid even if papa hadn't hold of our hands."

  "I should be afraid for you, Lulu, so venturesome as you are," said thecaptain, drawing her a little farther back. "Max, my son, be careful."

  "Yes, sir, I will. Papa, do you know how high this bluff is?"

  "They say the bank is eighty-five feet high where the lighthouse stands,and I presume it is about the same here. Now, children, we will walkon."

  Grace's strength held out wonderfully; she insisted she was not at alltired, even when the end of their walk was reached.

  The other division of the party had arrived some minutes before, andseveral were already making the ascent to the top of the lighthousetower; the rest were scattered, waiting their turn in the neat parlor ofthe keeper's snug little home, or wandering over the grassy expansebetween it and the sea.

  "There are Grandma Elsie and mamma in the house," cried Grace, catchingsight of them through a window.

  "Yes," said her father, "we will go in there and wait our turn withthem," leading the way as he spoke. "Do you want to go up into thetower, Gracie?"

  "Oh no, no, papa!" she cried, "what would be the use? and I am afraid Imight fall."

  "What, with your big strong father to hold you fast?" he askedlaughingly, sitting down and drawing her to a seat upon his knee; forthey had entered the parlor.

  "It might tire you to hold me so hard; I'm getting so big now," sheanswered naively, looking up into his face with a loving smile andstealing an arm about his neck.

  "Ah, no danger of that," he laughed. "Why, I believe I could hold evenyour mamma or Lulu, and that against their will, without being greatlyexhausted by the exertion.

  "My dear," turning to Violet, "shall I have the pleasure of helping youup to the top of the tower?"

  "Thank you, I think I shall not try it to-day," she answered; "they tellme the steps are very steep and hard to climb."

  "Ah, so I suppose, and I think you are wise not to attempt it."

  "But I may, mayn't I, papa?" Lulu said. "You know I always like to goeverywhere."

  "I fear it will be a hard climb for a girl of your size," he answereddoubtfully.

  "Oh, but I want to go, and I don't care if it is a hard climb," shesaid coaxingly, coming close to his side and laying her hand on hisshoulder. "Please, papa, do say I may."

  "Yes, since you are so desirous," he said, in an indulgent tone.

  Max came hurrying in. "We can go up now, papa," he said; "the othershave come down."

  Edward and Zoe were just behind the boy. "Oh, you ought all to go up,"cried the latter; "the view's just splendid."

  "Mother," said Edward, "the view is very fine, but there are sixtysteps, each a foot high; a pretty hard climb for a lady, I should think.Will you go up? may I have the pleasure of helping you?"

  "Yes," she answered; "I am quite strong and well, and think the viewwill probably pay for the exertion."

  They took the lead, the captain following with Lulu, and Max bringing upthe rear.

  Having reached the top and viewed the great light (one of the finest onthe coast) from the interior, Elsie stepped outside, and holding fast toEdward's hand made the entire circuit, enjoying the extended view on allsides.

  Stepping in again, she drew a long breath of relief. "I should not liketo try that in a strong wind," she said, "or at all if I were easilymade dizzy; no, nor in any case without a strong arm to cling to forsafety; for there is plenty of space to fall through between the ironrailing and the masonry."

  "I should tremble to see you try it alone, mother," Edward said.

  "It is a trifle dangerous," acknowledged the keeper.

  "Yet safe enough for a sailor," laughed the captain, stepping out.

  "Oh, papa, let me go too, please do!" pleaded Lulu.

  "Why should you care to?" asked her father.

  "To see the prospect, papa; oh, do let me! there can't be any dangerwith you to hold me tight."

  For answer he leaned down and helped her up the step, then led herslowly round, giving her time to take in all the beauties of the scene,taking care of Max too, who was slowly following.

  "I presume you are a little careful whom you allow to make that round?"the captain observed inquiringly to the keeper when again they stoodinside.

  "Yes, and we have never had an accident; but I don't know but there wasa narrow escape from it the other day.

  "Of course crowds of people come here almost every day while summervisitors are on the island, and we can't always judge what kind theyare; but we know it is not an uncommon thing for people standing on thebrink of a precipice or any height to feel an uncontrollable inclinationto throw themselves down it, and therefore we are on the watch.

  "Well, the other day I let a strange woman out there, but presently whenI saw her looking down over the edge and heard her mutter to herself,'Shall I know him when I see him? shall I know him when I see him?' Ipulled her inside in a hurry."

  "You thought she was deranged and about to commit suicide byprecipitating herself to the ground?" Edward said inquiringly.

  "Exactly, sir," returned the keeper.

  All of their number who wished to do so having visited the top of thetower, our party prepared to leave.

  "Are you going to walk back, papa? Mayn't I go with you?" pleaded Grace.

  "No, daughter, we must not try your strength too far," he said, liftingher into the carriage where Grandma Elsie and Violet were alreadyseated. "I am going on a mile further to Sachacha Pond, ladies," heremarked; "will you drive there, or directly home?"

  "There, if there is time to go and return before the bathing hour," theyanswered.

  "Quite. I think," he replied, and the carriage moved on, he with Maxand Lulu, and several of the young gentlemen of the company following onfoot.

  Sachacha Pond they found to be a pretty sheet of water only slightlysalt, a mile long and three quarters of a mile wide, separated from theocean by a long narrow strip of sandy beach. No stream enters it, but itis the reservoir of the rainfall from the low-lying hills sloping downto its shores.

  Quidnet--a hamlet of perhaps a half dozen houses--stands on its banks.

  It is to this pond people go to fish for perch; calling it fresh-waterfishing; here too they "bob" for eels.

  Our party had not come to fish this time, yet had an errand aside from adesire to see the spot--namely, to make arrangements for going sharkingthe next day.

  Driving and walking on to Quidnet they soon found an old, experiencedmariner who possessed a suitable boat and was well pleased to undertakethe job of carrying their part
y out to the sharking grounds on theshoals. He would need a crew of two men, easily to be found among hisneighbors, he said; he would also provide the necessary tackle. The baitwould be perch, which they would catch here in the pond before settingout for the trip by sea to their destination--about a mile away.

  Mr. Dinsmore, his three grandsons, and Bob Johnson were all to be ofthe party. Max was longing to go too, but hardly thought he would beallowed; he was hesitating whether to make the request when his father,catching his eager, wistful look, suddenly asked, "Would you like to go,Max?"

  "Oh, yes, papa, yes, indeed!" was the eager response, and the boy'sheart bounded with delight at the answer, in a kindly indulgent tone,"Very well, you may."

  Lulu, hearing it, cried out, "Oh, couldn't I go too, papa?"

  "You? a little girl?" her father said, turning an astonished look uponher; "absurd! no, of course you can't."

  "I think I might," persisted Lulu; "I've heard that ladies go sometimes,and I shouldn't be a bit afraid or get in anybody's way."

  "You can't go, so let me hear no more about it," the captain answereddecidedly as they turned toward home, the arrangements for the morrow'sexpedition being completed.

  "Wouldn't Lulu like to ride?" Violet asked, speaking from the carriagewindow; "she has already done a good deal of walking to-day."

  The carriage stopped, and the captain picked Lulu up and put her in itwithout waiting for her to reply, for he saw that she was sulking overhis refusal of her request.

  She continued silent during the short drive to the cottage, andscarcely spoke while hurriedly dressing for the surf-bath.

  The contemplated sharking expedition was the chief topic of conversationat the dinner-table, and it was quite evident that those who were goinglooked forward to a good deal of sport.

  The frown on Lulu's face grew darker as she listened. Why should not shehave a share in the fun as well as Max? she was sure she was quite asbrave, and not any more likely to be seasick; and papa ought to be aswilling to give enjoyment to his daughter as to his son.

  She presently slipped away to the beach and sat down alone to brood overit, nursing her ill-humor and missing much enjoyment which she mighthave had because this--a very doubtful one at the best--was denied her.

  Looking round after a while, and seeing her father sitting alone on abench at some little distance, she went to him and asked, "Why can't Igo with you to-morrow, papa? I don't see why I can't as well as Max."

  "Max is a boy and you are a girl, which makes a vast difference whetheryou see it or not," the captain answered. "But I told you to let me hearno more about it. I am astonished at your assurance in approaching meagain on the subject."

  Lulu was silent for a moment, then said complainingly, "And I supposeI'll not be allowed to take my bath either?"

  "I don't forbid you," the captain said kindly, putting his arm about herand drawing her in between his knees; "provided you promise to keep fasthold of the rope all the time you are in. With that, and Captain Gorhamkeeping close watch, you will not be in much danger, I think; but Ishould be much easier in mind--it would give me great satisfaction--ifmy little girl would voluntarily relinquish the bath for this one daythat I shall not be here to take care of her, for possibly she might beswept away, and it would be a terrible thing to me to lose her."

  "I 'most wonder you don't say a good thing, papa, I'm so often naughtyand troublesome," she said, suddenly becoming humble and penitent.

  "No, it would not be true; your naughtiness often pains me deeply, butI must continue to love my own child in spite of it all," he responded,bending down and imprinting a kiss upon her lips.

  "And I love you, papa; indeed, indeed I do," she said, with her armround his neck, her cheek pressed close to his; "and I won't go into-morrow; I'm glad to promise not to if it will make you feel easierand enjoy your day more."

  "Thank you, my dear child," he said. "I have not the least doubt ofyour affection."

  Edward had spread a rug on the sand just high enough on the beach to beout of reach of the incoming waves, and Zoe, with a book in her hand,was half reclining upon it, resting on her elbow and gazing far out overthe waters.

  "Well, Mrs. Travilla, for once I find you alone. What has become of yourother half?" said a lively voice at her side.

  "Oh, is it you, Betty?" Zoe exclaimed, quickly turning her head andglancing up at the speaker.

  "No one else, I assure you," returned the lively girl, dropping down onthe sand and folding her hands in her lap. "Where did you say Ned is?"

  "I didn't say; but he has gone to help mamma down with her shawls and soforth."

  "He's the best of sons as well as of husbands," remarked Betty; "but I'mglad he's away for a moment just now, as I want a private word with you.Don't you think it is just a trifle mean and selfish for all ourgentlemen to be going off on a pleasure excursion without so much asasking if one of us would like to accompany them?"

  "I hadn't thought anything about it," replied Zoe.

  "Well, think now, if you please; wouldn't you go if you had aninvitation? Don't you want to go?"

  "Yes, if it's the proper thing; I'd like to go everywhere with myhusband. I'll ask him about it. Here he comes, mamma with him."

  She waited till the two were comfortably settled by her side, then said,with her most insinuating smile, "I'd like to go sharking, Ned; won't youtake me along to-morrow?"

  "Why, what an idea, little wife!" he exclaimed in surprise. "I reallyhate to say no to any request of yours, but I do not think it would beentirely safe for you. We are not going on the comparatively quietwaters of the harbor, but out into the ocean itself, and that in awhaleboat, and we may have very rough sailing; besides, it is not at allimpossible that a man-eating shark might get into the boat alive, and,as I heard an old fisherman say yesterday, 'make ugly work.'"

  "Then I don't want to go," Zoe said, "and I'd rather you wouldn't; justsuppose you should get a bite?"

  "Oh, no danger!" laughed Edward; "a man is better able to take care ofhimself than a woman is of herself."

  "Pooh!" exclaimed Betty; "I don't believe any such thing, and I want togo; I want to be able to say I've done and seen everything other summervisitors do and see on this island."

  "Only a foolish reason, is it not, Betty?" mildly remonstrated herCousin Elsie. "But you will have to ask my father's consent, as he isyour guardian."

  "No use whatever," remarked Bob, who had joined them a moment before; "Iknow uncle well enough to be able to tell you that beforehand. Aren'tyou equally sure of the result of such an application, Ned?"

  "Yes."

  "Besides," pursued Bob, teasingly, "there wouldn't be room in the boatfor a fine lady like my sister Betty, with her flounces and furbelows;also you'd likely get awfully sick with the rolling and pitching of theboat, and leaning over the side for the purpose of depositing yourbreakfast in the sea, tumble in among the sharks and give them one."

  "Oh, you horrid fellow!" she exclaimed, half angrily; "I shouldn't doanything of the kind; I should wear no furbelows, be no more likely toan attack of sea-sickness than yourself, and could get out of the way ofa shark quite as nimbly as any one else."

  "Well, go and ask uncle," he laughed.

  Betty made no move to go; she knew as well as he how Mr. Dinsmore wouldtreat such a request.

  The weather the next morning was all that could be desired for sharking,and the gentlemen set off in due time, all in fine spirits.

  They were absent all day, returning early in the evening quite elatedwith their success.

  Max had a wonderful tale to tell Lulu and Grace of "papa's" skill, thenumber of sand-sharks and the tremendous "blue dog" or man-eater he hadtaken. The captain was not half so proud of his success as was hisadmiring son.

  "I thought all the sharks were man-eaters," said Lulu.

  "No, the sand-sharks are not."

  "Did everybody catch a man-eater?"

  "No; nobody but papa took a full-grown one. Grandpa Dinsmore and UncleEdwar
d each caught a baby one, and all of them took big fellows of theother kind. I suppose they are the most common, and it's a good thing,because of course they are not nearly so dangerous."

  "How many did you catch, Maxie?" asked Grace.

  "I? Oh, I helped catch the perch for bait; but I didn't try for sharks,for of course a boy wouldn't be strong enough to haul such big fellowsin. I tell you the men had a hard tug, especially with the blue-dog.

  "The sand-sharks they killed when they'd got 'em close up to the gunwaleby pounding them on the nose with a club--a good many hard whacks ittook, too; but the blue-dog had to be stabbed with a lance; and Ishould think it took considerable courage and skill to do it, with sucha big, strong, wicked-looking fellow. You just ought to have seen how herolled over and over in the water and lashed it into a foam with histail, how angry his eyes looked, and how he showed his sharp whiteteeth. I thought once he'd be right in among us the next minute, but hedidn't; they got the lance down his throat just in time to put a stop tothat."

  "Oh, I'm so glad he didn't!" Grace said, drawing a long breath. "Do theyeat sharks, Maxie?"

  "No, indeed; who'd want to eat a fish that maybe had grown fat on humanflesh?"

  "What do they kill them for, then?"

  "Oh, to rid the seas of them, I suppose, and because there is a valuableoil in their livers. We saw our fellows towed ashore and cut open andtheir livers taken out."