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Itwasarimymorning,andverydamp.Ihadseenthedamplyingontheoutsideofmylittlewindow,asifsomegoblinhadbeencryingthereallnight,andusingthewindowforapocket—handkerchief.
Now,Isawthedamplyingonthebarehedgesandsparegrass,likeacoarsersortofspiders’webs;hangingitselffromtwigtotwigandbladetoblade.
Oneveryrailandgate,wetlayclammy;andthemarsh—mistwassothick,thatthewoodenfingeronthepostdirectingpeopletoourvillage—adirectionwhichtheyneveraccepted,fortheynevercamethere—wasinvisibletomeuntilIwasquitecloseunderit.
Then,asIlookedupatit,whileitdripped,itseemedtomyoppressedconsciencelikeaphantomdevotingmetotheHulks.
ThemistwasheavieryetwhenIgotoutuponthemarshes,sothatinsteadofmyrunningateverything,everythingseemedtorunatme.
Thiswasverydisagreeabletoaguiltymind.
Thegatesanddykesandbankscameburstingatmethroughthemist,asiftheycriedasplainlyascouldbe,“AboywithSomebody—else’sporkpie!Stophim!”
Thecattlecameuponmewithlikesuddenness,staringoutoftheireyes,andsteamingoutoftheirnostrils,“Holloa,youngthief!”
Oneblackox,withawhitecravaton—whoevenhadtomyawakenedconsciencesomethingofaclericalair—fixedmesoobstinatelywithhiseyes,andmovedhisbluntheadroundinsuchanaccusatorymannerasImovedround,thatIblubberedouttohim,“Icouldn’thelpit,sir!Itwasn’tformyselfItookit!”
Uponwhichheputdownhishead,blewacloudofsmokeoutofhisnose,andvanishedwithakick—upofhishind—legsandaflourishofhistail.
Allthistime,Iwasgettingontowardstheriver;buthoweverfastIwent,Icouldn’twarmmyfeet,towhichthedampcoldseemedriveted,astheironwasrivetedtothelegofthemanIwasrunningtomeet.
IknewmywaytotheBattery,prettystraight,forIhadbeendownthereonaSundaywithJoe,andJoe,sittingonanoldgun,hadtoldmethatwhenIwas‘prenticetohimregularlybound,wewouldhavesuchLarksthere!
However,intheconfusionofthemist,Ifoundmyselfatlasttoofartotheright,andconsequentlyhadtotrybackalongtheriver—side,onthebankofloosestonesabovethemudandthestakesthatstakedthetideout.
Makingmywayalongherewithalldespatch,IhadjustcrossedaditchwhichIknewtobeveryneartheBattery,andhadjustscrambledupthemoundbeyondtheditch,whenIsawthemansittingbeforeme.
Hisbackwastowardsme,andhehadhisarmsfolded,andwasnoddingforward,heavywithsleep.
IthoughthewouldbemoregladifIcameuponhimwithhisbreakfast,inthatunexpectedmanner,soIwentforwardsoftlyandtouchedhimontheshoulder.
Heinstantlyjumpedup,anditwasnotthesameman,butanotherman!
Andyetthismanwasdressedincoarsegrey,too,andhadagreatirononhisleg,andwaslame,andhoarse,andcold,andwaseverythingthattheothermanwas;exceptthathehadnotthesameface,andhadaflatbroad—brimmedlow—crownedfeltthaton.
Allthis,Isawinamoment,forIhadonlyamomenttoseeitin:hesworeanoathatme,madeahitatme—itwasaroundweakblowthatmissedmeandalmostknockedhimselfdown,foritmadehimstumble—andthenheranintothemist,stumblingtwiceashewent,andIlosthim.
“It’stheyoungman!”Ithought,feelingmyheartshootasIidentifiedhim.IdaresayIshouldhavefeltapaininmyliver,too,ifIhadknownwhereitwas.
IwassoonattheBattery,afterthat,andtherewastherightman—hugginghimselfandlimpingtoandfro,asifhehadneverallnightleftoffhuggingandlimping—waitingforme.Hewasawfullycold,tobesure.
Ihalfexpectedtoseehimdropdownbeforemyfaceanddieofdeadlycold.
Hiseyeslookedsoawfullyhungry,too,thatwhenIhandedhimthefileandhelaiditdownonthegrass,itoccurredtomehewouldhavetriedtoeatit,ifhehadnotseenmybundle.
Hedidnotturnmeupsidedown,thistime,togetatwhatIhad,butleftmerightsideupwardswhileIopenedthebundleandemptiedmypockets.
“What’sinthebottle,boy?”saidhe.
“Brandy,”saidI.
Hewasalreadyhandingmincemeatdownhisthroatinthemostcuriousmanner—morelikeamanwhowasputtingitawaysomewhereinaviolenthurry,thanamanwhowaseatingit—butheleftofftotakesomeoftheliquor.
Heshiveredallthewhile,soviolently,thatitwasquiteasmuchashecoulddotokeeptheneckofthebottlebetweenhisteeth,withoutbitingitoff.
“Ithinkyouhavegottheague,”saidI.
“I’mmuchofyouropinion,boy,”saidhe.
“It’sbadabouthere,”Itoldhim.“You’vebeenlyingoutonthemeshes,andthey’redreadfulaguish.Rheumatictoo.”
“I’lleatmybreakfastaforethey’rethedeathofme,”saidhe.
“I’ddothat,ifIwasgoingtobestrunguptothattheregallowsasthereisoverthere,directlyafterwards.
I’llbeattheshiverssofar,I’llbetyou.”
Hewasgobblingmincemeat,meatbone,bread,cheese,andporkpie,allatonce:staringdistrustfullywhilehedidsoatthemistallroundus,andoftenstopping—evenstoppinghisjaws—tolisten.
Somerealorfanciedsound,someclinkupontheriverorbreathingofbeastuponthemarsh,nowgavehimastart,andhesaid,suddenly:
“You’renotadeceivingimp?Youbroughtnoonewithyou?”
“No,sir!No!”
“Norgiv’noonetheofficetofollowyou?”
“No!”
“Well,”saidhe,“Ibelieveyou.You’dbebutafierceyounghoundindeed,ifatyourtimeoflifeyoucouldhelptohuntawretchedwarmint,huntedasneardeathanddunghillasthispoorwretchedwarmintis!”
Somethingclickedinhisthroat,asifhehadworksinhimlikeaclock,andwasgoingtostrike.Andhesmearedhisraggedroughsleeveoverhiseyes.
Pityinghisdesolation,andwatchinghimashegraduallysettleddownuponthepie,Imadeboldtosay,“Iamgladyouenjoyit.”
“Didyouspeak?”
“IsaidIwasgladyouenjoyedit.”
“Thankee,myboy.Ido.”
Ihadoftenwatchedalargedogofourseatinghisfood;andInownoticedadecidedsimilaritybetweenthedog’swayofeating,andtheman’s.
Themantookstrongsharpsuddenbites,justlikethedog.
Heswallowed,orrathersnappedup,everymouthful,toosoonandtoofast;andhelookedsidewayshereandtherewhileheate,asifhethoughttherewasdangerineverydirection,ofsomebody’scomingtotakethepieaway.
Hewasaltogethertoounsettledinhismindoverit,toappreciateitcomfortably,Ithought,ortohaveanybodytodinewithhim,withoutmakingachopwithhisjawsatthevisitor.
Inallofwhichparticularshewasverylikethedog.
“Iamafraidyouwon’tleaveanyofitforhim,”saidI,timidly;afterasilenceduringwhichIhadhesitatedastothepolitenessofmakingtheremark.
“There’snomoretobegotwherethatcamefrom.”
Itwasthecertaintyofthisfactthatimpelledmetoofferthehint.
“Leaveanyforhim?Who’shim?”saidmyfriend,stoppinginhiscrunchingofpie—crust.
“Theyoungman.Thatyouspokeof.Thatwashidwithyou.”
“Ohah!”hereturned,withsomethinglikeagrufflaugh.“Him?Yes,yes!Hedon’twantnowittles.”
“Ithoughthelookedasifhedid,”saidI.
Themanstoppedeating,andregardedmewiththekeenestscrutinyandthegreatestsurprise.
“Looked?When?”
“Justnow.”
“Where?”
“Yonder,”saidI,pointing;“overthere,whereIfoundhimnoddingasleep,andthoughtitwasyou.”
Heheldmebythecollarandstaredatmeso,thatIbegantothinkhisfirstideaaboutcuttingmythroathadrevived.
“Dressedlikeyou,youknow,onlywithahat,”Iexplained,trembling;“and—and”—Iwasveryanxioustoputthisdelicately—“andwith—thesamereasonforwantingtoborrowafile.Didn’tyouhearthecannonlastnight?”
“Then,therewasfiring!”hesaidtohimself.
“Iwonderyoushouldn’thavebeensureofthat,”Ireturned,“forwehearditupathome,andthat’sfurtheraway,andwewereshutinbesides.”
“Why,seenow!”saidhe.
“Whenaman’saloneontheseflats,withalightheadandalightstomach,perishingofcoldandwant,hehearsnothin’allnight,butgunsfiring,andvoicescalling.Hears?
Heseesthesoldiers,withtheirredcoatslightedupbythetorchescarriedafore,closinginroundhim.
Hearshisnumbercalled,hearshimselfchallenged,hearstherattleofthemuskets,hearstheorders‘Makeready!Present!Coverhimsteady,men!’
andislaidhandson—andthere’snothin’!
Why,ifIseeonepursuingpartylastnight—comingupinorder,Damn‘em,withtheirtramp,tramp—Iseeahundred.Andastofiring!
Why,Iseethemistshakewiththecannon,arteritwasbroadday—Butthisman;”hehadsaidalltherest,asifhehadforgottenmybeingthere;“didyounoticeanythinginhim?”
“Hehadabadlybruisedface,”saidI,recallingwhatIhardlyknewIknew.
“Nothere?”exclaimedtheman,strikinghisleftcheekmercilessly,withtheflatofhishand.
“Yes,there!”
“Whereishe?”Hecrammedwhatlittlefoodwasleft,intothebreastofhisgreyjacket.“Showmethewayhewent.I’llpullhimdown,likeabloodhound.Cursethisirononmysoreleg!Giveusholdofthefile,boy.”
Iindicatedinwhatdirectionthemisthadshroudedtheotherman,andhelookedupatitforaninstant.
Buthewasdownontherankwetgrass,filingathisironlikeamadman,andnotmindingmeormindinghisownleg,whichhadanoldchafeuponitandwasbloody,butwhichhehandledasroughlyasifithadnomorefeelinginitthanthefile.
Iwasverymuchafraidofhimagain,nowthathehadworkedhimselfintothisfiercehurry,andIwaslikewiseverymuchafraidofkeepingawayfromhomeanylonger.
ItoldhimImustgo,buthetooknonotice,soIthoughtthebestthingIcoulddowastoslipoff.
ThelastIsawofhim,hisheadwasbentoverhiskneeandhewasworkinghardathisfetter,mutteringimpatientimprecationsatitandathisleg.
ThelastIheardofhim,Istoppedinthemisttolisten,andthefilewasstillgoing.
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