University of Virginia Library

5. CHAPTER V.
THE FISHING HUT.

We now return to the adventures of
Robert Logan, whom we left escaping
from the fortress down the harbour in a
small fisherman's pirogue, which he had
taken from the mouth of the fosse.

He pulled steadily on until he came

within about one hundred rods of Governor's
Island, and directly in front of a
rude fishing cabin, overshadowed by forrest
trees, opposite which, anchored in a
small boat, sat a youth about sixteen
years of age, engaged in fishing. As Logan
rowed forwards the youth raised his
head and gazed at him with very manifest
surprise. He was a short, freckled-faced,
sunburned urchin, with burnt whity
hair, which had probably never had a
comb passed through it, a pug nose, and
small, twinkling light blueish eyes. He
had on a pair of patched canvas breeches
that came to his bare knees, and a patched
shirt that he had probably worn as he
did his trowsers, without washing for a
year or two. He was bare headed and
bare legged.

From a close, squinting scrutiny of
Logan's appearance, he began to inspect
the pirogue which he was in; when as if
satisfied, he all at once broke out with—

`Dod and lobsters, you stranger chap,
but that's feyther's scow any how. What
be ye doin with it, and whar's feyther?'

Logan stopped rowing and looked at
the speaker with a smile of curiosity.

`So this is your father's boat?'

`Yah; and what the devil have you
done with feyther?' he demanded, very
resolutely.

`Your father's over in the city. Do
you live in that cabin?'

`Yah; but how come you, chappy,
with the old sucker's boat?' he repeated,
not seeming to care for the apparent distinction
of the stranger; for Logan wore
an undress uniform surtout, with a sword
and belt, in which was stuck a brace of
elegant pistols. Besides, his chapeau,
which lay upon the seat by him, was laced
and adorned with a cockade.

`Who do you call the old sucker?' asked
Logan, laughing at the fearless impudence
of the ragged varlet.

`It's dad. But that aint tellin what I
want to know. If you've stole that are
scow you'd better never see'd daylight.'

`How much would your father sell the
scow for?' asked Logan, wishing to conciliate
him, for he had made up his mind
to seek, for the present, an asylum in the
fishing hut.

`How much? Did you buy it of the
old devil then? If you have he's drinked
it all up by himself, and'll come home
drunk as a crab'

`No, I hav'nt bought it, but I will.—
What shall I pay?'

`Three silver dollars; not a steeny
less,' answered the boy.

`There is a gold guinea,' answered
Logan, rowing along side and placing it
in his hand.

`No cheatin, chappy,' said the lad,
cautiously eyeing him and then biting the
money between his teeth, to ascertain if
it would bend or no. `I'm not sure but
this is a flum. Hant you no silver? You
cant fix me on silver, no how, chappy.'

Logan tortunately had four dollars in
silver in his purse, for which the boy
gladly gave back the guinea; but each
of the pieces he deliberately dug into
with the point of his fish knife before
transferring it with confidence to a black
looking seal skin pocket or pouch in his
waist band.

`The boat is mine now,' said Logan,
not a little amused at his precautions,
also at his bold, saucy, brusque manner.

`Yah, yours to burst to blazes with if
you want it. But where's dad?'

`Over in town, I suppose.'

`What flummucks be they kickin up
thar? I heard firin and a muss.'

`Why, you see, the good old King
James is turned out of his throne by another,
and so over to the town the friends
of the old King have had to give up the
fort to the new King.'

`That's the muss is it,' he said, carelessly,
and with the most perfect indifference,

as he baited his hook and cast his
line over the gunwale of his boat into the
water: `I wonder if the new King's folks
'll give more for fish than the old uns?'

`Be sure they wont, for there'll be a
falling off. The new King's friends dont
keep lent and fast days, and so they wont
buy fish.'

`Dont 'ey keep lent, tho'?' exclaimed
the youngster, with surprise.

`No, they wont keep lent or fast Fridays,'
answered Logan, who saw that he
had the boy on the right side of politics
for himself.

`Then I'll none o' the new King!' he
cried, very positively. `What is this
new King's name, chappy?'

`Orange.'

`Orange! That's queer.'

`It is because he eats oranges instead
of fish.'

`Then let him and his orange go to the
devil,' responded the boy heartily. `What
kind of a king's man are you?' he asked,
eyeing him closely.

`The old king.'

`Then you and I are friends.'

`I am happy to be your friend,' answered
Logan. `Now as we understand
each other, I will tell you how I came to
be here and in your father's boat. I was
Secretary of the former Governor who
has fled from the Orange people and is
now on board yonder ship that is just
visible standing seaward. I held on to
the fort as long as I could, but found the
Oranges too strong for me, and so I made
my escape from them. I was so fortunate
as to find this boat on the shore behind
the fort, when, without asking by your
leave. I sprang into it and paddled out of
the way; and here I am as you see; and
happy am I to fall in the way of a friend
to King James.'

`Which is King James the fish or orange
king?'

`Fish.'

`Hurrah for King James!'

`The friend of the fishermen!' loudly
repeated Logan, who now saw that he
had won his acquaintance.

`You say you took dad's boat to get
away, hey?' said the lad, fumbling very
seriously at his money pouch and pouring
the silver out into his palm.

`Yes. It would not have been safe for
me to have been taken by them.'

`Then, I'm blessed if I'll take money
for the boat;' and he extended it towards
him with a sort of noble air.

`You do not repulse it,' exclaimed Logan,
gazing on him with sarprise at conduct
so unlooked for from such a dare-devil
looking, freckled-faced urchin.

`Yes I do! you shant pay no how;
you are welcome to the use o' the boat;
and if you'll row ashore and come to the
cabin, you shall have something to eat.'

`You are very hospitable, but you forget
that I am escaping from my enemies
and that if they should be told where I
am, they would come after me.'

`How'll they know it? None on 'em
come here.'

`But your father!'

`He's dead fish agin orange, and 'll be
glad to keep you; so, chappy come ashore
and stay as long as you will.'

This invitation was given by the lad
with rough but hearty hospitality. It
suited Logan's purposes to avail himself
of the offer, and, thanking him he pulled
in shore, side by side with his boat; for
he had drawn in his lines and taken to
his oars also. As they rowed along Logan
made up his mind to make that place
his asylum for the present, as none could
be more advantageous from its contiguity
to the town; and as the fishermen
would prove his friends, it would be as
safe as some place farther removed where
he could not place such confidence in the
people. But he felt that in the boy he
could place the utmost faith; he saw that

though ignorant, he was naturally shrewd,
fearless and independant, and had something
noble in his character, as was evinced
by his refusal to take money for the
boat, which, however, Logan insisted he
should retain.

`From this retreat,' reflected Logan,
`I can at any time visit the town in disguise
and through the fishermen daily
hear from it. I have not yet given up
all hopes of doing something for my party
yet. Ere twenty years pass I will be
there among them.'

They now reached the shore, and leaving
the two skiffs in a small cove between
two rocks, advanced towards the hut,
which was situated about fifty steps from
the water, and facing the town which lay
about two miles or little less to the northward.

`Who have you in the hut? Who lives
with you?, asked the young secretary.

`No body but feyther and I. Meyther
has been dead deal a time ago.'

`Glad my Meyther is dead! Then
ye're like the old man, for he is pesky
glad; for he says she was a hard 'un.'

`No, I did not mean I was glad she
was dead, but glad there was no more in
your family than yourself and father; for
I shall be less likely to be betrayed. Are
you sure your father 'll like to find me
here?'

`He'd like to find himself here first,
I'm thinkin',' said the boy dryly, as he
kicked open the door of the hut. `He'll
swear some when he finds the boat gone:
I shore I'll have to pull up to town after
him and bring him home.'

`I hope he will not be so vexed as to
inform on me when he finds I am here.'

`Not a bit! I'll give him the silver, and
talk to him about Fish and Orange, and
he'll be ready to fight for the old King
and you to, give him blue gin enough.'

The hut was a rude cabin, containing
but a single apartment, hung about with
fishing apparatus, and holding in one corner,
a bed. A table, and three or four
chairs; a chest, and two barrels half filled
with dried fish, were all the furnishing,
save a couple of patched and coarse fishermen's
suits, that hung about the bed.

As soon as Logan's eye fell on these,
he made up his mind what he would do,

`Are those fisherman's clothes your
father's?' he asked.

`Yes,' answered the boy, pouring out
a dram of gin from a stone bottle into
an earthen cup, and drinking it off. He
then deliberately refilled it and handed it
to Logan, who declined it, very much to
the surprise of his young host.

`I have a plan in my head, my friend.
What is your name?'

`Steiny Sneck; what is yourn?'

`Robert Logan.'

`Now let's hear your plan,' he said,
throwing himself back into a chair.

`You must know, I left the town so
suddenly, that I had no time to look after
my affairs. Now, I wish to go back
again to-night; but as I should doubtless
be hanged, if taken, I wish to disguise
myself.'

`What is disguise?'

`I wish to put on your father's fishing
clothes, so that they'll take me for a
fisherman. In this way I can deceive the
Oranges.'

`It's capital; you shall have 'em; but
on one condition.'

`What is it?'

`That I go with you.'

`It will be dangerous.'

`I don't mind nothing about dangers.
If you'll let me go with you, you shall
have father's dress, and we'll start off together.'

Logan reflected a moment. All at once
his countenance brightened. He saw that
to have him with him would be additional
security, as he being known to be a
fisherman, any companion with him

would pass off without suspicion. He,
therefore, resolved to let him accompany
him; and he believed that he could make
him useful, for he seemed to possess
qualities which would make him a valuable
adjunct in any secret expedition.

`You shall go with me,' he answered
decidedly; `but can you keep my secret?'

`Try me.'

`But you might let it out when you
have drank a good deal.'

`If I do, blow me with one of your
pistolets. I was never so tipsy that I
didn't know what I was about. Now,
there's feyther, I seen him get so drunk
he didn't know a tom-cod from an eel.
But I an't so weak-headed. But when
shall we start, chappy?'

`Just before night, so that it will be
dark when we reach the town.'

`But I must go over for the old un!
He'll bust if he stays there all day and
his boat gone. I must go hunt old Sassafax!'

`You seem to have quite a fanciful set
of names for your father!'

`Yah! he's a good un and deserves
'em all,' answered the youth coolly. He
then proceeded to light a short pipe,
while Logan began to examine the dress
in which he resolved to return to the
town under cover of the night. He found,
from its size, that Steiny's father was a
very large-framed man, and that he could
wear them over his own apparel. This
he was not a little gratified to ascertain,
which he did by trying on the complete
suit, loose jacket, trousers, long boots,
and tanned leather sea-cap. When he
had put on the cap last of all, and turned
to Steiny for his criticism, the youngster
uttered a tremendous oath in significance
of his entire approval.

`The old man to a scale, but the gills
and flippers!' he said, after a moment's
further inspection.

`You mean my hands and face!'

`Yes! you'd be cocht by 'em before
you'd got three lengths of a boat into
the town. You've got too soft skin and
red cheeks, and your hands are as white
as a cod's belly.

`I can black my hands with mud.'

`Yes, and make 'em smell of fish by
handling some too. But what'll you do
with your face?'

`I'll besmear that.'

`I'll tell you. There's some yellor
ochre in the hill-side back o' the hut;
I'll get some. This, and with a little
brick-dust, I can make you jist as black
as dad.`

`Do by all means, and the sooner
the better. On the whole I think you
had best begin at once, for two reasons;
it will give me some time to practise and
get used to my clothes, and then it may
not be altogether safe to trust the old
man. He may get so wrathy at my taking
his boat, that, if he is choleric at all,
he won't easily forgive me. So I had best
rig up before he comes off; for he may
get some other fishermen to bring him
down!'

`That's true enough. On the whole
I don't believe 'twould be zactly safe to
trust the old Dolphin! He might blab
in his liquor up town, as how he had a
genteel boarder in his family, which
might breed trouble, you know.'

`And I have thought, that, possibly
out of revenge for my taking his boat and
keeping him in town all day, he might
sell his secret to the Oranges for money,
and thus I should be taken or have to
fly.'

`I didn't think of that. So we'll keep
it from the old man; and I'll tell you,
chappy, how we'll manage about the
clothes. When he comes, if he comes
before night, he'll of course find his boat
here. I'll tell him it was brought home

by a strange fisherman, who didn't ask
nothin' for his trouble.'

`You are very shrewd. You would
lead him, then, to suppose it had got adrift!'

`Yes. I would then bring him to you
and we'll drink with the old chap; and
if he thinks the dress looks like his, I'll
swear him out of the idea. Give him gin
and he wouldn't know a cobbler from a
King!'

`Then I shall be safe. But if he should
insist that I had his clothes?'

`Then knock him down! that is the
way I do with him when he's obstropylus.'

`Very well; I see you and I are upon
a perfect understanding. Now if you
serve me faithfully in my affairs up town,
I will not only give you money but serve
you to your advantage.'

`I'll do any thing to go agen the Oranges.
Fish forever, and down with the
Oranges, is my motto!'

`And a grand motto it is. But now
for the yellow ochre and brick dust!'

`That is the figure. I'll make you look
so like any body else you'll never know
yourself.'

`That is what I should like for a day
or two, till I get matters arranged in
town.'

The lad then left the hut and climbed
a caving bank in the rear after the ochre,
while Logan, congratulating himself upon
the propitious state of his affairs thus far,
and upon the acquaintance of such a fast
friend as Steiny, stood in front of the hut
looking thoughtfully towards the town.

There it lay before him, about a mile
and three quarters distant, the walls of
the fortress upon the point in warlike relief,
and beyond it rose the roofs and towers
of the town, with the tall slender spire
of Trinity Church crowning and giving
character to the whole. As far as his
eye could reach on the west of the town
extended the Hudson till the bold walls
of the palisades shut in the view. The
East River stretched northward on the
east side of the town, with a few vessels
lying near the shore and wharves; opposite
the town rose abruptly from the water
the cliff-like promontory at the western
extremity of Long Island, dark with
forest trees. Beneath it, crowded close
to its base, were two or three huts for
drying fish. All around him the view
was extensive, and characterised by islands
and water, and headlands, dispersed
over the landscape in the most
picturesque variety. To the south and
east stretched the channel to the sea,
which lay broad and blue beneath the
sunlight, the only object visible upon it
the far distant ship which bore the fortunes
of the late catholic governor to the
shores of Europe.

`I also ought to be on my way to England,'
said Logan as his eyes, turning
from all the rest of the wide view around
him, rested thoughtfully upon the snow-white
spec that was rapidly blending with
the horizon. `I should be in that vessel
with my relative; but I cannot quit the
Province and leave my heart behind! I
must see this fair girl, and know from
her own lips whether I can have any
hope at her hands. It is in vain for me
to try and reason myself out of this passion,
or to laugh myself out of it. The
maiden has entranced me. My soul is
ensnared like a bird in a net, and it is
useless for me to try and break the
meshes. I feel an instinctive hope that I
am not indifferent to her. But all must
not be trusted to glances of the eye. I
must see and speak with her. I will
know the worst or the best. And there
is yet a higher motive which prompts me
to linger here; and this is to endeavor to
retrieve my folly in losing the fort as I
did this morning. If that tall, traitorous
sergeant, Graff, falls into my hands, he

shall, in five minutes after he is in my
power, be shorter by the head! Never
was surprise more complete than mine
in finding the gate closed upon me. I
owe my safety to the madness of the multitude;
for if Jacob Leisler had not turned
to correct the error into which they
seemed to have fallen, I should have
found it difficult to have got away as I
did. I will not leave the Province until
I make an effort to retrieve my honor in
this matter. So, between love and war,
I have enough to do in yonder fair town,'
he added, fixing his gaze upon it, and
recalling the image of the lovely Bertha,
who seemed to his love's eye a divinity
which hallowed it.

Steiny now made his appearance holding
in his hand several little pencils of
ochre, which he had found in the clay of
the hill. Logan, by his direction, sat
down upon a rock in front of the hut,
and proceeded to let him rub his face
with the dingy chrome.

`There, you are now quite respectable,'
said Steiny; `but you look too
much like an orange for me, so I will try
a little brick dust!'

This was applied to the yellow ground
and diligently rubbed into the pores of
the skin by Steiny with his fingers. The
ears and his hands were not excepted.

`Now you will do when you have rubbed
your skin over with a piece of old
canvass,' said the boy, surveying him.

Logan performed this finishing part of
the process, and then looking at his face
in the bright hilt of his sword, saw reflected
as dark and brown a visage as
even Steiny's father could boast of. His
disguise was complete.