University of Virginia Library

13. CHAPTER XIII.

I have already spoken of Hammond the Dwarf. It
is now time that I speak more plainly; for, the hour is
arrived, when there is not an event of my life to be related,
in which he had not, in some way, directly or
indirectly, a strange, wayward influence. Let me begin
early, when I first knew that I hated him. It was
in my earliest childhood.

I have already given you some notion of the spiteful
little devil, my brother—Sampson Achilles—otherwise
called Sammy Kelly—and of the life that I led at home.
Such was my deadly antipathy to the creature, at last,
that my blood would curdle, if my flesh touched his;
much as if I had trod, with my naked foot, upon a toad.
The wicked readiness and dexterity of the imp, are inconceivable.
I had ten times his strength; and ten
times, at least, have I saved his life, when he was utterly
at the mercy of some beast, or carriage; for, not a
dog would pass by the door where he sat, with his
tongue lolling out of his mouth, and his long white fingers
clotted and ringed with bruised and broken worms
---not a dog, that did'nt stop, to bark at, or worry him.
Yet, more than once, have I been on the point,---I may
as well own the truth...of provoking one at him; or, letting
go my hold upon him, when I was dragging him
out of some puddle. He was a beast--a monster--in all
but intellect---and that was instinctively devilish. His
seat, in the door-way, on the steps, in the corner of the
kitchen, was coloured with glittering insects, that he had
crushed, and stuck to the floor; or strewed all over,
with the hair of cats, or the feathers of young birds,
that he had picked naked. Yet, poor thing! it was never
thought possible that he could harm anybody. And,
when I have been tempted to pitch him into a kettle of

hot soap, or an empty flour barrel, for his cursed pranks
upon Elizabeth, I have been withheld, solely by a
doubt, that he might, by some possibility, have some
sort of a rational soul—or, that he was too much of a
devil to be hurt by it. Up to the hilt, has he driven a
little sharp pen-knife, into the calf of my leg, chattering
all the while, like a strangling baboon.—Again, and
again, has he blistered me, with hot water; and once, it
was well nigh the last moment of his life—did he throw
a crucible of melted lead at poor Elizabeth, when she
was very little—a part of which, fell upon her foot, and
burnt, and sunk into it—till her shrieks could have
been heard, for a mile; yet, when I was only going to
pour the rest of it down his own ugly throat, some
fool or other, my uncle, or father, perhaps, interfered
—and had well nigh poured it down mine—for meddling
with the “poor innocent”—as if hot lead from
his hand, would'nt burn a fellow. But, I taught him
a better lesson, at last. He hurled a brick at me. I
just took him by the nape o' the neck. He had another
in his hand—which, in his childish, pleasant, harmless
way, he was just ready to throw into my face and eyes;
but, I only took hold of his neck, and he yelled out,
much as if a red hot blacksmith's vice had caught him
there; and dropped the brick.—Never—no, never, after
that, did he venture to lift his hand against me, when
we were alone. I learnt how to manage him, in some
degree, from that moment; for, idiot that he was, he was
not so very a beast, as to repeat, what he knew would
end in pain to himself; and, but for Elizabeth, whom
he tortured incessantly, in one way or another; worrying
her, with vermin and bugs; filling all her little
boxes and playthings, with whatever was most hateful
to her, I should have gone on, peaceable enough. I
have thumped him for it, till he was spotted all over;
choked him for it, till his eyes were starting out of
their sockets—but, he would never shriek out; or complain;
and, the moment that my back was turned, he
would be at his mischief again; growling, all the time,
like a bear, with a sore head.

About this time, just when I had pretty well made
up my mind, to let the next dog that should attempt it,
throttle him, at his leisure—I happened to be out, late
of a holiday afternoon, in a dismal wood; dark and
swampy, and tangled, where I had gone after black
whortleberries. It was already dusk; I was alone, and
had far to go—and withal, was a terrible coward—as I
have already told you. I was just clambering over a
high fence, I remember, with the dish in my hand, full
of whortleberries; and getting ready to leap—when I
uttered a loud cry, and dropped them. Below me,
were a pair of large rolling eyes, of frightful vividness.
It was a creature, with a big head; and its long
arms were reaching up toward me.

“Sa—Sa—Sammy—dear!” cried I, as soon as I could
get my breath—“is it you, Sammy?”

I was never so glad of any thing in my life; but, I
soon recollected myself. It could not be Sammy—he
had never left the door of our house. My heart bounced
again—and my teeth chattered with affright, as I
saw it, clambering up the fence, toward me—and I—by
heaven, it was like the night-mare to me; I could neither
move, nor bawl, nor speak. It almost touched me
—and I leaped down upon it, in desperation, and ran.
But, it pursued me, and overtook me, and spoke to me.
I looked down—but, my terrour was so unspeakable,
that I could see nothing; and, I actually yelled out with
horrour.

It turned, and left me, at last; running along the
ground, like a shadow; and, whistling, all the while,
with a loud, clear whistle, like the wind, in December.
I followed it, in amazement, for a moment, with my
eyes—saw it leap ditch after ditch—and then, aim directly
for the swamp. I took to my heels, and ran,
as if I had escaped a devil—till I came to the house.—
There was little Sammy; there in the corner! just where
I had left him; with a poor little pinched up, sore-eyed
kitten, in his lap, mewing, most piteously, at every
touch, as if she had been tortured, till she was dislocated,
and raw. On any other occasion, I should have
snatched her away; but; on this, I forgot all humanity;

or, rather, all the little that I had—in my eagerness to
be alone, where I could meditate, without disturbance.

“Well,—it was not Sammy,” I had said, to myself,
for the hundredth time.—“But, what the devil was it,
then?—A monster? Yes. But, that cannot be. Can
there be such another as he? What a fiend it must be!
How it ran and whistled! Yes—there are more of them.
I must get a dog. I won't go abroad again, after whortleberries,
without a dog.”

I went to bed; but, half a dozen times, did I awake,
screaming with affright; and fancying that the creature
was chasing me yet, and chattering over my shoulder—
just overtaking me—that his boneless fingers, were
just touching me—I could feel them mounting to my
throat—hear his whistle; and—God of heaven!—
Was it there, still!

I leaped from the bed. It was no dream. There sat
the little monster, in the moonlight, just upon the foot
of my bed, looking me in the face, and supporting its
head, between its two paws. I shook, in every joint.
I was ready to sink into the floor, with affright. It
laughed.—Oh no! no! no!—it was not he!—no!—it was
not he—It was poor little Sammy, himself. I could
have wept tears of joy. I even ran to him; and would
have hugged him, but he hopped down from the bed,
and waddled away, into his kennel. My cries, it
seemed, when I inquired into the affair, had disturbed
him; and, he had come to enjoy them—to listen to them—
they were musick to him;---and I might have lain there,
bellowing till this time, for all that he cared.

Still, I could not get the creature that I had seen, out
of my head. I was afraid to go to sleep again; and, it
was a twelve month, before I had the courage to go
near the spot, where I had dropped the dish and the
berries. To me, there was an association, so natural,
(for, all the experience that I had, led only to that
conclusion) that, whatever was monstrous in people,
was devilish, like little Sammy---that, if I heard of
a calf, with six legs, or a kitten, with two heads, I was
afraid to go near it.

But, a whole year afterward,--(I had made two or
three attempts before)---I went to the place. There
was the dish still---a large tin dipper---just where it
had fallen---but upright. I looked at it---there was a
thick, black mould, in the bottom of it; as if the berries
had all been gathered up again, and left there, after I
had gone. I was almost afraid to touch it. But, I
did, at last, and found that my conjecture was right.

Some time after this, a cousin of mine came down,
and stayed with my father, “for to go to school;” as
they said. The moment that he saw Sammy, he started;
and, when we were alone, he told me that he thought it
was Hammond the Dwarf.

“What! more dwarfs?” thought I. “Why, what the
devil are such creatures made for?” I did not know,
then, as I do now, that vermin have their use---that they
tend to cleanliness; for, people will wash themselves,
to get rid of lice; and scald their bedsteads, to get rid
of bugs; when, but for lice and bugs, they would live
till they rotted away in pestilence and nastiness.---So
with reptiles and serpents---I once heard a good man,
speaking of God's kindness to us; in proof of which, he
remarked, that lions and vipers bear only one young
at a time! ([1] Lions!) while such as were useful, bore
frequently, and in litters. Ah, thought I. Would it
not have been, to the full, as kind---if there were none
at all, or if they were utterly barren. Why worry us
at all with them? I can not explain the riddle, even yet.
But, Lions, Vipers and Dwarfs are necessary, and
good....I am sure....for, hath not God made them?

I soon learnt from my cousin, that, in a little log hut,
near the whortleberry swamp, (where I had been) was
a family of wretched creatures; and, among them, a
dwarf, that looked like little Sammy. This gave me
comfort; and, I determined to see it; for my cousin
promised to bring it about; but, though we went twice
near the place, and saw all the rest of the family, we
always missed Hammond.

But, when I had nearly given up the thought---I was
then about eleven, and began to be known as Neck or

Nothing, by every body—I returned, one day, from
a fight with a school-fellow; and saw, just as I was entering
the door, another creature, like Sammy, sitting
upon the steps, opposite to him. I stopped—and shuddered.
They were looking in each other's faces; and
neither made a sign, or spoke a word, for ten minutes.
I was called, and had to go in, between them; but, as I
did, the stranger rose, and went with me. He was
taller than I, though; and, his great, white glittering
teeth---and the most beautiful mouth in the world,
though his eyes were horrible---threw me into such a
perturbation, that I knew not what I said or did. We
sat down to the table together; and, I could not eat a
mouthful. I kept my eyes rivetted upon Hammond,
(for it was he) and I was amazed at his manly air; it
was thoughtful and old; and when he spoke, (though he
was but thirteen) I found my father listening to him,
with great earnestness; nay, Elizabeth I saw, more
than once, looking at him, not as if she hated, or loathed
him---and, when I saw that, the tears came into my
eyes.

His manner was new to me---he went and sat down,
by Sammy Kelly; and, though there was a dead silence;
and all eyes were turned upon them; and the spiteful
glitter of Sammy's looked like that of the bruised rattle
snake; yet he did not appear to observe it. His voice, I
thought, was very strange---it produced, I hardly know
how to describe it, a tingling, unpleasant titillation, on
the drums of my ears---and a kind of echo, in my
heart.

My father treated him like a man; and, I confess, that
I never felt so like a boy, in all my life. When he left
us, I sat down, and thought of him---with a feeling of
fear; and, it was more than a month, before I could endure
to sit in the same chair that he sat in---or even, at the
same part of the table. Yet, he would come to me, obtruding
himself upon my thought, night and day: and,
at last, he came again; when, I began to see into my
father's project; or, rather, that of the minister. He
had undertaken to give Sammy a companion, in the
hope of spiriting him up. It had that effect; Sammy

began to show signs of intelligence, that startled me;
but, it was always, except to Hammond, a wicked,
mischievous intelligence; nay, such was the incessant
activity of Hammond, that he soon led him to play and
exercise; and he grew healthy in his appearance; and
began to learn his book, heartily. And, one day, (they
had grown really attached to each other--a proof to me,
then, not of the humanity of either, but of a hellish affinity,
in their nature; it will give you some notion of Hammond's
strength, and presence of mind;) we were all
in the water together. Hammond swam with such
prodigious swiftness and force; being, in the shape of
his body and limbs, very like a frog---that he made the
water foam all over his shoulders. Sammy was with him;
and, before we came out, a crowd of boys had gathered
about the shore, though we had chosen the place, on account
of secrecy; and were hooting at them, and pelting
them with dirt, for a couple of sea monsters.

I rushed out, like a mad creature, and fell upon them;
but the more cowardly Hammond never stirred a limb:
and kept playing about, with Sammy at his side, or upon
his back, like one long armed ape transporting another,
till he was weary and then, he came out;
dressed himself leisurely; and helped Sammy into his
clothes, taking no notice, whatever, of the boys. But
they, profiting by his forbearance, at last turned all
their insult upon him. I should'nt have cared a farthing
for that—nay, if they had murdered them both, at
another time; and on a fitting occasion; but somehow it
went against my grain to see my own brother, bitterly
as I hated him, so piteously mocked at;—and when
they came near him, I interfered. But Hammond stepped
before me. “No, master William,” he said,—“I
shall take care of your brother. They shan't touch
him.”

The boys than set up a shout, and renewed the attack. I
saw Hammond's eye glance about, rapidly, as if in search
of something,—at last, it was rivetted a moment. The
next!—heaven only knows, how he got there so soon—
his long arms were twined about the neck of the largest
boy of the whole; and down, he lugged him to the earth.

The others rushed upon him; but Sammy, I declare I began
to love the creature for a moment—he flew in
among them; squalling, and biting, and scratching; kicking
and cuffing; tooth and nail; and I was just putting
my hand to the yoke, when lo! the thing was all over—
three or four of the boys were caught, and tumbled
about, and, as fast as one got up, he was thrown down
again—without a blow. It was immeasurably ridiculous—three
or four were constantly rolling upon the
grass together; and Hammond was straddling about,
among them, like some great, strong, gentle, lubberly,
good natured beast, amusing itself with pulling and
pawing about his enemies.

I stood and laughed heartily, when I saw his good
natured face; and all the boys joined at last—and the
whole affair was quieted without the shedding of one
drop of blood.

I often thought of it, afterward. I wondered that I
could not do it. I remembered how carefully he had
handled the boys, as if he were really afraid of hurting
them; and laughing every now and then, when he received
a blow, just as if it were all in play---but never
returning it. “Was the creature a fool?” I said to myself--“undoubtedly”
I answered; for, I was sure of it.

Having come to this comfortable conclusion---it encouraged
me and I went on nourishing my own hateful,
irritable disposition.

But no---he could not be a fool. No boy talked like
Hammond. No boy made such progress in his studies.
No boy was so universally loved and laughed at---as
Hammond. His strength, too, was prodigious---the
greater no doubt, from his education in the woods; for,
I have seen him run up a smooth, blasted tree, like some
wild animal. And once, I must tell you that, while it
is fresh upon my mind. I have already mentioned that
the dogs would stop and bark at Sammy, when they
saw him. This Hammond soon put a stop to. But,
one day, a large dog carried his encroachment a
little too far---he bit Sammy. By heaven!---if Hammond
did not run down the roof, where he had just gone
for a kite,---at the first cry of Sammy---like a wild

cat to her young. How he escaped with his neck is
wonderful, for I am sure that he did not come more
than half way down the spout, (ours is a two story
house,) before he leaped upon the dog. The creature
rolled over in the mud, as if its vitals were crushed out;
and his yelling soon brought the master, a stout boy,
from the next door---to his relief.

Hammond stopped, and looked at him: and even I---
I trembled at his look. It was calm and settled. The
boy did not dare to approach; but contented himself
with calling off the dog, and, as soon as he could breathe,
provoking him at Hammond.

“You had better not, Harry,” said he—

But the boy persisted.

Hammond crouched down, and watched the dog, with
an incessant eye; and hands rapid as light, while it
barked and leaped at his face; and at last, sprang at his
throat. The next moment, there was a quick yell--Hammond
had caught the dog by the throat; then, by the
hinder legs—it was quicker than thought—he swung
him round, twice or three times; then dashed out his
brains—aye, broke his skull into shivers, and spattered
his brains out against the pump!—I was terrified.
It was all the work of a moment: but it was frightful,
to see even an animal, killed so suddenly.

So much for his strength and readiness. Now for
one example, among hundreds, of his presence of mind.
That never deserted him—I have been in a boat with
him—in a carriage—in the extremest peril; nothing
ever seemed to alarm him. I have known him to start
from a sound sleep, at the cry of fire in the room,—or
murder; and go as composedly and thoughtfully to
work, as if he had been expecting it. But the first
case that I remember, was this. It startled me, then;
but it has amazed me since, when I have compared
the operation of his mind with that of grown men,
who are thought instantaneous and electrical. We
stood upon a high building, once, together. By a careless
tread, I had dislodged a quantity of broken brick
and rubbish, from the staging; and saw it falling directly
upon the head of a man below, as he was walking by.

I reached forward with a cry of horrour—and was just
on the point of calling to him, to take care!—when
Hammond put his hand over my mouth, and prevented
me.

I was provoked—but the man escaped.

“Why did you prevent me from warning him?” said
I—“you wished to see him killed.”

“Warning him!—what; when he was going by—as
he did, safely—warning him—for what! that he might
stop, and look up—and be blinded, certainly, if not
killed.”

I blushed at my folly. How was this creature, so
horribly disproportioned? how was he, forever, in advance
of me? I began to hate him bitterly; at last, the
more bitterly, because Elizabeth took his part—nay,--
it were a pity to deny it—until I carried my hostility
so far, as to abuse him before the whole school—aye,
even to spit upon him. Yet, he bore it all—he never
struck me. He never even cursed me, in return.

At last, sick and weary of my continual persecution,
he forbore coming to the house. Elizabeth, I have always
thought, was concerned in it; and I had not seen
him for a long, long time, until that night, when it is
probable that he saved my life; the night, I mean, when
I threw myself overboard, with the intention of dying.
But I have now come to a more interesting period of my
history. I must pass over my childhood. I began to
have the feelings of a man. I had forgot Hammond;
and had only heard of him, now and then, as remarkably
addicted to his books, and very formidable in disputation.
I had been away from home, for nearly six
years, during which time, some of the adventures, which
will be related in the following chapter. happened to
me; and, on my return, I found Hammond—not no-not
yet—not yet.