Brownsmith's Boy Part 58

"Did you have a quarrel, Ike?"

"Quarrel? No! What should I want to quarrel for?"

"But why did you leave?"

"'Cause I liked. Man ain't a slave, is he?"

"I am glad you're here, though, Ike," I cried.

"Not you," he said sourly, as he thrust and chopped and levelled the soil.

"Indeed but I am," I cried. "Yes, sir, coming," I shouted, for I heard Mr Solomon asking for me.

I went to him, and he set me to water the pots that had been plunged under the big wall; but on going to the pump in the middle of the big walk, where the well was that we used for this garden, I found the handle swing loosely up and down.

I went and told Mr Solomon that there was no water to be had there.

"I thought as much!" he cried angrily. "I saw those boys jerking the handle about yesterday. Here, Bunce!"

Bunce was sent off with a message, and I went about some other task, glad to find that Ike was there at work, for somehow I liked him, though I did not know why, since he was always very gruff and snappish with me.

But still it seemed as if he had come to Hampton because I was there.

The next morning, after breakfast, as I went down the garden I found that Mr Solomon was by the well talking to a man who carried a basket of tools.

As I approached he put them down, Mr Solomon helped him, and together they lifted up a great stone in the pathway, which covered the mouth of the well.

There is something very attractive and yet repellent about a well, at least to me. I always want to look down it and listen to the peculiar echoing noise, and the whispers that seem to creep about its green wet sides.

It was so here, and while the man stood talking to Mr Solomon I went down on one knee and peered into the well, to see, far down, a glistening round of what looked like a mirror with my face in it, but in a blurred indistinct way, for there was a musical splas.h.i.+ng of water falling from the sides, and as I bent lower the air seemed cold and dank, while above it was sunny and warm.

I started up suddenly, for just then I heard a laugh, and recalling the way in which I had been thrust into the pond I did not care to risk a kick from him who laughed, or from his companion.

For, attracted by Bunce, who was carrying a long ladder, they asked him if he was going to gather fruit, and on learning that the well was being opened they, to use their own words, came to see the fun.

Bunce laid the ladder along the path and went off again to his work, while the two boys seemed to ignore my presence, and stood talking to one another and waiting, Philip throwing stones, while Courtenay amused himself by kicking a coil of rope that lay upon the path.

"Here, Grant," cried Mr Solomon, turning upon me suddenly. "Run to the cottage and get a candle and a box of matches."

"Yes, sir," I said, going.

"Yes sir, certainly sir, yes sir," said Philip in a mocking tone.

"And, Grant," shouted Mr Solomon, "bring one of the men with you."

"Bunce?" I said.

"No, he's busy. Bring that new man, Isaac."

I ran off to the cottage for the candle and matches, and Mrs Solomon asked what they were for.

"To see down in the well, I think," I said.

"Oh yes, to be sure! the pump is broken. Tell master to be very careful. Wells are very dangerous places. I once knew of a well where four men tumbled down and never came up again."

"We'll take care not to tumble," I cried laughing; and I ran off to find Ike, who was digging away near where I had seen him before.

"Eh! Good mornin'!" he said sourly. "Is it? I didn't know. Mornin's seems always all alike to a man as has to dig."

"But how well you're doing it, Ike! It's better dug than our men generally dig it."

"Be it?" he said dubiously: "Well, I have punished it pretty well.

Ground's very foul and full o' bear-bine."

"Put down your spade and come along with me," I cried; "they're doing something to the well."

"All right, I'll come!" said Ike sourly. "Pay me my wage and I'm ready.

Night work or day work, it's all the same to me, and such is life.

'Tis a rum set out."

"Don't grumble, Ike," I said, "on a morning like this."

"Grumble! That ain't grumbling. But I say, young 'un, are you glad I come?"

"Why, of course I am, Ike."

"So am I then. I s'pose I come o' purpose to work along o' you; but I miss my hoss a deal. I say, Old Brownsmith didn't like it a bit; but here I am; and did you know about young Shock?"

"No: what about him? Have they caught him and sent him away?"

"No: they've caught him and give him a decent suit of clothes, so stiff he can't hardly move in 'em, and he's took on."

"Shock is?"

"To be sure he is; and if he behaves decent his fortun's made."

"Oh, look here, my man," said Mr Solomon as we came up, "you had better stop here and help. Lower down that ladder."

Ike took hold of the ladder as if it were an enemy, gave me a nod, and I went and stood at the foot, so as to hold it down, while Ike raised it erect, and then, taking it by the rounds with his strong brown hands, he lifted it as if it had been a feather, and, walking to the mouth of the well, let the ladder glide softly down till he held the top in his hands; then, swinging it about, he found a resting-place for the bottom upon a piece of wood such as were fixed across the well every ten or a dozen feet to support the pipe and other gear of the pump.

"That do, master?" said Ike.

"Yes," said Mr Solomon. "Now, Mr Grinling, you had better try her.

Here, stop, what are you going to do?"

"Going down," said Courtenay.

"Do you know that well is perhaps very foul?" cried Mr Solomon.

"Then it's your place to keep it clean," said Philip sharply. "Go on down, Court, or else I shall."