Frank R. Stockton

“ Never was prodigal uncle received more warmly. Phil, of course, was wild with joy. Even if Mr. Berkeley had not returned that day, the note he had received would have made him the happiest boy on earth.
Chap was a good deal more overjoyed than if one of his own uncles had arrived, and Susan’s face had not been so radiant for many a year.
Even Mr. Muller, possessed with the pervading spirit, could scarcely resist welcoming Mr. Berkeley to Hyson Hall. ”

“ For many years Hyson Hall had been her home, and she had expected it to be such for many years to come. Her depression was greatly increased by the loss of Old Bruden. Now that the Tourons had possession of the master’s gun, the matter in her mind was pretty well settled.
While thinking over these things, she heard the sound of approaching wheels. Looking up, she saw the grocer’s buggy and the grocer’s horse coming towards the house. Her heart fell within her. It actually made her sick to think that anybody—unless, indeed, it should be Mr. Godfrey Berkeley—should come to that house. ”

“ Whip up Selim! That Jouncer can’t beat us into town! Good-by, Phil!”
When Selim felt the whip again—and it came down a good deal harder this time—he put on more steam, and as he had been trotting as fast as he could before, he now began to run. After him came Jouncer, clattering furiously on the hard turnpike.
“It is ridiculous,” thought Phil, “for a little horse like that, with a wagon and two boys behind him, to keep ahead of Jouncer and me,” and with his heels and a little riding-cane he carried, he began to urge his horse to greater speed. ”

“ And we all think it’s a shame that a boy like Philip Berkeley, who is all the time trying to do the best he can, and who has ever so many dreadful things to contend with, should get such a letter as the one you wrote to him. Everything that French boy told you was a falsehood, and he knew it; and all that Phil told you was true about the housekeeper and her money and all. My brother Chap, who is with him all the time, and knows everything he does, has told me all about everything from beginning to end. ”

“ There isn’t a night but I tremble for that wreck. That French boy knows all about it, and you can’t tell when he and his father will come up the river in a boat, with divers and submarine armor, and they’ll have a hole cut in the side of that ship, and all the treasure-boxes taken out, before we know a thing about it.”
“That would be bad, indeed,” said Mr. Muller, “but I don’t see how it is to be prevented, unless a guard is kept up on the river-bank.”
“Prevented!” cried Chap. “The way to prevent their doing it is to do it ourselves—slam-bang! without waiting a minute longer than we can help.” ”

“ Hamlin who lives beyond the meadows, would you?” said Phil.
“Why, no!” exclaimed Chap, looking around in surprise. “What has he got to do with it?”
“Oh, nothing,” said Phil. “I only supposed you might think it mean to leave him out of the general vengeance. But I tell you, Chap, you’re too lofty and tremendous, with your thunder-claps and your iron heel. These people don’t need anything like that.”
“Don’t you believe a word of it!” exclaimed Chap. “It isn’t the big, savage hen-hawks that give the most trouble and are hard to get rid of. It’s the potato-bugs. ”

“ Phœnix Poole, hadn’t thrashed him, I’d have done it myself. And if you don’t like to go and say all that, I’ll go and say it for you.”
“Now, Chap,” cried Helen, “don’t you be putting any such ideas into Phil’s head, and don’t you go near Mr. Welford yourself. You will only make matters worse.”
“And I am not going, either,” said Phil. “I should be sure to say something I ought not to. I think he has treated me outrageously!”
“It is the crudest thing I ever heard of,” said Helen. “He ought not to believe what the French boy said without hearing your side. ”

“ She bitterly hated that French boy. True, she had not intended he should be killed when she gave Phil the gun at the time of the quarrel, and she had good reasons for knowing that nothing of the kind would occur, but she wanted to frighten Emile, and was rejoiced to think how thoroughly she had succeeded. It would be a dreadful thing, she thought, for this estate to pass into the hands of those French people. If she had the money, she would gladly pay the interest on the mortgage, or whatever was necessary to save the property, and would have been certain it would be paid back to her. ”

“ Monsieur Emile desired to make some change in his toilet, and Phil left him to himself. He found Chap in the hall, eager to know all about this newly arrived cousin.
“All I know about him,” said Phil, “is that my aunt married a Frenchman named Touron, but I always thought she had no children.”
“And if she had had any,” said Chap, “they wouldn’t have been French ones.”
“That’s very true,” said Phil; “at least, not so French as this fellow. They would always have lived in America. And, besides, he is too old to be my aunt’s son. I remember when she was married. ”

“ Welford, my banker, and he will pay to you, from time to time, the amount I have been in the habit of drawing for regular house expenses. You see, Phil, I put a great deal of trust in you, but I don’t believe I could have a steward who would suit me better. Don’t spend any more money than you can help. ”

“ Phil, who was forward, threw the rope of the small boat over the chain on the rudder of the steamboat, and held fast.
“Look out!” cried Chap, as he turned around. “We don’t want to go down with her if she sinks!”
[138] “You needn’t be afraid of that,” replied Phil; “I’ll let go in time.”
“She’s not going to be in any hurry to sink,” said Phœnix. “The fire is all forward and in her upper works; but there’s no use in hanging on to her, there’s nobody on board.”
“Boys,” cried Phil, “this chain is loose at the other end! We’re pulling it out. The pilot-house and wheel must be all burnt up.” ”

“ And now he had actually stolen a gun! This was enough, even if nothing else could be proved. They could certainly shut him up now. Phil had about the same ideas, but he did not say so much.
Jouncer was a horse of great endurance, and was well fed every day, and he galloped bravely; but Kit had been out to pasture for a month or more, and doing no work had had no grain, and this swift pace, added to the previous travel of the day, soon began to tell upon him, and he weakened visibly.
“Chap,” cried Phil, “we will have to hold up! Kit can’t stand it. We shall kill him if we keep on.” ”

“ The first time the man with the black straw hat met Chap, he warmly shook him by the hand.
“I didn’t suppose anything would come of your explosive ideas,” he said, “but you have been the best man of us all. Mr. Berkeley says he is going to make you a landed proprietor.”
“I don’t want any town-lots,” said Chap. “What I want is to be captain of a tug-boat.”
“All right,” said Mr. Muller. “If the town ever owns a tug-boat, I’ll see that you command her.”
On two stout brackets, over the dining-room mantel-piece at Hyson Hall, and secured to the wall by a stout hasp and padlock, hangs Old Bruden. ”

“ When Chap spoke, the man knew him to be a boy, and supposed him to be Phil, of whom he had not taken any particular notice on the evening he saw him.
“Yes,” he answered, “I am here again. How are you to-night?”
“Now, look here!” said Chap. “I rather suspected you’d be along again, and I came out to have a word with you. I want you to understand one thing. This is a free and open country, and when a man has anything to say he ought to come out boldly and say it in broad daylight, and not glide in under cover of the night.” ”

“ Mr. Berkeley kept the gun as long as he lived, and was always head of his house, I can tell you. And so is Mr. Godfrey, too.”
[48] “I suppose you think,” said Joel, “that if young Phil has the gun he will be the real master now.”
“I don’t want no boys over me,” said Susan, curtly.
“Havin’ the gun don’t make any difference,” said Joel. “All the things you’ve told of could ’a’ happened if there’d never been a gun in the world.”
“It’s no use talking to me like that,” said Susan. “There’s something in these things. That gun is the Master’s gun, and always has been.” ”

“ If you can in any way find out where your uncle is, you must do it, and let him know how things are going on. His presence here is more important than anything else.”
“I do wish that I had the slightest idea where he is!” exclaimed Phil. “All that I can find out is that he walked away with a knapsack on his back.”
“In that way he has travelled long distances,” said Mr. Welford. “But he may be crossing the Atlantic now for all we know. Of one thing we may be certain, your uncle has not run away from his debts. He is an honorable man.” ”

“ It may be supposed that no boy would have the courage to run forward thus in the face of a loaded gun, but Phil had not the slightest idea that Emile would dare to fire.
Hurriedly aiming the gun below Phil’s body, Emile pulled one trigger. As he did so, the thought flashed through Emile’s mind that if he did not hit the young rascal at first, this would show him that he was in earnest. As the hammer came down, the cap exploded with a loud snap, but the gun did not go off. ”

“ I have been told, and have been assured that every word of the statements can be proved, that young Touron was shamefully treated at your uncle’s house. You attempted to shoot him with a gun, and he was afterwards dreadfully beaten by one of your comrades. Such conduct, sir, is outrageous and amazing. You are not only acting in an unlawful and ungentlemanly manner, but you are directly working against the most important interests of your uncle by injuring and exasperating [153] the holders of the mortgage on his property, so that they will push their claims to the utmost limit. ”

“ I’m not going to make such a fool of myself the first day I ride my uncle’s horse.”
“Upon my word!” said Chap, in a desponding voice; then addressing himself to Phœnix, he said, “I do believe that Phil Berkeley is nothing but a humdrumist, after all! And to think of his opportunities! Come, Phœnix, touch up Selim, and let’s get along to town. It will be time enough to go at this rate when we take to riding cows.” ”

“ Muller standing on the river-bank.
Disgusted with human beings, especially with the man in the black straw hat, Chap walked directly home.
“I did think,” he said to himself, “that when I got to work with a man something would be done; [270] but men are just as pokey and shilly-shallying as boys. But there is one fellow left yet!” he continued, giving himself a bold slap on the chest; and, with a stern and determined mind, the one fellow who was left yet strode rapidly home. ”

“ Binding wheat, he declared, was one of the jolliest sports in the world. He would have preferred, however, to go to work upon the old wreck, and get money [222] enough to do away at once with all the troubles that hung over Hyson Hall. But it was of no use to talk to Phil of anything of that kind now.
While the boys were at dinner that day, Susan was standing on the front porch in a very disconsolate mood. The whole household, indeed, felt the shadow of the coming troubles, and no one, except John Morgan, made even an attempt to be cheerful. Susan had many reasons for feeling badly. ”

“ Berkeley, laughing a little. “But I do not want you to take the gun to-morrow, especially on any long expedition.”
“Is anything the matter with it?” asked Phil, his eyes wide open. “Has it cracked anywhere?”
“I don’t know, indeed,” said Mr. Berkeley, “for it is so long since I fired Old Bruden that I can say very little about it. But I want you to understand, [13] my boy,” he said, more seriously, “that you should never use a gun unless you know for yourself that it is in good condition. You ought to be able to tell me whether or not there is anything the matter with Old Bruden.” ”

“ Just push down that knob.”
“Oh, Chap, I can’t do it!” cried Helen, springing back.
“But you must! I want you to have the honor of touching her off. It’s nothing to do, and it can’t hurt you. Just press down the knob.”
With trembling hand, Helen put her finger on the little knob and pressed it down.
A column of water rose from the river, together with a mass of mud and timbers
A great boom, not loud, but deep and heavy, shook the air, and Chap, who was standing outside the bushes, saw a column of water rise from the river, together with a mass of mud and timbers. ”

“ When they reached the spot, they found Chap and Helen still searching among the fallen timbers and clots of mud.
When the story had been told, and Chap had explained everything to the astonished Mr. Berkeley, Phil exclaimed,—
“And haven’t you found any money?”
“Not a cent,” said Chap, ruefully. “I believe the crew must have been paid off before they left the ship.”
Mr. Berkeley appeared much excited by what had occurred.
“Look here, young man,” he cried, clapping Chap on the shoulder, “you needn’t trouble yourself [285] about not finding any money. ”

“ He had always known his uncle as an honorable man, and if he left but little money behind him, it was because he had forgotten the large claim which Mr. Welford said he had paid out of the funds in his hands.
But money affairs were not the only things which troubled Phil. Day by day Emile Touron made himself more disagreeable. He pried into everything that was going on, even spending a good deal of time with Joel, endeavoring to find out from him everything he could in regard to the probable value of the little wheat crop, which was nearly ready to be harvested. ”

“ I am not a rich man, and I have every desire to better my fortunes.”
“A very laudable desire, truly,” said Mr. Muller; “and I hope to be able to—— But no matter about that now. Don’t let me interrupt you, sir.”
“Of course I had no idea,” continued Mr. Berkeley, “that when I went away there would be any money troubles at Hyson Hall. Mr. Touron, who is a relative by marriage, has repeatedly assured me that I need give myself no concern about the payments on the mortgage that he holds, if at any time it should be inconvenient for me to make them. ”

“ When Emile Touron left Hyson Hall, there was a good deal remaining of the long summer afternoon, and as he knew he would have to pay for the horse for the whole day, he determined to get all the good out of him that he could. Besides, he felt too angry to go back to his lodgings. He would rather be alone and have a horse to shout at and cut with a whip. As for eating, he had forgotten all about it.
Instead, therefore, of turning into town, he drove [195] along the road which led to the north, and which Phil and Chap had taken that morning. ”

“ Muller, to whom the idea of a man owning a fine house and choosing to live in a little hut like that seemed utterly absurd.
“When I was a young man,” said Mr. Berkeley, “I studied law, but soon tired of it. Lately, since I have determined to settle down to a quiet life, I have tried farming; but I do not think I succeed very well as a farmer. I lose more money than I make.” ”