Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY AND EARLY NATIONAL PERIOD LITERATURE
permanent supply of water, as well as some sails and rigging; and, though it would
involve no small embarrassment to himself, yet he would spare three of his best
seamen for temporary deck ocers; so that without delay the ship might proceed
to Conception, there fully to ret for Lima, her destined port.
Such generosity was not without its eect, even upon the invalid. His face
lighted up; eager and hectic, he met the honest glance of his visitor. With gratitude
he seemed overcome.
“This excitement is bad for master,” whispered the servant, taking his arm, and
with soothing words gently drawing him aside.
When Don Benito returned, the American was pained to observe that his
hopefulness, like the sudden kindling in his cheek, was but febrile and transient.
Ere long, with a joyless mien, looking up towards the poop, the host invited his
guest to accompany him there, for the benet of what little breath of wind might
be stirring.
As, during the telling of the story, Captain Delano had once or twice started
at the occasional cymballing of the hatchet-polishers, wondering why such an
interruption should be allowed, especially in that part of the ship, and in the ears
of an invalid; and moreover, as the hatchets had anything but an attractive look,
and the handlers of them still less so, it was, therefore, to tell the truth, not without
some lurking reluctance, or even shrinking, it may be, that Captain Delano, with
apparent complaisance, acquiesced in his host’s invitation. The more so, since, with
an untimely caprice of punctilio, rendered distressing by his cadaverous aspect,
Don Benito, with Castilian bows, solemnly insisted upon his guest’s preceding him
up the ladder leading to the elevation; where, one on each side of the last step,
sat for armorial supporters and sentries two of the ominous le. Gingerly enough
stepped good Captain Delano between them, and in the instant of leaving them
behind, like one running the gauntlet, he felt an apprehensive twitch in the calves
of his legs.
But when, facing about, he saw the whole le, like so many organ-grinders, still
stupidly intent on their work, unmindful of everything beside, he could not but
smile at his late dgety panic.
Presently, while standing with his host, looking forward upon the decks below,
he was struck by one of those instances of insubordination previously alluded to.
Three black boys, with two Spanish boys, were sitting together on the hatches,
scraping a rude wooden platter, in which some scanty mess had recently been
cooked. Suddenly, one of the black boys, enraged at a word dropped by one of
his white companions, seized a knife, and, though called to forbear by one of the
oakum-pickers, struck the lad over the head, inicting a gash from which blood
owed.
In amazement, Captain Delano inquired what this meant. To which the pale
Don Benito dully muttered, that it was merely the sport of the lad.
“Pretty serious sport, truly,” rejoined Captain Delano. “Had such a thing happened
on board the Bachelor’s Delight, instant punishment would have followed.”
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