"Well, Jimmy, what brings you to Cleveland?" he asked.
"I came here to ship on the lake," the boy answered. "I tried first to get a place in a store, as I promised mother, but I found no opening. I would rather be a sailor."
"I am afraid your choice is not a good one; a good place on land is much better than going to sea. Have you tried to get a berth1?"
"So you are," returned his cousin smiling "Well, what are your plans now?"
"Can't you give me a place?"
"What, on the canal?"
"Yes cousin."
"I suppose you think that would be the next thing to going to sea?"
"It might prepare me for it."
"Well," said Captain Letcher, good-naturedly, "I will see what I can do for you. Can you drive a pair of horses?"
"Oh, yes."
"Then I will engage you. The pay is not very large, but you will live on the boat."
"How much do you pay?" asked James, who was naturally interested in the answer to this question.
"We pay from eight to ten dollars a month, according to length of service and fidelity5. Of course, as a new hand, you can not expect ten dollars."
"I shall be satisfied with eight, cousin."
"Now, as to your duties. You will work six hours on and six hours off. That's what we call a trick—the six hours on, I mean. So you will have every other six hours to rest, or do anything you like; that is, after you have attended to the horses."
"Some of our horses are mules," said Captain Letcher, smiling. "However, it makes no difference. You will have to feed and rub them down, and then you can lie down in your bunk8, or do anything else you like."
"That won't be very hard work," said James, cheerfully.
"Oh, I forgot to say that you can ride or walk, as you choose. You can rest yourself by changing from one to the other."
James thought he should like to ride on horseback, as most boys do. It was not, however, so good fun as he anticipated. A canal-boat horse is by no means a fiery9 or spirited creature. His usual gait is from two to two and a half miles an hour, and to a boy of quick, active temperament10 the slowness must be rather exasperating11. Yet, in the course of a day a boat went a considerable distance. It usually made fifty, and sometimes sixty miles a day. The rate depended on the number of locks it had to pass through.
Probably most of my young readers understand the nature of a lock. As all water seeks a level, there would be danger in an uneven12 country that some parts of the canal would be left entirely13 dry, and in others the water would overflow14. For this reason at intervals15 locks are constructed, composed of brief sections of the canal barricaded16 at each end by gates. When a boat is going down, the near gates are thrown open and the boat enters the lock, the water rushing in till a level is secured; then the upper gates are closed, fastening the boat in the lock. Next the lower gates are opened, the water in the lock seeks the lower level of the other section of the canal, and the boat moves out of the lock, the water subsiding17 gradually beneath it. Next, the lower gates are closed, and the boat proceeds on its way. It will easily be understood, when the case is reversed, and the boat is going up, how after being admitted into the lock it will be lifted up to the higher level when the upper gates are thrown open.
If any of my young readers find it difficult to understand my explanation, I advise them to read Jacob Abbot's excellent book, "Rollo on the Erie Canal," where the whole matter is lucidly18 explained.
Railroads were not at that time as common as now, and the canal was of much more importance and value as a means of conveying freight. Sometimes passengers traveled that way, when they were in not much of a hurry, but there were no express canal-boats, and a man who chose to travel in that way must have abundant leisure on his hands. There is some difference between traveling from two to two and a half miles an hour, and between thirty and forty, as most of our railroad express trains do.
James did not have to wait long after his engagement before he was put on duty. With boyish pride he mounted one of the mules and led the other. A line connected the mules with the boat, which was drawn19 slowly and steadily20 through the water. James felt the responsibility of his situation. It was like going to sea on a small scale, though the sea was but a canal. At all events, he felt that he had more important work to do than if he were employed as a boy on one of the lake schooners21.
James was at this time fifteen; a strong, sturdy boy, with a mass of auburn hair, partly covered by a loose-fitting hat. He had a bright, intelligent face, and an earnest look that attracted general attention. Yet, to one who saw the boy guiding the patient mule6 along the tow-path, it would have seemed a most improbable prediction, that one day the same hand would guide the ship of State, a vessel22 of much more consequence than the humble23 canal-boat.
There was one comfort, at any rate. Though in his rustic24 garb25 he was not well enough dressed to act as clerk in a Cleveland store, no one complained that he was not well enough attired26 for a canal-boy.
It will occur to my young reader that, though the work was rather monotonous27, there was not much difficulty or danger connected with it. But even the guidance of a canal-boat has its perplexities, and James was not long in his new position before he realized it.
It often happened that a canal-boat going up encountered another going down, and vice4 versa. Then care has to be exercised by the respective drivers lest their lines get entangled28.
All had been going on smoothly29 till James saw another boat coming. It might have been his inexperience, or it might have been the carelessness of the other driver, but at any rate the lines got entangled. Meanwhile the boat, under the impetus30 that had been given it, kept on its way until it was even with the horses, and seemed likely to tow them along.
"Whip up your team, Jim, or your line will ketch on the bridge!" called out the steersman.
The bridge was built over a waste-way which occurred just ahead, and it was necessary for James to drive over it.
The caution was heeded31, but too late. James whipped up his mules, but when he had reached the middle of the bridge the rope tightened32, and before the young driver fairly understood what awaited him, he and his team were jerked into the canal. Of course he was thrown off the animal he was riding, and found himself struggling in the water side by side with the astonished mules. The situation was a ludicrous one, but it was also attended with some danger. Even if he did not drown, and the canal was probably deep enough for that, he stood in some danger of being kicked by the terrified mules.
The boy, however, preserved his presence of mind, and managed, with help, to get out himself and to get his team out.
"You'll do," said the captain, struck by the boy's coolness.
Six hours passed, and James' "trick" was over. He and his mules were both relieved from duty. Both were allowed to come on board the boat and rest for a like period, while the other driver took his place on the tow-path.
"Well, Jim, how do you like it as far as you've got?" asked the captain.
"I like it," answered the boy.
"Shall you be ready to take another bath to-morrow morning?" asked his cousin, slyly.
"I think one bath a week will be sufficient," was the answer.
Feeling a natural interest in his young cousin, Amos Letcher thought he would examine him a little, to see how far his education had advanced. Respecting his own ability as an examiner he had little doubt, for he had filled the proud position of teacher in Steuben County, Indiana, for three successive winters.
"I suppose you have been to school more or less, Jim?" he said.
"Oh, yes," answered the boy.
"What have you studied?"
James enumerated35 the ordinary school branches. They were not many, for his acquirements were not extensive; but he had worked well, and was pretty well grounded as far as he had gone.
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1
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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7
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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8
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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exasperating
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| adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式 | |
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uneven
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| adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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15
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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16
barricaded
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| 设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守 | |
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17
subsiding
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的现在分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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lucidly
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| adv.清透地，透明地 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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schooners
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| n.（有两个以上桅杆的）纵帆船( schooner的名词复数 ) | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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jocosely
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| adv.说玩笑地，诙谐地 | |
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34
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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enumerated
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| v.列举，枚举，数( enumerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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