"Don't you think we ought to live on the island for a year or so, after all the work we have done there?" said Noddy, as the boat gathered headway, and moved away from the shore.
"I'm sure I should be very happy there, if we had to stay," replied Mollie, "But I don't think I should care to remain just for the sake of living in the house you built."
"Nor I; but it seems to me just as though I had done all the work for nothing."[240]
"You worked very hard."
"But I enjoyed my work, for all that."
"And you think you did not win anything by it," added she, with a smile.
"I don't think that. I used to hate to work when I was at Woodville. I don't think I do hate it now."
"Then you have won something."
"I think I have won a great deal, when I look the matter over. I have learned a great many things."
Noddy had only a partial appreciation2 of what he had "won," though he was satisfied that his labor had not been wasted. He had been happy in the occupation which the necessities of his situation demanded of him. Many a boy, wrecked4 as he had been, with no one but a weak and timid girl to support him, would have done nothing but repine at his hard lot; would have lived "from hand to mouth" during those two months, and made every day a day of misery5. Noddy had worked hard; but what had he won? Was his labor, now that he was to abandon the house, the cisterns6, the stores, and the garden,—was it wasted?
Noddy had won two months of happiness.
He had won a knowledge of his own powers, mental and physical.
He had won a valuable experience in adapting means to ends, which others might be years in obtaining.[241]
He had won a vast amount of useful information from the stubborn toil7 he had performed.
He had won the victory over idleness and indifference8, which had beset9 him for years.
He had won a cheerful spirit, from the trials and difficulties he had encountered.
He had won a lively faith in things higher than earth, from the gentle and loving heart that shared his exile, for whom, rather than for himself, he had worked.
His labor was not lost. He had won more than could be computed10. He had won faith and hope, confidence in himself, an earnest purpose, which were to go through life with him, and bless him to the end of his days, and through the endless ages of eternity11. He had worked earnestly; he had won untold12 riches.
The wind was tolerably fresh after the boats passed the reef, and in two hours they were near enough to a large island to enable the young voyagers to see the objects on the shore. But they followed the canoe beyond a point of the land; and, after a run of several miles more, they rounded another point, and discovered the tall masts of a ship, at anchor in a small bay.
"It may be many months before we can get home. This ship may have to cruise a year or two before she obtains her full cargo13 of oil."
"I hope not."[242]
"But we may find some way to get home. I have all the money I saved from the vessel14, and we can pay our passage home."
The money reminded the orphan15 girl of her father, and she mused16 upon the past. The boat sped on its way, and in a short time reached the ship.
"Hallo, Noddy!" shouted Mr. Lincoln, as the boat approached. "And Mollie too!"
The mate was overjoyed to see them, and to find that they had been saved from the wreck3. He leaped into the boat, took Mollie in his arms, and kissed her as though she had been his own child. He grasped the hand of Noddy, and wrung17 it till the owner thought it would be crushed in his grip.
"I was sure you were lost," said Mr. Lincoln.
"And we were sure you were lost," replied Noddy.
"How did it happen? The cabin was full of water when we left the schooner18."
"You didn't wait long, Mr. Lincoln."
"We couldn't wait long. The sea made a clean breach19 over the wreck. Only four of us were saved; the rest were washed away, and we never saw anything more of them!"
Noddy and Mollie were conducted to the deck of the whale ship, where they were warmly welcomed by the captain and his officers. The three sailors who had been saved from the wreck of the Roebuck were rejoiced to see them alive and well. In the[243] presence of the large group gathered around himself and Mollie, Noddy told his story.
"Captain McClintock was lost, then?"
"Yes," replied Noddy, breaking through the crowd, for he did not like to tell the particulars of his death in poor Mollie's presence.
At a later hour he found an opportunity to inform his late shipmates of the manner in which the corpse20 of the captain had been found, and of its burial on the island. In return, Mr. Lincoln told him that he had cast off the boat a moment after the schooner struck the reef. The men who happened to be on the quarter-deck with him had been saved; the others were not seen after the shock. With the greatest difficulty they had kept the boat right side up, for she was often full of water. For hours they had drifted in the gale21, and in the morning, when the storm subsided22, they had reached the island.
They had been kindly23 treated by natives, who were partially24 civilized25 by their intercourse26 with vessels27 visiting the island, and with which they carried on commerce, exchanging the products of the island for guns, ammunition28, and other useful and ornamental29 articles. The savages30 knew that, if they killed or injured any white men, the terrible ships of war would visit them with the severest punishment.
"What ship is this?" asked Noddy, when the past had been satisfactorily explained by both parties.
"The Atlantic, of New Bedford," replied the[244] mate. "She is full of oil, and is homeward bound."
"Good!" exclaimed Noddy. "I suppose I have nothing further to do in this part of the world, and I may as well go in her."
"This hasn't been a very profitable cruise to me," added Mr. Lincoln.
"Well, I suppose there is no help for it; and I hope you will have better luck next time."
"I don't grumble31; these things can't always be helped. We were lucky to escape with our lives, and we won't say a word about the wages we have lost."
"Perhaps you won't lose them," added Mollie; and there was a slight flush on her fair cheeks, for her pride and her filial affection were touched by the reflection that these men had suffered from her father's infirmity.
The captain of the whale ship was entirely32 willing to take the exiles as passengers; and Noddy told him he had saved a great many articles, which might be of service to him. The next day, when the vessel had taken in her water, she sailed for the beautiful island. Outside the reef she lay to, and the boats were sent on shore to bring off such of the goods as would be useful on the voyage.
Noddy and Mollie had an opportunity to visit their island home once more; and, while the former assisted the men in selecting and loading the goods, the latter gathered fresh flowers, and for the last time strewed33 them on the grave of her father.[245]
The "big heap thigs" was very much reduced by the visit of the boats; but there was still enough left to reward the natives who had befriended the young islanders for the service they had rendered. According to the captain's estimate,—which was rather low,—he took about four hundred dollars' worth of goods from the island. Mollie, as her father's heir, was the owner of the property, subject to Noddy's claim for salvage34. With Mr. Lincoln's aid the accounts were settled. Mollie insisted upon paying the mate and the three seamen35 their wages up to the time they would reach their native land. This, with their own passage, consumed nearly the whole sum.
Besides the property saved from the island, there were about sixteen hundred dollars in gold and silver, and the valuable nautical36 instruments of Captain McClintock, making a total of over two thousand dollars. Though the disposition37 of this property was properly a subject for the maritime38 courts to settle, Mr. Lincoln and the officers of the ship talked it over, and decided39 that one half belonged to Mollie, in right of her father, and the other half to Noddy, as salvage,—which is the part of property saved from a wrecked imperilled ship, awarded to those who save it.
Noddy at first positively40 objected to this decree, and refused to take a dollar from the poor orphan girl; but when the captain told him that a court would probably award him a larger share, and when[246] Mollie almost cried because he refused, he consented to take it; but it was with a determination to have it applied41 to her use when he got home. The whale ship filled away when the goods had been taken on board, and weeks and months she stood on her course, till the welcome shores of their native land gladdened the sight of the exiled children. Mollie had been a great favorite with the officers and crew during the voyage, and many of them were the wiser and the better for the gentle words she spoke42 to them. The captain sold the nautical instruments, and the money was divided according to the decision of the council and officers. Noddy was now the possessor of about twelve hundred dollars, which was almost a fortune to a boy of twelve. It had been "work and win" to some purpose, in spite of the disastrous43 conclusion of the voyage.
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1
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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2
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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3
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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cisterns
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| n.蓄水池，储水箱( cistern的名词复数 )；地下储水池 | |
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7
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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9
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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computed
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| adj.[医]计算的，使用计算机的v.计算，估算( compute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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untold
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| adj.数不清的，无数的 | |
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13
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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14
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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16
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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17
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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18
schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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20
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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21
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；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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23
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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29
ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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30
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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32
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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strewed
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| v.撒在…上( strew的过去式和过去分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满 | |
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34
salvage
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| v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救 | |
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35
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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36
nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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maritime
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| adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的 | |
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39
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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40
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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41
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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42
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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43
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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