facilities　existed　in　the　city　for　operations　of　a　nautical　character；
  and；　lastly；　my　Christmas　money　amounted　only　to　five　dollars。
  It　was　my　father　who　pointed　out　these　and　other　objections。　　For；　after
  a　careful　perusal　of　the　price　lists　I　had　sent　for；　I　had　been　forced　to
  appeal　to　him　to　supply　additional　funds　with　which　to　purchase　a　row…
  boat。　　Incidentally；　he　read　me　a　lecture　on　extravagance；　referred　to　my
  last　month's　report　at　the　Academy；　and　finished　by　declaring　that　he
  would　not　permit　me　to　have　a　boat　even　in　the　highly　improbable　case　of
  somebody's　presenting　me　with　one。　　Let　it　not　be　imagined　that　my　ardour
  or　my　determination　were　extinguished。　　Shortly　after　I　had　retired　from
  his　presence　it　occurred　to　me　that　he　had　said　nothing　to　forbid　my
  making　a　boat；　and　the　first　thing　I　did　after　school　that　day　was　to
  procure；　for　twenty…five　cents；　a　second…hand　book　on　boat　construction。
  The　woodshed　was　chosen　as　a　shipbuilding　establishment。　　It　was
  convenientand　my　father　never　went　into　the　back　yard　in　cold　weather。
  Inquiries　of　lumber…yards　developing　the　disconcerting　fact　that　four
  dollars　and　seventy…five　cents　was　inadequate　to　buy　the　material　itself；
  to　say　nothing　of　the　cost　of　steaming　and　bending　the　ribs；　I
  reluctantly　abandoned　the　ideal　of　the　graceful　craft　I　had　sketched；　and
  compromised　on　a　flat　bottom。　　Observe　how　the　ways　of　deception　lead　to
  transgression：　I　recalled　the　cast…off　lumber　pile　of　Jarvis；　the
  carpenter；　a　good…natured　Englishman；　coarse　and　fat：　in　our
  neighbourhood　his　reputation　for　obscenity　was　so　well　known　to　mothers
  that　I　had　been　forbidden　to　go　near　him　or　his　shop。　　Grits　Jarvis；　his
  son；　who　had　inherited　the　talent；　was　also　contraband。　　I　can　see　now
  the　huge　bulk　of　the　elder　Jarvis　as　he　stood　in　the　melting；　soot…
  powdered　snow　in　front　of　his　shop；　and　hear　his　comments　on　my
  pertinacity。
  〃If　you　ever　wants　another　man's　missus　when　you　grows　up；　my　lad；　Gawd
  'elp　'im！〃
  〃Why　should　I　want　another　man's　wife　when　I　don't　want　one　of　my　own？〃
  I　demanded；　indignant。
  He　laughed　with　his　customary　lack　of　moderation。
  〃You　mind　what　old　Jarvis　says；〃　he　cried。　　〃What　you　wants；　you　gets。〃
  I　did　get　his　boards；　by　sheer　insistence。　　No　doubt　they　were　not　very
  valuable；　and　without　question　he　more　than　made　up　for　them　in　my
  mother's　bill。　　I　also　got　something　else　of　equal　value　to　me　at　the
  moment；the　assistance　of　Grits；　the　contraband；　daily；　after　school；　I
  smuggled　him　into　the　shed　through　the　alley；　acquiring　likewise　the
  services　of　Tom　Peters；　which　was　more　of　a　triumph　than　it　would　seem。
  Tom　always　had　to　be　〃worked　up〃　to　participation　in　my　ideas；　but　in　the
  end　he　almost　invariably　succumbed。　　The　notion　of　building　a　boat　in　the
  dead　of　winter；　and　so　far　from　her　native　element；　naturally　struck　him
  at　first　as　ridiculous。　　Where　in　Jehoshaphat　was　I　going　to　sail　it　if　I
  ever　got　it　made？　　He　much　preferred　to　throw　snowballs　at　innocent　wagon
  drivers。
  All　that　Tom　saw；　at　first；　was　a　dirty；　coal…spattered　shed　with　dim
  recesses；　for　it　was　lighted　on　one　side　only；　and　its　temperature　was
  somewhere　below　freezing。　　Surely　he　could　not　be　blamed　for　a　tempered
  enthusiasm！　　But　for　me；　all　the　dirt　and　cold　and　discomfort　were
  blotted　out；　and　I　beheld　a　gallant　craft　manned　by　sturdy　seamen　forging
  her　way　across　blue　water　in　the　South　Seas。　　Treasure　Island；　alas；　was
  as　yet　unwritten；　but　among　my　father's　books　were　two　old　volumes　in
  which　I　had　hitherto　taken　no　interest；　with　crude　engravings　of　palms
  and　coral　reefs；　of　naked　savages　and　tropical　mountains　covered　with
  jungle；　the　adventures；　in　brief；　of　one　Captain　Cook。　　I　also　discovered
  a　book　by　a　later　traveller。　　Spurred　on　by　a　mysterious　motive　power；
  and　to　the　great　neglect　of　the　pons　asinorum　and　the　staple　products　of
  the　Southern　States；　I　gathered　an　amazing　amount　of　information
  concerning　a　remote　portion　of　the　globe；　of　head…hunters　and　poisoned
  stakes；　of　typhoons；　of　queer　war…craft　that　crept　up　on　you　while　you
  were　dismantling　galleons；　when　desperate　hand…to…hand　encounters　ensued。
  Little　by　little　as　I　wove　all　this　into　personal　adventures　soon　to　be
  realized；　Tom　forgot　the　snowballs　and　the　maddened　grocery…men　who
  chased　him　around　the　block；　while　Grits　would　occasionally　stop　sawing
  and　cry　out：
  〃Ah；　s'y！〃　　frequently　adding　that　he　would　be　Gdd。
  The　cold　woodshed　became　a　chantry　on　the　New　England　coast；　the　alley
  the　wintry　sea　soon　to　embrace　our　ship；　the　saw…horseswhich　stood
  between　a　coal…bin　on　one　side　and　unused　stalls　filled　with　rubbish　and
  kindling　on　the　otherthe　ways；　the　yard　behind　the　lattice　fence　became
  a　backwater；　the　flapping　clothes　the　sails　of　ships　that　took　refuge
  thereon　Mondays　and　Tuesdays。　　Even　my　father　was　symbolized　with
  unparalleled　audacity　as　a　watchful　government　which　had；　up　to　the
  present；　no　inkling　of　our　semi…piratical　intentions！　　The　cook　and　the
  housemaid；　though　remonstrating　against　the　presence　of　Grits；　were
  friendly　confederates；　likewise　old　Cephas；　the　darkey　who；　from　my
  earliest　memory；　carried　coal　and　wood　and　blacked　the　shoes；　washed　the
  windows　；and　scrubbed　the　steps。
  One　afternoon　Tom　went　to　work。。。。
  The　history　of　the　building　of　the　good　ship　Petrel　is　similar　to　that　of
  all　created　things；　a　story　of　trial　and　error　and　waste。　　At　last；　one
  March　day　she　stood　ready　for　launching。　　She　had　even　been　caulked；　for
  Grits；　from　an　unknown　and　unquestionably　dubious　source；　had　procured　a
  bucket　of　tar；　which　we　heated　over　afire　in　the　alley　and　smeared　into
  every　crack。　　It　was　natural　that　the　news　of　such　a　feat　as　we　were
  accomplishing　should　have　leaked　out；　that　the　〃yard〃　should　have　been
  visited　from　time　to　time　by　interested　friends；　some　of　whom　came　to
  admire；　some　to　scoff；　and　all　to　speculate。　　Among　the　scoffers；　of
  course；　was　Ralph　Hambleton；　who　stood　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and
  cheerfully　predicted　all　sorts　of　dire　calamities。　　Ralph　was　always　a
  superior　boy；　tall　and　a　trifle　saturnine　and　cynical；　with　an　amazing
  self…confidence　not　wholly　due　to　the　wealth　of　his　father；　the　iron…
  master。　　He　was　older　than　I。
  〃She　won't　float　five　minutes；　if　you　ever　get　her　to　the　water；〃　was　his
  comment；　and　in　this　he　was　supported　on　general　principles　by　Julia　and
  Russell　Peters。　　Ralph　would　have　none　of　the　Petrel；　or　of　the　South
  Seas　either；　but　he　wanted；so　he　said；〃to　be　in　at　the　death。〃　　The
  Hambletons　were　one　of　the　few　families　who　at　that　time　went　to　the　sea
  for　the　summer；　and　from　a　practical　knowledge　of　craft　in　general　Ralph
  was　not　slow　to　point　out　the　defects　of　ours。　　Tom　and　I　defended　her
  passionately。
  Ralph　was　not　a　romanticist。　　He　was　a　born　leader；　excelling　at
  organized　games；　exercising　over　boys　the　sort　of　fascination　that　comes
  from　doing　everything　better　and　more　easily　than　others。　　It　was　only
  during　the　progress　of　such　enterprises　as　this　affair　of　the　Petrel　that
  I　succeeded　in　winning　their　allegiance；　bit　by　bit；　as　Tom's　had　been
  won；　fanning　their　enthusiasm　by　impersonating　at　once　Achilles　and
  Homer；　recruiting　while　relating　the　Odyssey　of　the　expedition　in　glowing
  colours。　　Ralph　always　scoffed；　and　when　I　had　no　scheme　on　foot　they
  went　back　to　him。　　Having　surveyed　the　boat　and　predicted　calamity；　he
  departed；　leaving　a　circle　of　quaint　and　youthful　figures　around　the
  Petrel　in　the　shed：　Gene　Hollister；　romantically　inclined；　yet　somewhat
  hampered　by　a　strict　parental　supervision；　Ralph's　cousin　Ham　Durrett；
  who　was　even　then　a　rather　fat　boy；　good…natured　but　selfish；　Don　and
  Harry　Ewan；　my　second　cousins；　Mac　and　Nancy　Willett　and　Sam　and　Sophy
  McAlery。　　Nancy　was　a　tomboy；　not　to　be　denied；　and　Sophy　her　shadow。　　We
  held　a　council；　the　all…important　question　of　which　was　how　to　get　the
  Petrel　to　the　water；　and　what　water　to　get　her　to。　　The　river　was　not　to
  be　thought　of；　and　Blackstone　Lake　some　six　miles　from　town。　　Finally；
  Logan's　mill…pond　was　decided　on；a　muddy　sheet　on　the　outskirts　of　the
  city。　　But　how　to　get　her　to　Logan's　mill…pond？　　Cephas　was　at　length
  consulted。　　It　turned　out　that　he　had　a　coloured　friend　who　went　by　the
  impressive　name　of　Thomas　Jefferson　Taliaferro　（pronounced　Tolliver）；　who
  was　in　the　express　business；　and　who；　after　surveying　the　boat　with　some
  misgivings；for　she　was　ten　feet　long；finally　consented　to　transport
  her　to　〃tide…water〃　for　the　sum　of　two　dollars。　　But　it　proved　that　our
  combined　resources　only　amounted　to　a　dollar　and　seventy…five　cents。　　Ham
  Durrett　never　contributed　to　anything。　　On　this　sum　Thomas　Jefferson
  compromised。
  Saturday　dawned　clear；　with　a　stiff　March　wind　catching　up　the　dust　into
  eddies　and　whirling　it　down　the　street。　　No　sooner　was　my　father　safely
  on　his　way　to　his　office　than　Thomas　Jefferson　was　reported　to　be　in　the
  alley；　where　we　assembled；　surveying　with　some　misgivings　Thomas
  Jefferson's　steed；　whose　ability　to　haul　the　Petrel　two　miles　seemed
  somewhat　doubtful。　　Other　difficulties　developed；　the　door　in　the　back　of
  the　shed　proved　to　be　too　narrow　for　our　ship's　beam。　　But　men　e