Last of the Huggermuggers | Page 4

can't exactly see the use of a shell without a fish in it. Mrs.
Huggermugger must see something in these shells that I don't."
So he didn't stop to choose, but picked up the first one that came to his
hand, and put it in his basket. It was the very one in which Little Jacket
was asleep. The little sailor slept too soundly to know that he was
travelling, free of expense, across the country at a railroad speed, in a
carriage made of a giant's fish-basket. Huggermugger reached his house,
mounted his huge stairs, set down his basket, and placed the big shell
on the mantel-piece.
"Wife," says he, "here's one of those good-for-nothing big shells you

have often asked me to bring home."
"Oh, what a beauty," says she, as she stuck a sunflower in it, and stood
gazing at it in mute admiration. But, Huggermugger being hungry,
would not allow her to stand idle.
[Illustration: MRS. HUGGERMUGGER ADMIRES THE SHELL
AND SUNFLOWER.]
"Come," says he, "let's have some of these beautiful clams cooked for
supper--they are worth all your fine shells with nothing in them."
So they sat down, and cooked and ate their supper, and then went to
bed.
Little Jacket, all this time, heard nothing of their great rumbling voices,
being in as sound a sleep as he ever enjoyed in his life. He awoke early
in the morning, and crept out of a shell--but he could hardly believe his
eyes, and thought himself still dreaming, when he found himself and
his shell on a very high, broad shelf, in a room bigger than any church
he ever saw. He fairly shook and trembled in his shoes, when the truth
came upon him that he had been trapped by a giant, and was here a
prisoner in his castle. He had time enough, however, to become cool
and collected, for there was not a sound to be heard, except now and
then something resembling a thunder-like snoring, as from some distant
room. "Aha," thought Little Jacket to himself, "it is yet very early, and
the giant is asleep, and there may be time yet to get myself out of his
clutches."
He was a brave little fellow, as well as a true Yankee in his smartness
and ingenuity. So he took a careful observation of the room, and its
contents. The first thing to be done was to let himself down from the
mantel-piece. This was not an easy matter as it was very high. If he
jumped, he would certainly break his legs. He was not long in
discovering one of Huggermugger's fishing-lines tied up and lying not
far from him. This he unrolled, and having fastened one end of it to a
nail which he managed just to reach, he let the other end drop (it was as
large as a small rope) and easily let himself down to the floor. He then

made for the door, but that was fastened. Jacky, however, was
determined to see what could be done, so he pulled out his jackknife,
and commenced cutting into the corner of the door at the bottom, where
it was a good deal worn, as if it had been gnawed by the rats. He
thought that by cutting a little now and then, and hiding himself when
the giant should make his appearance, in time he might make an
opening large enough for him to squeeze himself through. Now
Huggermugger was by this time awake, and heard the noise which
Jacky made with his knife.
"Wife," says he, waking her up--she was dreaming about her beautiful
shell--"wife, there are those eternal rats again, gnawing, gnawing at that
door; we must set the trap for them to-night."
Little Jacket heard the giant's great voice, and was very much
astonished that he spoke English. He thought that giants spoke nothing
but "chow-chow-whangalorum-hallaballoo with a-ruffle-bull-bagger!"
This made him hope that Huggermugger would not eat him. So he grew
very hopeful, and determined to persevere. He kept at his work, but as
softly as he could. But Huggermugger heard the noise again, or fancied
he heard it, and this time came to see if he could not kill the rat that
gnawed so steadily and so fearlessly. Little Jacket heard him coming,
and rushed to hide himself. The nearest place of retreat was one of the
giant's great boots, which lay on the floor, opening like a cave before
him. Into this he rushed. He had hardly got into it before
Huggermugger entered.
CHAPTER FIVE.
WHAT HAPPENED TO LITTLE JACKET IN THE GIANT'S BOOT.
Huggermugger made a great noise in entering, and ran up immediately
to the door at which Little Jacket had been cutting, and threshed about
him with a great stick, right and left.