Last of the Huggermuggers | Page 7

a great wilderness, and out of which he feared he never
could free himself. Poor Jacky felt lonely and sad enough, and almost
wished he had discovered himself to the dwarf, for whatever could
have happened to him, it could not have been worse than to be left to

perish in a wilderness alone.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
HOW HE MADE USE OF HUGGERMUGGER IN TRAVELLING.
While Little Jacket sat pondering over his situation, he heard voices not
far off, as of two persons talking. But they were great voices, as of
trumpets and drums. He looked over the top of the rock against which
he was seated, and saw for the first time the entire forms of
Huggermugger and his wife, looming up like two great light-houses.
He knew it must be they, for he recognized their voices. They were
standing on the other side of a huge stone wall. It was the giant's
garden.
[Illustration: A PEEP AT THE HUGGERMUGGERS.]
"Wife," said Huggermugger, "I think now I've got my long boots on
again, and my toe feels so much better, I shall go through the marsh
yonder and kill a few frogs for your dinner; after that, perhaps I may go
down again to the seashore, and get some more of those delicious
clams I found last night."
"Well husband," says the wife, "you may go if you choose for your
clams, but be sure you get me some frogs, for you know how fond I am
of them."
So Huggermugger took his basket and his big stick, and strode off to
the marsh. "Now," thought the little sailor, "is my time. I must watch
which way he goes and if I can manage not to be seen, and can only
keep up with him--for he goes at a tremendous pace--we shall see!"
So the giant went to the marsh, in the middle of which was a pond,
while Little Jacket followed him as near as he dared to go. Pretty soon,
he saw the huge fellow laying about him with his stick, and making a
great splashing in the water. It was evident he was killing Mrs.
Huggermugger's frogs, a few of which he put in his basket, and then
strode away in another direction. Little Jacket now made the best use of

his little legs that he ever made in his life. If he could only keep the
giant in sight! He was much encouraged by perceiving that
Huggermugger, who, as I said before, was a lazy giant, walked at a
leisurely pace, and occasionally stopped to pick the berries that grew
everywhere in the fields. Little Jacket could see his large figure
towering up some miles ahead. Another fortunate circumstance, too,
was, that the giant was smoking his pipe as he went, and even when
Little Jacket almost lost sight of him, he could guess where he was
from the clouds of smoke floating in the air, like the vapor from a
high-pressure Mississippi steamboat. So the little sailor toiled along,
scrambling over rocks, and through high weeds and grasses and bushes,
till they came to a road. Then Jacky's spirits began to rise, and he kept
along as cautiously, yet as fast as he could, stopping only when the
giant stopped. At last, after miles and miles of walking, he caught a
glimpse of the sea through the huge trees that skirted the road. How his
heart bounded! "I shall at least see my messmates again," he said, "and
if we are destined to remain long in this island, we will at least help
each other, and bear our hard lot together."
It was not long before he saw the beach, and the huge Huggermugger
groping in the wet sand for his shell-fish. "If I can but reach my
companions without being seen, tell them my strange adventures, and
all hide ourselves till the giant is out of reach, I shall be only too
happy." Very soon he saw the group of beautiful great shells, just as
they were when he left them, except that his shell, of course, was not
there, as it graced Mrs. Huggermugger's domestic fireside. When he
came near enough, he called some of his comrades by name, not too
loud, for fear of being heard by the shell-fish-loving giant. They knew
his voice, and one after another looked out of his shell. They had
already seen the giant, as they were out looking for their lost
companion, and had fled to hide themselves in their shells.
"For heaven's sake," cried the little sailor. "Tom, Charley, all of you!
don't stay here; the giant will come and carry you all off to his house
under the cliffs; his wife has a particular liking for those beautiful
houses of yours. I have just escaped, almost