The Bravest of the Brave | Page 4

five years the slave of the cloth merchant. Not that the latter
intended to be anything but kind, and he sincerely believed that he was
acting for the good of the boy in taking him as his apprentice; but as
Jack recovered his spirits and energy, he absolutely loathed the trade to
which he was bound. Had it not been for Mistress Anthony and Alice
he would have braved the heavy pains and penalties which in those
days befell disobedient apprentices, and would have run away to sea;
but their constant kindness, and the fact that his mother with her dying
breath had charged him to regard her cousin as standing in her place,
prevented him from carrying the idea which he often formed into
effect.
In the shop his life was wretched. He was not stupid, as his master
asserted; for indeed in other matters he was bright and clever, and his
father had been well pleased with the progress he made with his studies;
but, in the first place; he hated his work, and, in the second, every
shortcoming and mistake was magnified and made the most of by the
foreman, Andrew Carson. This man had long looked to be taken into
partnership, and finally to succeed his master, seeing that the latter had
no sons, and he conceived a violent jealousy of Jack Stilwell, in whose
presence, as a prime favorite of Mistress Anthony and of her daughter,
he thought he foresaw an overthrow of his plans.

He was not long in effecting a breach between the boy and his
master--for Jack's carelessness and inattention gave him plenty of
opportunities--and Mr. Anthony ere long viewed the boy's errors as acts
of willful disobedience. This state of things lasted for two years until
the climax came, when, as Mr. Anthony had said to his wife, Jack,
upon the foreman attempting to strike him, had knocked the latter down
in the shop.
Mr. Anthony's first impulse was to take his apprentice before the
justices and to demand condign punishment for such an act of flagrant
rebellion; but a moment's reflection told him that Jack, at the end of his
punishment, would return to his house, where his wife would take his
part as usual, and the quarrels which had frequently arisen on his
account would be more bitter than before.
It was far better to get rid of him at once, and he accordingly ordered
him from the shop, tore up his indenture before his eyes, and bade him
never let him see his face again. For the first few hours Jack was
delighted at his freedom. He spent the day down on the wharves talking
to the fishermen and sailors. There were no foreign bound ships in the
port, and he had no wish to ship on board a coaster; he therefore
resolved to wait until a vessel sailing for foreign ports should leave.
He had no money; but a few hours after he left the shop Mrs. Anthony's
maid found him on the wharf, and gave him a letter from her mistress.
In this was inclosed a sum of money sufficient to last him for some
time, and an assurance that she did not share her husband's anger
against him.
"I have no doubt, my dear Jack," she said, "that in time I could heal the
breach and could arrange for you to come back again, but I think
perhaps it is better as it is. You would never make a clothier, and I don't
think you would ever become Mayor of Southampton. I know what
your wishes are, and I think that you had better follow them out. Alice
is heartbroken over the affair, but I assure her that it will all turn out for
the best. I cannot ask you to come up to the house; but whenever you
have settled on anything leave a note with Dorothy for me, and I will
come down with Alice to see you and say goodby to you. I will see that
you do not go without a proper outfit."
It was to deliver this letter that Jack had gone up to the back gate; and
seeing Alice in the garden they had naturally fallen into conversation at

the gate, when the mayor, looking out from the window of his
warehouse, happened to see them, and went out in the greatest wrath to
put a stop to the conversation.
Jack had indeed found a ship; she had come in from Holland with cloth
and other merchandise, and was after she was discharged to sail for the
colonies with English goods. She would not leave the port for some
weeks; but he had seen the captain, who had agreed to take him as
ship's boy. Had the mayor been aware that