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- 2586
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- 2026-01-30T20:48:05.590Z
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- 2507
- text
- Paul slightly started, and turned inquiringly upon Israel, who, equally
owing to Paul’s own earnestness of discourse and Israel’s motionless
bearing, had thus far remained undiscovered.
“Never fear, Captain,” said the sage, “this man is true blue, a secret
courier, and an American born. He is an escaped prisoner of war.”
“Ah, captured in a ship?” asked Paul eagerly; “what ship? None of mine!
Paul Jones never was captured.”
“No, sir, in the brigantine Washington, out of Boston,” replied Israel;
“we were cruising to cut off supplies to the English.”
“Did your shipmates talk much of me?” demanded Paul, with a look as of
a parading Sioux demanding homage to his gewgaws; “what did they say of
Paul Jones?”
“I never heard the name before this evening,” said Israel.
“What? Ah—brigantine Washington—let me see; that was before I had
outwitted the Soleby frigate, fought the Milford, and captured the
Mellish and the rest off Louisbergh. You were long before the news, my
lad,” he added, with a sort of compassionate air.
“Our friend here gave you a rather blunt answer,” said the wise man,
sagely mischievous, and addressing Paul.
“Yes. And I like him for it. My man, will you go a cruise with Paul
Jones? You fellows so blunt with the tongue, are apt to be sharp with
the steel. Come, my lad, return with me to Brest. I go in a few days.”
Fired by the contagious spirit of Paul, Israel, forgetting all about
his previous desire to reach home, sparkled with response to the
summons. But Doctor Franklin interrupted him.
“Our friend here,” said he to the Captain, “is at present engaged for
very different duty.”
Much other conversation followed, during which Paul Jones again and
again expressed his impatience at being unemployed, and his resolution
to accept of no employ unless it gave him supreme authority; while in
answer to all this Dr. Franklin, not uninfluenced by the uncompromising
spirit of his guest, and well knowing that however unpleasant a trait
in conversation, or in the transaction of civil affairs, yet in war
this very quality was invaluable, as projectiles and combustibles,
finally assured Paul, after many complimentary remarks, that he would
immediately exert himself to the utmost to procure for him some
enterprise which should come up to his merits.
“Thank you for your frankness,” said Paul; “frank myself, I love to
deal with a frank man. You, Doctor Franklin, are true and deep, and so
you are frank.”
The sage sedately smiled, a queer incredulity just lurking in the
corner of his mouth.
“But how about our little scheme for new modelling ships-of-war?” said
the Doctor, shifting the subject; “it will be a great thing for our
infant navy, if we succeed. Since our last conversation on that
subject, Captain, at odds and ends of time, I have thought over the
matter, and have begun a little skeleton of the thing here, which I
will show you. Whenever one has a new idea of anything mechanical, it
is best to clothe it with a body as soon as possible. For you can’t
improve so well on ideas as you can on bodies.”
With that, going to a little drawer, he produced a small basket, filled
with a curious looking unfinished frame-work of wood, and several bits
of wood unattached. It looked like a nursery basket containing broken
odds and ends of playthings.
“Now look here, Captain, though the thing is but begun at present, yet
there is enough to show that _one_ idea at least of yours is not
feasible.”
Paul was all attention, as if having unbounded confidence in whatever
the sage might suggest, while Israel looked on quite as interested as
either, his heart swelling with the thought of being privy to the
consultations of two such men; consultations, too, having ultimate
reference to such momentous affairs as the freeing of nations.
- title
- Chunk 3