Wn grīn lît sqintñ ovr Cíd’z Crìc, ẃć z nir ɖ mǎʈ v ɖ pîṛtrivr, marct ẃr ɖ brig, ɖ Joli Rojr, le, lo in ɖ wōtr; a rêciś-lcñ craft fǎl t ɖ hul, evri bīm in hr dtstbl, lîc grǎnd strùn wɖ mangld feɖrz. Ś wz ɖ canibl v ɖ sìz, n scers nīdd ɖt woćfl î, fr ś flotd iḿn in ɖ horr v hr nem.
Ś wz rápt in ɖ blancit v nît, ʈru ẃć no sǎnd fṛm hr cd hv rīćt ɖ śor. Ɖr wz litl sǎnd, n nn agriybl sev ɖ ẃŕ v ɖ śip’s sowñmśīn at ẃć Smi sat, evr industrịs n oblîjñ, ɖ esns v ɖ comnples, pʈetic Smi. I nǒ nt ẃ h wz so infiṇtli pʈetic, unls it wr bcz h wz so pʈeticli un’wer v it; bt īvn stroñ men hd t trn hesṭli fṛm lcñ at him, n mor ɖn wns on sumr īvnñz h hd tućt ɖ fǎnt v Hc’s tirz n md it flo. V ɖs, az v olmst evrʈñ els, Smi wz qt unconśs.
A fy v ɖ pîṛts lent ovr ɖ bŭlẉcs, drincñ in ɖ miazma v ɖ nît; uɖrz sprōld bî baṛlz ovr gemz v dîs n cardz; n ɖ xōstd for hu hd carid ɖ litl hǎs le pron on ɖ dec, ẃr īvn in ɖer slīp ɖe rold scilḟli t ɖs sîd or ɖt ǎt v Hc’s rīć, lest h śd clw ɖm mcanicli in pasñ.
Hc trod ɖ dec in ʈōt. O man unfaɖṃbl. It wz hiz aur v trîumf. Pītr hd bn rmuvd fr evr fṛm hiz paʈ, n ol ɖ uɖr bôz wr in ɖ brig, abt t wōc ɖ planc. It wz hiz grimist dīd sins ɖ dez ẃn h hd bròt Barḅk t hìl; n nwñ az w d hǎ ven a tabnacl z man, cd w b s’prîzd hd h nǎ pêst ɖ dec unsteḍli, belid ǎt bî ɖ windz v hiz s’xes?
Bt ɖr wz no ileśn in hiz geit, ẃć cept pes wɖ ɖ ax́n v hiz sombr mînd. Hc wz pṛfǎndli djctd.
H wz ofn ɖus ẃn cḿnñ wɖ himslf on bōrd śip in ɖ qaytyd v ɖ nît. It wz bcz h wz so teṛbli alon. Ɖs inscrūṭbl man nvr flt mor alon ɖn ẃn srǎndd bî hiz dogz. Ɖe wr soṣ́li infirịr t him.
Hc wz nt hiz tru nem. T rvil hu h riyli wz wd īvn at ɖs det set ɖ cuntri in a blêz; bt az ɖoz hu rīd btwn ɖ lînz mst olrdi hv gest, h hd bn at a feṃs public scūl; n its tṛdiśnz stl cluñ t him lîc garmnts, wɖ ẃć indd ɖe r larjli cnsrnd. Ɖus it wz ofnsiv t him īvn nǎ t bōrd a śip in ɖ sem dres in ẃć h grapld hr, n h stl adhird in hiz wōc t ɖ scūl’z dstnḡśt slǎć. Bt abv ol h rtend ɖ paśn fr gd form.
Gd form! Hvr mć h me hv djeṇretd, h stl ń ɖt ɖs z ol ɖt riyli matrz.
Fṛm far wɖn him h hŕd a crīcñ az v rusti portlz, n ʈru ɖm cem a strn tap-tap-tap, lîc haṃrñ in ɖ nît ẃn wn canot slīp. “Hv y bn gd form tde?” wz ɖer itrnl qsćn.
“Fem, fem, ɖt gliṭrñ bōbl, it z mîn,” h craid.
“Z it qt gd form t b dstnḡśt at enʈñ?” ɖ tap-tap fṛm hiz scūl rplaid.
“I am ɖ onli man hūm Barḅk fird,” h rjd, “n Flint fird Barḅk.”
“Barḅk, Flint—ẃt hǎs?” cem ɖ cutñ rtort.
Most dsqaytñ rflex́n v ol, wz it nt bad form t ʈnc abt gd form?
Hiz vîtlz wr torćrd bî ɖs probḷm. It wz a clw wɖn him śarpr ɖn ɖ ayn wn; n az it tòr him, ɖ prsṗreśn dript dǎn hiz talo cǎntinns n strīct hiz dublit. Oftîmz h drù hiz slīv acrs hiz fes, bt ɖr wz no damñ ɖt tricl.
Ā, envi nt Hc.
Ɖr cem t him a prizntimnt v hiz rli diṣluśn. It wz az f Pītr’z teṛbl oʈ hd bōrdd ɖ śip. Hc flt a glūmi dzîr t mc hiz dayñspīć, lest prezntli ɖr śd b no tîm fr it.
“Betr fr Hc,” h craid, “f h hd hd les ambiśn!” It wz in hiz darcist aurz onli ɖt h rfŕd t himslf in ɖ ʈrd prsn.
“No litl ćildṛn t luv m!”
Strenj ɖt h śd ʈnc v ɖs, ẃć hd nvr trubld him bfr; phps ɖ sowñmśīn bròt it t hiz mînd. Fr loñ h mutrd t himslf, stẹrñ at Smi, hu wz hemñ plasidli, undr ɖ cnvix́n ɖt ol ćildṛn fird him.
Fird him! Fird Smi! Ɖr wz nt a ćîld on bōrd ɖ brig ɖt nît hu dd nt olrdi luv him. H hd sd horid ʈñz t ɖm n hit ɖm wɖ ɖ pām v hiz hand, bcz h cd nt hit wɖ hiz fist, bt ɖe hd onli cluñ t him ɖ mor. Mîcl hd traid on hiz specṭclz.
T tel pur Smi ɖt ɖe ʈt him luṿbl! Hc ićt t d it, bt it sīmd tù brūtl. Instd, h rvolvd ɖs misṭri in hiz mînd: ẃ d ɖe fînd Smi luṿbl? H psyd ɖ probḷm lîc ɖ slūʈhǎnd ɖt h wz. F Smi wz luṿbl, ẃt wz it ɖt md him so? A teṛbl ansr sudnli prizntd itslf—“Gd form?”
Hd ɖ boṣn gd form wɖt nwñ it, ẃć z ɖ bst form v ol?
H rmembrd ɖt y hv t pruv y d’nt nǒ y hv it bfr y r eliɉbl fr Pop.
Wɖ a crî v rej h rezd hiz ayn hand ovr Smi’z hed; bt h dd nt ter. Ẃt arestd him wz ɖs rflex́n:
“T clw a man bcz h z gd form, ẃt wd ɖt b?”
“Bad form!”
Ɖ unhapi Hc wz az imṗtnt az h wz damp, n h fél fwd lîc a cut flǎr.
Hiz dogz ʈncñ him ǎt v ɖ we fr a tîm, diṣplin instntli rlaxt; n ɖe brouc intu a bac̣nełn dans, ẃć bròt him t hiz fīt at wns, ol tresz v hymn wìcnis gn, az f a bucit v wōtr hd pást ovr him.
“Qayt, y scugz,” h craid, “or I’l cast ancr in y;” n at wns ɖ din wz huśt. “R ol ɖ ćildṛn ćend, so ɖt ɖe canot flî awe?”
“Ai, ai.”
“Ɖen hôst ɖm p.”
Ɖ rećid priznrz wr dragd fṛm ɖ hold, ol xpt Wndi, n renjd in lîn in frunt v him. Fr a tîm h sīmd unconśs v ɖer prezns. H lold at hiz īz, humñ, nt unṃlodịsli, snaćz v a rūd soñ, n fnġrñ a pac v cardz. Evr n anon ɖ lît fṛm hiz sgar gev a tuć v culr t hiz fes.
“Nǎ ɖen, bŭliz,” h sd briscli, “six v y wōc ɖ planc tnît, bt I hv rūm fr tū cabinbôz. Ẃć v y z it t b?”
“D’nt iṛtet him uņessṛli,” hd bn Wndi’z instrux́nz in ɖ hold; so Tūtlz stept fwd p’lîtli. Tūtlz hetd ɖ îdīa v sînñ undr sć a man, bt an instñt tld him ɖt it wd b prūdnt t le ɖ rsponsbiḷti on an absnt prsn; n ɖo a smẃt sili bô, h ń ɖt muɖrz alon r olwz wilñ t b ɖ bufr. Ol ćildṛn nǒ ɖs abt muɖrz, n dspîz ɖm fr it, bt mc constnt ys v it.
So Tūtlz xplend prūdntli, “Y si, sr, I d’nt ʈnc mî muɖr wd lîc m t b a pîṛt. Wd yr muɖr lîc y t b a pîṛt, Slîtli?”
H wnct at Slîtli, hu sd mōrnḟli, “I d’nt ʈnc so,” az f h wśt ʈñz hd bn uɖ̇wz. “Wd yr muɖr lîc y t b a pîṛt, Twin?”
“I d’nt ʈnc so,” sd ɖ frst twin, az clevr az ɖ uɖrz. “Nibz, wd—”
“Sto ɖs gab,” rord Hc, n ɖ spocsṃn wr dragd bac. “Y, bô,” h sd, adresñ Jon, “y lc az f y hd a litl pluc in y. Didst nvr wont t b a pîṛt, mî harti?”
Nǎ Jon hd smtmz xpirịnst ɖs hanc̣rñ at maʈs. prep.; n h wz struc bî Hc’s picñ him ǎt.
“I wns ʈt v cōlñ mslf Red-handd Jac,” h sd difidntli.
“N a gd nem tù. W’l cōl y ɖt hir, bŭli, f y jôn.”
“Ẃt d y ʈnc, Mîcl?” asct Jon.
“Ẃt wd y cōl m f I jôn?” Mîcl dmandd.
“Blacbird Jo.”
Mîcl wz naćṛli imprest. “Ẃt d y ʈnc, Jon?” H wontd Jon t dsîd, n Jon wontd him t dsîd.
“Śl w stl b rspctfl subjicts v ɖ Cñ?” Jon inqîrd.
Ʈru Hc’s tīʈ cem ɖ ansr: “Y wd hv t swer, ‘Dǎn wɖ ɖ Cñ.’”
Phps Jon hd nt bhevd vri wel so far, bt h śon ǎt nǎ.
“Ɖen I rfyz,” h craid, baññ ɖ baṛl in frunt v Hc.
“N I rfyz,” craid Mîcl.
“Rūl Britańa!” sqīct Crli.
Ɖ infyrietd pîṛts buḟtd ɖm in ɖ mǎʈ; n Hc rord ǎt, “Ɖt sìlz yr dūm. Brñ p ɖer muɖr. Gt ɖ planc redi.”
Ɖe wr onli bôz, n ɖe wnt ẃît az ɖe sw Jūcs n Ćeco pripẹrñ ɖ fetl planc. Bt ɖe traid t lc brev ẃn Wndi wz bròt p.
No wrdz v mîn cn tel y hǎ Wndi dspîzd ɖoz pîṛts. T ɖ bôz ɖr wz at līst sm glamr in ɖ pîṛtcōlñ; bt ol ɖt ś sw wz ɖt ɖ śip hd nt bn tîdid fr yirz. Ɖr wz nt a porthoul on ɖ grîmi glas v ẃć y mt nt hv ritn wɖ yr fngr “Drti pig”; n ś hd olrdi ritn it on sevṛl. Bt az ɖ bôz gaɖrd rnd hr ś hd no ʈōt, v cors, sev fr ɖm.
“So, mî byti,” sd Hc, az f h spouc in siṛp, “y r t si yr ćildṛn wōc ɖ planc.”
Fîn jntlṃn ɖo h wz, ɖ intnṣti v hiz cḿnñz hd sôld hiz rúf, n sudnli h ń ɖt ś wz gezñ at it. Wɖ a hesti jsćr h traid t hîd it, bt h wz tù lêt.
“R ɖe t dî?” asct Wndi, wɖ a lc v sć frîtfl cntmt ɖt h nirli fentd.
“Ɖe r,” h snarld. “Sîḷns ol,” h cōld glotñli, “fr a muɖr’z last wrdz t hr ćildṛn.”
At ɖs momnt Wndi wz grand. “Ɖz r mî last wrdz, dir bôz,” ś sd frmli. “I fīl ɖt I hv a mesij t y fṛm yr riyl muɖrz, n it z ɖs: ‘W hop ǎr sunz wl dî lîc Ñgliś jntlṃn.’”
Īvn ɖ pîṛts wr ōd, n Tūtlz craid ǎt histericli, “I am gwñ t d ẃt mî muɖr hops. Ẃt r y t d, Nibz?”
“Ẃt mî muɖr hops. Ẃt r y t d, Twin?”
“Ẃt mî muɖr hops. Jon, ẃt r—”
Bt Hc hd faund hiz vôs agn.
“Tî hr p!” h śǎtd.
It wz Smi hu taid hr t ɖ māst. “Si hir, huni,” h ẃisprd, “I’l sev y f y promis t b mî muɖr.”
Bt nt īvn fr Smi wd ś mc sć a promis. “I wd olmst rɖr hv no ćildṛn at ol,” ś sd dsdenḟli.
It z sad t nǒ ɖt nt a bô wz lcñ at hr az Smi taid hr t ɖ māst; ɖ îz v ol wr on ɖ planc: ɖt last litl wōc ɖe wr abt t tec. Ɖe wr no longr ebl t hop ɖt ɖe wd wōc it manḟli, fr ɖ cpaṣti t ʈnc hd gn fṛm ɖm; ɖe cd stér n śivr onli.
Hc smîld on ɖm wɖ hiz tīʈ clozd, n tc a step twd Wndi. Hiz intnśn wz t trn hr fes so ɖt ś śd si ɖ bôz wōcñ ɖ planc wn bî wn. Bt h nvr rīćt hr, h nvr hŕd ɖ crî v anḡś h hopt t riñ fṛm hr. H hŕd smʈñ els instd.
It wz ɖ teṛbl tíc-tíc v ɖ croc̣dîl.
Ɖe ol hŕd it—pîṛts, bôz, Wndi; n imīɉtli evri hed wz bloun in wn d’rex́n; nt t ɖ wōtr ẃns ɖ sǎnd pṛsidd, bt twd Hc. Ol ń ɖt ẃt wz abt t hapn cnsrnd him alon, n ɖt fṛm biyñ actrz ɖe wr sudnli bcm spectetrz.
Vri frîtfl wz it t si ɖ ćenj ɖt cem ovr him. It wz az f h hd bn clipt at evri jônt. H fél in a litl hīp.
Ɖ sǎnd cem steḍli nirr; n in advans v it cem ɖs gastli ʈōt, “Ɖ croc̣dîl z abt t bōrd ɖ śip!”
Īvn ɖ ayn clw huñ inactiv; az f nwñ ɖt it wz no intrinzic part v ẃt ɖ atacñ fors wontd. Left so firḟli alon, eni uɖr man wd hv lein wɖ hiz îz śut ẃr h fél: bt ɖ jîgantic bren v Hc wz stl wrcñ, n undr its gîdns h crōld on ɖ niz alñ ɖ dec az far fṛm ɖ sǎnd az h cd g. Ɖ pîṛts rspctḟli clird a pasij fr him, n it wz onli ẃn h bròt p agnst ɖ bŭlẉcs ɖt h spouc.
“Hîd m!” h craid hōrsli.
Ɖe gaɖrd rnd him, ol îz avrtd fṛm ɖ ʈñ ɖt wz cmñ abōrd. Ɖe hd no ʈōt v fîtñ it. It wz Fet.
Onli ẃn Hc wz hidn fṛm ɖm dd krioṣti lūsn ɖ limz v ɖ bôz so ɖt ɖe cd ruś t ɖ śip’s sîd t si ɖ croc̣dîl clîmñ it. Ɖen ɖe got ɖ strenjist s’prîz v ɖ Nît v Nîts; fr it wz no croc̣dîl ɖt wz cmñ t ɖer ed. It wz Pītr.
H sînd t ɖm nt t gv vnt t eni crî v adṃreśn ɖt mt rǎz sspiśn. Ɖen h wnt on ticñ.
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