But Tom's energy did not last. He began to think of the fun he hadplanned for this day, and his sorrows multiplied. Soon the free boyswould come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditions, and theywould make a world of fun of him for having to work--the very thought ofit burnt him like fire. He got out his worldly wealth and examined it--bits of toys, marbles, and trash; enough to buy an exchange of work,maybe, but not half enough to buy so much as half an hour of pure free-dom. So he returned his straitened means to his pocket, and gave up theidea of trying to buy the boys. At this dark and hopeless moment an in-spiration burst upon him! Nothing less than a great, magnificent inspira-tion.
He took up his brush and went tranquilly to work. Ben Rogers hovein sight presently--the very boy, of all boys, whose ridicule he had beendreading. Ben's gait was the hop-skip-and-jump--proof enough that hisheart was light and his anticipations high. He was eating an apple, andgiving a long, melodious whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-tonedding-dong-dong, ding-dong-dong, for he was personating a steamboat.As he drew near, he slackened speed, took the middle of the street,leaned far over to starboard and rounded to ponderously and with labori-ous pomp and circumstance--for he was personating the Big Missouri,and considered himself to be drawing nine feet of water. He was boatand captain and engine-bells combined, so he had to imagine himselfstanding on his own hurricane-deck giving the orders and executing them:
"Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling!" The headway ran almost out, andhe drew up slowly toward the sidewalk.
"Ship up to back! Ting-a-ling-ling!" His arms straightened and stiff-ened down his sides.
"Set her back on the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow! Ch-chow-wow ! Chow !" His right hand, meantime, describing stately circles--forit was representing a forty-foot wheel.
"Let her go back on the labboard! Ting-a-lingling! Chow- ch- chow-chow!" The left hand began to describe circles.
"Stop the stabboard ! Ting- a- ling- ling ! Stop the labboard ! Come a-head on the stabboard! Stop her! Let your outside turn over slow! Ting-a-ling-ling ! Chow-ow-ow ! Get out that head-line ! Lively now ! Come--out with your spring-line--what're you about there! Take a turn roundthat stump with the bight of it! Stand by that stage, now--let her go!Done with the engines, sir ! Ting-a-ling-ling ! Sh't ! Sh't ! Sh't !"( tryingthe gauge-cocks).
Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attention to the steamboat. Benstared a moment and then said:"Hi-Yi! You're up a stump, ain't you!"
P13-14