When John came in, he sat down and ate his dinner, neither noticing nor caring whether the plate was cracked or not.
“There,” said Mrs. Starrett, “what do you think of that?”
“That is just what I should expect,” said Mr. Starrett, who happened to be in the house. “If you want a boy that’s difficult, always growling, never satisfied, and all the time afraid he shall be imposed upon, get one that never had any bringing up, nor half enough to eat at home.”
There was another circumstance that tended to foster, even in the mind of Lewis, who was a very different boy from Glacier, a dislike to John; they were bound to serve a regular apprenticeship, John was not; and it was plain to see, that with his ambition and capacity he would get the trade and be working for wages long before they were out of their time.
The boys had but very little leisure; men worked then upon no ten-hour system, but from sun to sun.
Ship-carpenters worked till there was just light enough left to see to pick up their tools; and blacksmiths, during short days in winter, worked in the evenings. When they happened to have any leisure, Lewis, with Glacier and others, pitched quoits, jumped, and wrestled, or played pull-up, or ball, on a green plat, behind the shop. John was not invited to go with them; they considered him strait-laced, stuck up, and longed to take him down a peg or two.
One day, as they were going down a descending piece of ground, on their way to dinner, Lewis proposed to Glacier to trip him up. Glacier accordingly thrust his foot between John’s legs, thinking to trip and throw him down hill; but he did not accomplish his purpose. John then, putting one hand on his shoulder, apparently with very little effort, sent him head foremost down the hill, and skinned his nose and chin in the fall. John was so quiet, free from all pretensions, amiable in his disposition, didn’t swear, said his prayers, and went to meeting, that although they knew his strength, they thought it impossible for him to know anything about wrestling or scuffling; accordingly, after work that evening, they invited him to go behind the shop and wrestle.
“You can throw him, Sam; if you can’t, I can,” said Lewis; “he is strong to strike with a sledge; but he don’t know anything about wrestling.”
Never were boys more mistaken: he flung Glacier and Lewis the moment he took hold of them, and every apprentice they could bring; and the worst of it was, he didn’t seem to think it worth crowing over, or that he had found worthy antagonists. Mr. Starrett was mightily pleased when it came to his ears.
“I’ve twigged their motions,” he said; “they’ve been itching this four weeks to impose upon John, just because he’s a better boy than they are; they’ve found out now it’s better to let a sleeping dog alone; better not meddle with anybody that’s got any Rhines blood in them. I wonder what they would think of Ben, or this boy’s grandfather. O, he was an awful strong man. I remember him when I was a small boy; he looked to me like a tree walking about.”