Tom made no reply, for he plainly saw that it was useless to hope for assistance from the captain. Slowly rising to his feet, he picked up the blacking brush between his thumb and finger, and, with his eyes filled with tears, began the work of polishing the captain’s boots, his every movement showing how distasteful was the work to him. At this moment, the second mate appeared at the head of the companion-way, and the sound of his voice infused new energy into Tom, who, regardless of soiling his fingers, grasped the brush firmly in his hand, and proceeded with his work as if he had been accustomed to blacking boots all his life. The mate watched him for a moment, and then said, approvingly:
“That’s the way, sonny. You’ll make a fine sailor one of these days. I’ll give you five minutes more, and be sure you have those boots blacked by that time, for you must be at your wood-pile.”
Tom was not at all pleased with the tone in which the mate addressed him; for, although he appeared to be friendly, there was something about him which told the young sailor that it would be well for him to be at his wood-pile as soon as possible.
The work of blacking the boots was finished at last, and it was like every thing else Tom ever undertook—not more than half done. There was no polish on them; but the captain, although he was far from being satisfied with the work, pitied Tom, and when the latter handed him his boots, he pulled them on without remark. Then, knowing that his five minutes had nearly expired, Tom went on deck, and walked slowly toward his wood-pile. The wood was wet, and in placing a stick upon the saw-horse, Tom’s fingers and clothes were sadly soiled, and he was almost on the point of crying with vexation when he saw what a plight he was in.
“Take hold of it, sonny,” exclaimed the second mate, who stood close by, watching him. “Take hold of it. It can’t hurt you, so don’t be afraid.”
But Tom was very much afraid of soiling his clothes, and the consequence was, that, although he worked steadily for two hours, he did not saw wood enough for the cook to get breakfast with. This brought him another scolding from the negro, who declared, “’Fore Moses, I never did see sich a useless chile. I can’t see what boys like you is made for, no how. Go ’way from dar.”
Tom readily gave up the saw, glad indeed to be relieved, even for a short time, from the work he so much despised.
After breakfast, the men belonging to the port watch went below to sleep until noon; all except Tom, who still had one duty to perform, and that was, to make up the beds in the cabin. This he did in his usual careless manner, so that, when night came, the captain and both mates were obliged to make them over again. But Tom did the work to his own satisfaction, that is, in the shortest possible space of time.
When he returned to the deck, he found the second mate and Bob White engaged in conversation. The latter was drenched to the skin, and looked altogether like a person who had just been pulled out of the water. The officer had one hand on the boy’s head, and in the other he held a short piece of rope; and Tom, who, from some cause which he himself would have found it difficult to explain, thoroughly hated Bob, was in hopes the mate had been given him a whipping. But he was soon undeceived, for, as he approached, he saw that Bob’s face was lighted up with a smile of triumph, and he also heard the mate speaking to him in the kindest possible tone, evidently praising him for something he had just done. Tom was angry in an instant. The mate had never praised him for any thing he had accomplished, and he wondered what Bob had been doing to win the officer’s approbation. He did not remain long in ignorance, for the mate, upon discovering him, called out:
“Come here, sonny! The captain tells me that you want to learn to go aloft,” he continued, as he led Tom toward the mainmast; “and you might as well begin now as any time. Do you see that Irish pennant up there?” pointing to a piece of rope which fluttered in the wind from the cross-trees, and which the officer had placed there but a few moments before, on purpose to give Tom his first lesson in going aloft; “do you see it? Well, go up and bring it down to me. Up you go!”