Had Nathan been there to witness the old man’s activity after some special work had been set for him, he might have changed his opinion about the corporal’s being an “imitation soldier.”
He walked here and there, tiring his companions almost to the verge of exhaustion, and yet apparently as fresh as when he began; but when the sun set he had only seventeen boats drawn up on the shore at that point where it was supposed the troops would halt, and Isaac believed there were 143 absolutely no more within the radius of a dozen miles.
“I allow you’ve done your best, corporal,” Farmer Beman said as the three stood looking ruefully at the small number of boats, many of which would be loaded to the water’s edge with half a dozen men, “and it now stands us in hand to get supper, considerin’ we missed our dinner so completely.”
“There must be no time wasted. Let Isaac run up to the house for such provisions as your wife can spare, and we’ll set out in some other direction, for every craft that we add to this ’ere lot is jest so much gained.”
“You may set out in as many directions as you choose; but you will not find another boat this night,” Farmer Beman said decidedly, and with what was very like a show of ill-temper. “I’ve guided you to 144 every place I know of, and if you are so headstrong as to keep on when there’s little show of accomplishing anything, you must go alone.”
“And that’s exactly what I shall do,” the corporal said emphatically. “Even though I knew nothing would be accomplished I should keep on workin’ until the force arrived, ’cause it isn’t for me to set down and say my task is finished.”
“If that’s your idea of soldierin’, then I’m mighty glad I haven’t enlisted,” and the farmer went deliberately to his home, convinced, as was his son, that the old corporal was not as well skilled in warfare as he would have it appear.
Even Isaac was disposed to protest against his teacher’s decision, and urged that it was little less than folly to think of adding to the fleet, for Farmer Beman had declared positively 145 there were no more boats in the vicinity.
To this the corporal replied with some warmth, and there might have been a serious undermining of friendship had not Nathan arrived just at that moment.
“Well, is that all you’ve done this afternoon?” he asked sharply, and the corporal turned on him fiercely.