Ahab's Adventure's In Wonderland; or The Rabbit

Chapter Eleven

As we were walking along the road to the farm, Franklin carrying his plow, Peleg in his gruff voice loudly hailed us from his wigwam, saying he had not suspected my friend was a negro, and furthermore announcing that he let no negroes on board that farm, unless they previously produced their papers.

'What do you mean by that, Peleg?' said I.

'I mean,' he replied, 'he must show his papers.'

'Yes,' said Bildad in his hollow voice, sticking his head from behind Peleg's, out of the wigwam. 'He must show that he's a freeman and not a runaway.'

'Why,' said I, 'he's born and bred in the state of New York.'

'If so, then let's see his papers.'

To tell the truth, I wasn't all that clear on the particulars of how Franklin came about his freedom, whether he had abandoned his post as many of his race did, or whether he had come by his independence honestly. Finding myself thus hard pushed, I replied, 'I can attest for him.'

'If you'll put down yer responsibilities in writing, then we'll be happy to have him. He looks to be a fine worker' cried Peleg, drawing nearer. 'Come inside, come inside: never mind about the papers. I say, tell Franky there-- what's that you call him? tell Franky to step along. On the porch, what a plow he's got there! looks like good stuff that; and he handles it about right. I say, Franky, or whatever your name is, did you ever go on a rabbit hunt? Did you ever strike a coney?'

So we went into the cabin, and to my great joy Franklin was soon enrolled among the same farm's company to which I myself belonged.

When all preliminaries were over and Peleg had got everything ready for signing, he turned to me and said, 'I guess, Franky there don't know how to write, does he? I say, Franky, blast ye! dost thou sign thy name or make thy mark?

But at this question, Franklin, who had twice or thrice before taken part in similar ceremonies, looked no ways abashed; but taking the offered pen, copied upon the paper, in the proper place, an exact counterpart of a queer round figure which was tattooed upon his arm; so that through Peleg's obstinate mistake touching his appellative, it stood something like this:-- Franky. his X mark. Meanwhile Bildad sat earnestly and steadfastly eyeing Franklin, and at last rising solemnly and fumbling in the huge pockets of his broadskirted drab coat took out a bundle of tracts, and selecting one entitled 'The Latter Day Coming; or No Time to Lose,' placed it in Franklin's hands, and then grasping them and the book with both his, looked earnestly into his eyes, and said, 'Son of darkness, I must do my duty by thee; I am part owner of this farm, and feel concerned for the souls of all its company; if thou still clingest to thy Pagan ways, which I sadly fear, I beseech thee, remain not for aye a Belial bondsman. Spurn the idol Bell, and the hideous dragon; turn from the wrath to come; mind thine eye, I say; oh! goodness gracious! steer clear of the fiery pit!'

Something of the gritty loam yet lingered in old Bildad's language, heterogeneously mixed with Scriptural and domestic phrases.

'Avast there, avast there, Bildad, avast now spoiling our plowman,' cried Peleg. 'Pious plowmen never make good laborers-- it takes the spirit out of 'em; no plowman is worth a straw who aint pretty spirited. There was young Nat Swaine, once the bravest goat-herder out of all New Bedford and the Vineyard; he joined the meeting, and never came to good. He got so frightened about his plaguy soul, that he shrinked and sheered away from the wolves.'

Bildad said no more, but buttoning up his coat, stalked into the farmhouse, where we followed him. Now and then he stooped to pick up a patch, or save an end of tarred twine, which otherwise might have been wasted.