Captains Courageous A Story of the Grand Banks by Rudyard Kipling A Penn State Electronic Classics Series Publication Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks by Rudyard Kipling is a publication of the Pennsylvania State University. This Portable Document file is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way. Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks by Rudyard Kipling, the Pennsylvania State University, Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, Hazleton, PA 18202-1291 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing student publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them. Cover Design: Jim Manis Copyright © 2002 The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university. Rudyard Kipling Captains CHAPTER I HE WEATHER DOOR of the smoking-room had been Courageous left open to the North Atlantic fog, as the big Tliner rolled and lifted, whistling to warn the fish- A Story of the Grand Banks ing-fleet. “That Cheyne boy’s the biggest nuisance aboard,” said by a man in a frieze overcoat, shutting the door with a bang. “He isn’t wanted here. He’s too fresh.” A white-haired German reached for a sandwich, and Rudyard Kipling grunted between bites: “I know der breed. Ameriga is full of dot kind. I dell you you should imbort ropes’ ends To James Conland, M.D., Brattleboror, Vermont free under your dariff.” “Pshaw! There isn’t any real harm to him. He’s more I ploughed the land with horses, to be pitied than anything,” a man from New York But my heart was ill at ease, drawled, as he lay at full length along the cushions un- For the old sea-faring men der the wet skylight. “They’ve dragged him around Came to me now and then, from hotel to hotel ever since he was a kid. I was talking With their sagas of the seas. to his mother this morning. She’s a lovely lady, but she – Longfellow. don’t pretend to manage him. He’s going to Europe to finish his education.” 3 Captains Courageous “Education isn’t begun yet.” This was a Philadelphian, “Mit a rope’s end; mit a rope’s end!” growled the Ger- curled up in a corner. “That boy gets two hundred a man. month pocket-money, he told me. He isn’t sixteen either.” Once more the door banged, and a slight, slim-built “Railroads, his father, aind’t it?” said the German. boy perhaps fifteen years old, a hall-smoked cigarette “Yep. That and mines and lumber and shipping. Built hanging from one corner of his mouth, leaned in over one place at San Diego, the old man has; another at Los the high footway. His pasty yellow complexion did not Angeles; owns half a dozen railroads, half the lumber show well on a person of his years, and his look was a on the Pacific slope, and lets his wife spend the money,” mixture of irresolution, bravado, and very cheap smart- the Philadelphian went on lazily. “The West don’t suit ness. He was dressed in a cherry—coloured blazer, her, she says. She just tracks around with the boy and knickerbockers, red stockings, and bicycle shoes, with her nerves, trying to find out what’ll amuse him, I guess. a red flannel cap at the back of the head. After whis- Florida, Adirondacks, Lakewood, Hot Springs, New tling between his teeth, as he eyed the company, he said York, and round again. He isn’t much more than a sec- in a loud, high voice: “Say, it’s thick outside. You can ond-hand hotel clerk now. When he’s finished in Eu- hear the fish-boats squawking all around us. Say, rope he’ll be a holy terror.” wouldn’t it be great if we ran down one?” “What’s the matter with the old man attending to him “Shut the door, Harvey,” said the New Yorker. “Shut personally?” said a voice from the frieze ulster. the door and stay outside. You’re not wanted here.” “Old man’s piling up the rocks. ‘Don’t want to be dis- “Who’ll stop me?” he answered, deliberately. “Did you turbed, I guess. He’ll find out his error a few years from pay for my passage, Mister Martin? ‘Guess I’ve as good now. ‘Pity, because there’s a heap of good in the boy if right here as the next man.” you could get at it.” He picked up some dice from a checkerboard and 4 Rudyard Kipling began throwing, right hand against left. “Oh, you’re a high-grade machine, with the writing “Say, gen’elmen, this is deader’n mud. Can’t we make in plain sight,” the Philadelphian yawned. “You’ll blos- a game of poker between us?” som into a credit to your country if you don’t take care.” There was no answer, and he puffed his cigarette, “I know it. I’m an American-first, last, and all the time. swung his legs, and drummed on the table with rather I’ll show ‘em that when I strike Europe. Piff! My cig’s dirty fingers. Then he pulled out a roll of bills as if to out. I can’t smoke the truck the steward sells. Any count them. gen’elman got a real Turkish cig on him?” “How’s your mama this afternoon?” a man said. “I The chief engineer entered for a moment, red, smil- didn’t see her at lunch.” ing, and wet. “Say, Mac,” cried Harvey cheerfully, “how “In her state-room, I guess. She’s ‘most always sick are we hitting it?” on the ocean. I’m going to give the stewardess fifteen “Vara much in the ordinary way,” was the grave re- dollars for looking after her. I don’t go down more ‘n I ply. “The young are as polite as ever to their elders, an’ can avoid. It makes me feel mysterious to pass that their elders are e’en tryin’ to appreciate it.” butler’s-pantry place. Say, this is the first time I’ve been A low chuckle came from a corner. The German on the ocean.” opened his cigar-case and handed a shiny black cigar “Oh, don’t apologize, Harvey.” to Harvey. “Who’s apologizing? This is the first time I’ve crossed “Dot is der broper apparatus to smoke, my young the ocean, gen’elmen, and, except the first day, I haven’t friendt,” he said. “You vill dry it? Yes? Den you vill be been sick one little bit. No, sir!” He brought down his efer so happy.” fist with a triumphant bang, wetted his finger, and went Harvey lit the unlovely thing with a flourish: he felt on counting the bills. that he was getting on in grownup society. 5 Captains Courageous “It would take more ‘n this to keel me over,” he said, him go aft to the second-saloon deck at the stern, which ignorant that he was lighting that terrible article, a was finished in a turtle-back. The deck was deserted, Wheeling “stogie’.” and he crawled to the extreme end of it, near the flag- “Dot we shall bresently see,” said the German. “Where pole. There he doubled up in limp agony, for the Wheel- are we now, Mr. Mactonal’?” ing “stag” joined with the surge and jar of the screw to “Just there or thereabouts, Mr. Schaefer,” said the en- sieve out his soul. His head swelled; sparks of fire danced gineer. “We’ll be on the Grand Bank to-night; but in a before his eyes; his body seemed to lose weight, while general way o’ speaking’, we’re all among the fishing- his heels wavered in the breeze. He was fainting from fleet now. We’ve shaved three dories an’ near scalped seasickness, and a roll of the ship tilted him over the rail the boom off a Frenchman since noon, an’ that’s close on to the smooth lip of the turtle-back. Then a low, gray sailing’, ye may say.” mother-wave swung out of the fog, tucked Harvey un- “You like my cigar, eh?” the German asked, for der one arm, so to speak, and pulled him off and away Harvey’s eyes were full of tears. to leeward; the great green closed over him, and he went “Fine, full flavor,” he answered through shut teeth. quietly to sleep. “Guess we’ve slowed down a little, haven’t we? I’ll skip He was roused by the sound of a dinner-horn such as out and see what the log says.” they used to blow at a summer-school he had once at- “I might if I has you,” said the German. tended in the Adirondacks. Slowly he remembered that Harvey staggered over the wet decks to the nearest he was Harvey Cheyne, drowned and dead in mid- rail. He was very unhappy; but he saw the deck-stew- ocean, but was too weak to fit things together. A new ard lashing chairs together, and, since he had boasted smell filled his nostrils; wet and clammy chills ran down before the man that he was never seasick, his pride made his back, and he was helplessly full of salt water.