Ragged Dick - Street Life in New York with the Boot-Blacks

AN EXCITING ADVENTURE

Dick now began to look about for a position in a store or counting-room.  Until he should obtain one he determined to devote half the day to blacking boots, not being willing to break in upon his small capital.  He found that he could earn enough in half a day to pay all his necessary expenses, including the entire rent of the room.  Fosdick desired to pay his half; but Dick steadily refused, insisting upon paying so much as compensation for his friend’s services as instructor.

It should be added that Dick’s peculiar way of speaking and use of slang terms had been somewhat modified by his education and his intimacy with Henry Fosdick.  Still he continued to indulge in them to some extent, especially when he felt like joking, and it was natural to Dick to joke, as my readers have probably found out by this time.  Still his manners were considerably improved, so that he was more likely to obtain a situation than when first introduced to our notice.

Just now, however, business was very dull, and merchants, instead of hiring new assistants, were disposed to part with those already in their employ.  After making several ineffectual applications, Dick began to think he should be obliged to stick to his profession until the next season.  But about this time something occurred which considerably improved his chances of preferment.

This is the way it happened.

As Dick, with a balance of more than a hundred dollars in the savings bank, might fairly consider himself a young man of property, he thought himself justified in occasionally taking a half holiday from business, and going on an excursion.  On Wednesday afternoon Henry Fosdick was sent by his employer on an errand to that part of Brooklyn near Greenwood Cemetery.  Dick hastily dressed himself in his best, and determined to accompany him.

The two boys walked down to the South Ferry, and, paying their two cents each, entered the ferry boat.  They remained at the stern, and stood by the railing, watching the great city, with its crowded wharves, receding from view.  Beside them was a gentleman with two children,—­a girl of eight and a little boy of six.  The children were talking gayly to their father.  While he was pointing out some object of interest to the little girl, the boy managed to creep, unobserved, beneath the chain that extends across the boat, for the protection of passengers, and, stepping incautiously to the edge of the boat, fell over into the foaming water.

At the child’s scream, the father looked up, and, with a cry of horror, sprang to the edge of the boat.  He would have plunged in, but, being unable to swim, would only have endangered his own life, without being able to save his child.

“My child!” he exclaimed in anguish,—­“who will save my child?  A thousand—­ten thousand dollars to any one who will save him!”

There chanced to be but few passengers on board at the time, and nearly all these were either in the cabins or standing forward.  Among the few who saw the child fall was our hero.

Now Dick was an expert swimmer.  It was an accomplishment which he had possessed for years, and he no sooner saw the boy fall than he resolved to rescue him.  His determination was formed before he heard the liberal offer made by the boy’s father.  Indeed, I must do Dick the justice to say that, in the excitement of the moment, he did not hear it at all, nor would it have stimulated the alacrity with which he sprang to the rescue of the little boy.

Little Johnny had already risen once, and gone under for the second time, when our hero plunged in.  He was obliged to strike out for the boy, and this took time.  He reached him none too soon.  Just as he was sinking for the third and last time, he caught him by the jacket.  Dick was stout and strong, but Johnny clung to him so tightly, that it was with great difficulty he was able to sustain himself.

“Put your arms round my neck,” said Dick.

The little boy mechanically obeyed, and clung with a grasp strengthened by his terror.  In this position Dick could bear his weight better.  But the ferry-boat was receding fast.  It was quite impossible to reach it.  The father, his face pale with terror and anguish, and his hands clasped in suspense, saw the brave boy’s struggles, and prayed with agonizing fervor that he might be successful.  But it is probable, for they were now midway of the river, that both Dick and the little boy whom he had bravely undertaken to rescue would have been drowned, had not a row-boat been fortunately near.  The two men who were in it witnessed the accident, and hastened to the rescue of our hero.

“Keep up a little longer,” they shouted, bending to their oars, “and we will save you.”

Dick heard the shout, and it put fresh strength into him.  He battled manfully with the treacherous sea, his eyes fixed longingly upon the approaching boat.

“Hold on tight, little boy,” he said.  “There’s a boat coming.”

The little boy did not see the boat.  His eyes were closed to shut out the fearful water, but he clung the closer to his young preserver.  Six long, steady strokes, and the boat dashed along side.  Strong hands seized Dick and his youthful burden, and drew them into the boat, both dripping with water.

“God be thanked!” exclaimed the father, as from the steamer he saw the child’s rescue.  “That brave boy shall be rewarded, if I sacrifice my whole fortune to compass it.”

“You’ve had a pretty narrow escape, young chap,” said one of the boatmen to Dick.  “It was a pretty tough job you undertook.”

“Yes,” said Dick.  “That’s what I thought when I was in the water.  If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know what would have ’come of us.”

“Anyhow you’re a plucky boy, or you wouldn’t have dared to jump into the water after this little chap.  It was a risky thing to do.”

“I’m used to the water,” said Dick, modestly.  “I didn’t stop to think of the danger, but I wasn’t going to see that little fellow drown without tryin’ to save him.”

The boat at once headed for the ferry wharf on the Brooklyn side.  The captain of the ferry-boat, seeing the rescue, did not think it necessary to stop his boat, but kept on his way.  The whole occurrence took place in less time than I have occupied in telling it.

The father was waiting on the wharf to receive his little boy, with what feelings of gratitude and joy can be easily understood.  With a burst of happy tears he clasped him to his arms.  Dick was about to withdraw modestly, but the gentleman perceived the movement, and, putting down the child, came forward, and, clasping his hand, said with emotion, “My brave boy, I owe you a debt I can never repay.  But for your timely service I should now be plunged into an anguish which I cannot think of without a shudder.”

Our hero was ready enough to speak on most occasions, but always felt awkward when he was praised.

“It wasn’t any trouble,” he said, modestly.  “I can swim like a top.”

“But not many boys would have risked their lives for a stranger,” said the gentleman.  “But,” he added with a sudden thought, as his glance rested on Dick’s dripping garments, “both you and my little boy will take cold in wet clothes.  Fortunately I have a friend living close at hand, at whose house you will have an opportunity of taking off your clothes, and having them dried.”

Dick protested that he never took cold; but Fosdick, who had now joined them, and who, it is needless to say, had been greatly alarmed at Dick’s danger, joined in urging compliance with the gentleman’s proposal, and in the end our hero had to yield.  His new friend secured a hack, the driver of which agreed for extra recompense to receive the dripping boys into his carriage, and they were whirled rapidly to a pleasant house in a side street, where matters were quickly explained, and both boys were put to bed.

“I aint used to goin’ to bed quite so early,” thought Dick.  “This is the queerest excursion I ever took.”

Like most active boys Dick did not enjoy the prospect of spending half a day in bed; but his confinement did not last as long as he anticipated.

In about an hour the door of his chamber was opened, and a servant appeared, bringing a new and handsome suit of clothes throughout.

“You are to put on these,” said the servant to Dick; “but you needn’t get up till you feel like it.”

“Whose clothes are they?” asked Dick.

“They are yours.”

“Mine!  Where did they come from?”

“Mr. Rockwell sent out and bought them for you.  They are the same size as your wet ones.”

“Is he here now?”

“No.  He bought another suit for the little boy, and has gone back to New York.  Here’s a note he asked me to give you.”

Dick opened the paper, and read as follows,—­

“Please accept this outfit of clothes as the first instalment of a debt which I can never repay.  I have asked to have your wet suit dried, when you can reclaim it.  Will you oblige me by calling to-morrow at my counting room, No. —­, Pearl Street.

  “Your friend,
  “James Rockwell.”