Watch and Wait; or, The Young FugitivesOptic, Oliver
General
Watch and Wait; or, The Young Fugitives
Optic, Oliver
Fugitive slaves -- Juvenile fiction
Mr. Grant and his friend Presby immediately set their heads at work to
determine what should be done with the party which had just arrived at
Woodville. Bertha soon settled the question so far as Lily was
concerned, by declaring that she must live with her, and go to school at
the village, for she had become strongly attached to the fair fugitive,
and would not think of permitting her lot to be cast among those who
might possibly be unkind to her.
There was less difficulty in disposing of Dan and Cyd. Boats and
boatmen were in great demand at Whitestone and other places on the
river, and the Isabel promised to bring in a fortune to her owners
during the summer months. A few days later, she was employed in carrying
parties out upon excursions, with Dan as skipper, old Ben as pilot, and
Cyd as foremast hand. In a short time Dan learned the navigation of the
river, and dispensed with the services of the pilot. They boarded with
Mr. Grant's gardener; but Cyd, very much to his disgust, was not
permitted to sit down at the first table because he was black.
Dan and Cyd made a great deal of money in the Isabel during the
remainder of the season, and when she was laid up for the winter, both
of them went down to the city and worked in a hotel; but they much
preferred a life on the water. In the spring they resumed their business
as boatmen, and for several years continued to thrive at this
occupation.
"See here, Possifus," said Mr. Presby, who never called Cyd by any other
name; "don't you want to own a boat yourself?"
"I does own one, sar," replied he. "De Isabel jus as much mine as
Dan's."
"I was going to set you up in business for yourself, Possifus."
"No, sar, tank ye; can't leabe Dan, no how; he fotched dis chile out of
de swamp, and I don't run no popposition to him."
"That's right, Possifus; stick to your friends."
But Mr. Presby continued to do a great many kind deeds for "Possifus,"
which were duly appreciated.
When Dan was twenty-one, he and Cyd had saved a considerable sum of
money; and the Isabel having become rather shaky from old age, they
proposed to procure another boat, and establish themselves at the city.
With the aid of Mr. Presby, they built a yacht of forty tons, which was
called the "Lily." It was a beautiful little vessel, and soon became
very popular among people devoted to the sea. They were very fortunate
in this new enterprise, and made money beyond their most sanguine
expectations.
Dan lived in the city now. The name on the doorplate of his house was
Daniel Preston, for he had chosen a family name to suit himself--a
privilege allotted to only a few. Mrs. Preston--of course the reader
will at once understand that this was the Lily of our story--was as
happy as liberty and prosperity could make her. Cyd--who has improved
upon his former cognomen, and now calls himself Sidney Davidson--lives
on board the Lily, a contented, happy man. He almost worships Dan and
his wife, at whose house he is an occasional visitor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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