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〃Come along wid ye！〃 she cried。
Shivering； we followed her up the hill； the spectators of the tragedy；
who by this time had come around the pond； trailing after。 Nancy was not
among them。 Inside the shanty into which we were thrust were two small
children crawling about the floor； and the place was filled with steam
from a wash…tub against the wall and a boiler on the stove。 With a
vigorous injunction to make themselves scarce； the Irishwoman slammed the
door in the faces of the curious and ordered us to remove our clothes。
Grits was put to bed in a corner； while Tom and I； provided with various
garments； huddled over the stove。 There fell to my lot the red flannel
shirt which I had seen on the clothes…line。 She gave us hot coffee； and
was back at her wash…tub in no time at all； her entire comment on a
proceeding that seemed to Tom and me to have certain elements of gravity
being； 〃By's will be by's！〃 The final ironical touch was given the anti…
climax when our rescuer turned out to be the mother of the chief of the
head…hunters himself！ He had lingered perforce with his brothers and
sister outside the cabin until dinner time； and when he came in he was
meek as Moses。
Thus the ready hospitality of the poor； which passed over the heads of
Tom and me as we ate bread and onions and potatoes with a ravenous
hunger。 It must have been about two o'clock in the afternoon when we
bade good…bye to our preserver and departed for home。。。。
At first we went at a dog…trot； but presently slowed down to discuss the
future looming portentously ahead of us。 Since entire concealment was
now impossible； the question was；how complete a confession would be
necessary？ Our cases； indeed； were dissimilar； and Tom's incentive to
hold back the facts was not nearly so great as mine。 It sometimes seemed
to me in those days unjust that the Peterses were able on the whole to
keep out of criminal difficulties； in which I was more or less
continuously involved： for it did not strike me that their sins were not
those of the imagination。 The method of Tom's father was the slipper。
He and Tom understood each other； while between my father and myself was
a great gulf fixed。 Not that Tom yearned for the slipper； but he
regarded its occasional applications as being as inevitable as changes in
the weather； lying did not come easily to him； and left to himself he
much preferred to confess and have the matter over with。 I have already
suggested that I had cultivated lying； that weapon of the weaker party；
in some degree； at least； in self…defence。
Tom was loyal。 Moreover； my conviction would probably deprive him for
six whole afternoons of my company； on which he was more or less
dependent。 But the defence of this case presented unusual difficulties；
and we stopped several times to thrash them out。 We had been absent from
dinner； and doubtless by this time Julia had informed Tom's mother of the
expedition； and anyone could see that our clothing had been wet。 So I
lingered in no little anxiety behind the Peters stable while he made the
investigation。 Our spirits rose considerably when he returned to report
that Julia had unexpectedly been a trump； having quieted his mother by
the surmise that he was spending the day with his Aunt Fanny。 So far； so
good。 The problem now was to decide upon what to admit。 For we must
both tell the same story。
It was agreed that we had fallen into Logan's Pond from a raft： my
suggestion。 Well； said Tom； the Petrel hadn't proved much better than a
raft； after all。 I was in no mood to defend her。
This designation of the Petrel as a 〃raft〃 was my first legal quibble。
The question to be decided by the court was； What is a raft？ just as the
supreme tribunal of the land has been required； in later years； to
decide； What is whiskey？ The thing to be concealed if possible was the
building of the 〃raft；〃 although this information was already in the
possession of a number of persons； whose fathers might at any moment see
fit to congratulate my own on being the parent of a genius。 It was a
risk； however； that had to be run。 And； secondly； since Grits Jarvis was
contraband； nothing was to be said about him。
I have not said much about my mother； who might have been likened on such
occasions to a grand jury compelled to indict； yet torn between loyalty
to an oath and sympathy with the defendant。 I went through the Peters
yard； climbed the wire fence； my object being to discover first from
Ella； the housemaid； or Hannah； the cook； how much was known in high
quarters。 It was Hannah who； as I opened the kitchen door； turned at the
sound； and set down the saucepan she was scouring。
〃Is it home ye are？ Mercy to goodness！〃 （this on beholding my shrunken
costume） 〃Glory be to God you're not drownded！ and your mother worritin'
her heart out！ So it's into the wather ye were？〃
I admitted it。
〃Hannah？〃 I said softly。
〃What then？〃
〃Does mother knowabout the boat？〃
〃Now don't ye be wheedlin'。〃
I managed to discover； however； that my mother did not know； and surmised
that the best reason why she had not been told had to do with Hannah's
criminal acquiescence concerning the operations in the shed。 I ran into
the front hall and up the stairs； and my mother heard me coming and met
me on the landing。
〃Hugh； where have you been？〃
As I emerged from the semi…darkness of the stairway she caught sight of
my dwindled garments； of the trousers well above my ankles。 Suddenly she
had me in her arms and was kissing me passionately。 As she stood before
me in her grey； belted skirt； the familiar red…and…white cameo at her
throat； her heavy hair parted in the middle； in her eyes was an odd；
appealing look which I know now was a sign of mother love struggling with
a Presbyterian conscience。 Though she inherited that conscience； I have
often thought she might have succeeded in casting it offor at least
some of ithad it not been for the fact that in spite of herself she
worshipped its incarnation in the shape of my father。 Her voice trembled
a little as she drew me to the sofa beside the window。
〃Tell me about what happened； my son；〃 she said。
It was a terrible moment for me。 For my affections were still
quiveringly alive in those days； and I loved her。 I had for an instant
an instinctive impulse to tell her the whole story；South Sea Islands
and all！ And I could have done it had I not beheld looming behind her
another figure which represented a stern and unsympathetic Authority； and
somehow made her； suddenly； of small account。 Not that she would have
understood the romance； but she would have comprehended me。 I knew that
she was powerless to save me from the wrath to come。 I wept。 It was
because I hated to lie to her；yet I did so。 Fear gripped me； andlike
some respectable criminals I have since knownI understood that any
confession I made would inexorably be used against me。。。。 I wonder
whether she knew I was lying？ At any rate； the case appeared to be a
grave one； and I was presently remanded to my room to be held over for
trial。。。。
Vividly； as I write； I recall the misery of the hours I have spent； while
awaiting sentence； in the little chamber with the honeysuckle wall…paper
and steel engravings of happy but dumpy children romping in the fields
and groves。 On this particular March afternoon the weather had become
morne； as the French say； and I looked down sadly into the grey back yard
which the wind of the morning had strewn with chips from the Petrel。 At
last； when shadows were gathering in the corners of the room； I heard
footsteps。 Ella appeared； prim and virtuous； yet a little commiserating。
My father wished to see me； downstairs。 It was not the first time she
had brought that summons； and always her manner was the same！
The scene of my trials was always the sitting room； lined with grim books
in their walnut cases。 And my father sat； like a judge； behind the big
desk where he did his work when at home。 Oh； the distance between us at
such an hour！ I entered as delicately as Agag； and the expression in his
eye seemed to convict me before I could open my mouth。
〃Hugh；〃 he said； 〃your mother tells me that you have confessed to going；
without permission； to Logan's Pond； where you embarked on a raft and
fell into the water。〃
The slight emphasis he contrived to put on the word raft sent a colder
shiver down my spine than the iced water had done。 What did he know？ or
was this mere suspicion？ Too late； now； at any rate； to plead guilty。
〃It was a sort of a raft； sir；〃 I stammered。
〃A sort of a raft；〃 repeated my father。 〃Where； may I ask； did you find
it？〃
〃II didn't exactly find it； sir。〃
〃Ah！〃 said my father。 （It was the moment to glance meaningly at the
jury。） The prisoner gulped。 〃You didn't exactly find it； then。 Will you
kindly explain how you came by it？〃
〃Well； sir； weIput it together。〃
〃Have you any objection to stating； Hugh； in plain English； that you made
it？〃
〃No； sir； I suppose you might say that I made it。〃
〃Or that it was intended for a row…boat？〃
Here was the time to appeal； to force a decision as to what constituted a