What was it?"
Mr. Bearse leaned forward and whispered. There was no real reason
why he should whisper, but doing so added a mysterious,
confidential tang, so to speak, to the value of his news.
"'Twas from Leander--from Phin's own boy, Leander Babbitt, 'twas.
'Twas from him, up in Boston and it went somethin' like this: 'Have
enlisted in the infantry. Made up my mind best thing to do. Will
not be back. Have written particulars.' That was it, or pretty
nigh it. Leander's enlisted. Never waited for no Exemption Board
nor nothin', but went up and enlisted on his own hook without
tellin' a soul he was goin' to. That's the way Bailey and me
figger it up. Say, ain't that some news? Godfreys, I must hustle
back to the post office and tell the gang afore anybody else gets
ahead of me. So long!"
He hurried away on his joyful errand. Captain Hunniwell closed the
window and turned to face his friend.
"Do you suppose that's true, Jed?" he asked. "Do you suppose it
CAN be true?"
Jed nodded. "Shouldn't be surprised," he said.
"Good gracious king! Do you mean the boy went off up to Boston on
his own hook, as that what's-his-name--Gab--says, and volunteered
and got himself enlisted into the army?"
"Shouldn't wonder, Sam."
"Well, my gracious king! Why--why--no wonder old Babbitt looked as
if the main topsail yard had fell on him.
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