Captains Courageous (Maestro Reprints)
Language: English
Pages: 164
ISBN: 1453857516
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Rudyard Kipling's Captains Courageous follows fifteen year old Harvey Cheyne Jr through his trials and tribulations. As the son of a wealthy railroad tycoon, Harvey is spoiled and largely unaware of the ways of the world. When he is stranded on the shore of the Grand Banks after having been washed overboard from his transatlantic steamship, he meets the Captain of We're Here and has no choice to accept a position on his ship. Harvey's adventures on the ship teach him about industry and consideration for others while Kipling weaves in themes of class differences and humility.
Penn and his folks was to the hotel Johnstown was wiped out. ’Dam bust an’ flooded her, an’ the houses struck adrift an’ bumped into each other an’ sunk. I’ve seen the pictures, an’ they’re dretful. Penn he saw his folk drowned all’n a heap ’fore he rightly knew what was comin’. His mind give out from that on. He mistrusted somethin’ hed happened up to Johnstown, but for the poor life of him he couldn’t remember what, an’ he jest drifted araound smilin’ an’ wonderin’. He didn’t know what he was,
for a moment, red, smiling, and wet. “Say, Mac,” cried Harvey cheerfully, “how are we hitting it?” “Vara much in the ordinary way,” was the grave reply. “The young are as polite as ever to their elders, an’ their elders are e’en tryin’ to appreciate it.” A low chuckle came from a corner. The German opened his cigar-case and handed a shiny black cigar to Harvey. “Dot is der broper apparatus to smoke, my young friendt,” he said. “You vill dry it? Yes? Den you vill be efer so happy.” Harvey lit
phonograph. “Faith, I’ve been to Norway, but I didn’t make that unwholesim noise. ’Tis like some of the old songs, though,” said Long Jack, sighing. “Don’t let’s hev another ’thout somethin’ between,” said Dan; and the accordion struck up a rattling, catchy tune that ended: “It’s six an’ twenty Sundays sence las’we saw the land, With fifteen hunder quintal, An’ fifteen hunder quintal, ’Teen hunder toppin’ quintal, ’Twix’ old ’Queereau an’Grand!” “Hold on!” roared Tom Platt. “D’ye want
labour-savin’ jigs an’ sech all. ’Ever seed the Elector o’ Gloucester? She’s a daisy, ef she is a toothpick.” “What do they cost, Dan?” “Hills o’ dollars. Fifteen thousand, p’haps; more, mebbe. There’s gold-leaf an’ everything you kin think of.” Then to himself, half under his breath, “Guess I’d call her Hattie S., too.” CHAPTER 5 THAT WAS the first of many talks with Dan, who told Harvey why he would transfer his dory’s name to the imaginary Burgess-modelled haddocker. Harvey heard a
bad for the lungs. Heave ’em overboard, young feller, and try agin.” “It’s been stolen!” cried Harvey, hotly. “You’ll hev to wait till you see your pa to reward me, then?” “A hundred and thirty-four dollars—all stolen,” said Harvey, hunting wildly through his pockets. “Give them back.” A curious change flitted across old Troop’s hard face. “What might you have been doin’ at your time o’ life with one hundred an’ thirty-four dollars, young feller?” “It was part of my pocket-money—for a