Ben, the Luggage Boy; Or, Among the Wharves

ght?" asked Ben, introducing a subj

rry, carelessly. "I'll

ou, if you'll l

urse I

't got a

don't charge nothin' at

e do you

me. Do you f

dn't sleep mu

place now. How'd you like

t would be c

er, where the New Orleans steamers come

ht. Wher

ake us twenty minutes, or may

go," s

rtable a bed as a cotton-bale, and was a

to the wharves, is a collection of miserable dwellings, occupied by tenants upon whom the near presence of the sanctuary appears to produce little impression of a salutary character. Ben looked about him in ill-concealed disgust. He neither fancied the neighborhood, n

t out oppos

t is," s

wharf in front. Just behind them was a gate, a

steal the bales," said Ben. "Ar

mewhere," said Jerry. "He stays h

let us sl

erry. "We'll creep in,

he seemed to be enjoying his smoke. This was contrary to orders, for the cotton being combustible might easil

long softly,

softly as he could. Jerry found a bale screened from observation by the higher piles on each side,

sily occupied with his

ortable?" whi

Ben, in the

for nothin' bett

reds of nights, like Jerry, in old wagons, or on door-steps, or wh

had landed in the city, but it had been an eventful twelve hours. He understood his position a little better now, and how

as before him, would h

. How would she feel if she knew where he was at this moment, resting on a cotton-bale, on a city wharf, penniless and without a friend in the great city, except the ragged boy who was already asleep at his side? She would feel badly, Ben knew that, and he half regretted having been so precipitate in his action. He could remedy it all, and relieve his mother's heart by going back. But here Ben's pride came in. To go back would be to acknowledge himself wrong; it would be a virtual confession of failure, and, moreover, knowing his father's sternness, he knew that he would be severely punished. Unfortunately for Ben, his father had a stern, unforgiving

hem as well as he could. Indeed, however much he might desire to retrace his steps, he had no money to carry him back, nor could he obtain any unless he should write home for it, and thi

happen to observe the young sleepers. If he had done so, he would undoubtedly have shaken them roughly, and ordered them off. It was rather fortunat

ort." Not having prepared himself for the vigils of the night by repose during the day, he began to feel uncommonly drowsy. The whiffs came less and less frequently, until at last the pipe fell from his lip

stifling and suffocating in the atmosphere, which caused him to choke as he breathed. As he became more awake, he realiz

rowsily. "I aint done noth

the bales are o

ing, and at a glance understanding the pos

d they must rush through it at some risk. However, it was e

, and he dashed through

of men and boys had gathere

of surprise. Then one burly man caught Jerry by the arm, and

id Jerry. "Yer grandmother s

an another man caught hold of

the other,

l me how you did it," said

, shortly. "I was sleepin'

you come he

hadn't no

re you wasn

ously, "you must think I'm a fool,

a bystander. "It wou

" asked the stout

I seed him smokin'

is he

a consciousness of what mischief he had caused through his carelessne

the watchman smoking myself. No doubt the fire caught f

d they gladly availed themselves of the opportunity to remo

e directed effectively at the burning bales. The flames were

e engines, from a safe distance, they heard the sonorous clan