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THE LAST OF THE HUGGERMUGGERS,

A GIANT STORY.

BY

CHRISTOPHER PEARSE CRANCH



CONTENTS.


CHAP. I.--How Little Jacket would go to Sea.

CHAP. II.--His Good and his Bad Luck at Sea.

CHAP. III.--How he fared on Shore.

CHAP. IV.--How Huggermugger came along.

CHAP. V.--What happened to Little Jacket in the Giant's Boot.

CHAP. VI.--How Little Jacket escaped from Kobboltozo's Shop.

CHAP. VII.--How he made use of Huggermugger in Travelling.

CHAP. VIII.--How Little Jacket and his Friends left the Giant's Island.

CHAP. IX.--Mr. Nabbum.

CHAP. X.--Zebedee and Jacky put their heads together.

CHAP. XI.--They sail for Huggermugger's Island.

CHAP. XII.--The Huggermuggers in a new Light.

CHAP. XIII.--Huggermugger Hall.

CHAP. XIV.--Kobbletozo astonishes Mr. Scrawler.

CHAP. XV.--Mrs. Huggermugger grows thin and fades away.

CHAP. XVI.--The Sorrows of Huggermugger.

CHAP. XVII.--Huggermugger leaves his Island.

CHAP. XVIII.--The Last of the Huggermuggers.




THE LAST OF THE HUGGERMUGGERS.




CHAPTER ONE.

HOW LITTLE JACKET WOULD GO TO SEA.


I dare say there are not many of my young readers who have heard about
Jacky Cable, the sailor-boy, and of his wonderful adventures on
Huggermugger's Island. Jacky was a smart Yankee lad, and was always
remarkable for his dislike of staying at home, and a love of lounging
upon the wharves, where the sailors used to tell him stories about
sea-life. Jacky was always a little fellow. The country people, who
did not much like the sea, or encourage Jacky's fondness for it, used
to say, that he took so much salt air and tar smoke into his lungs
that it stopped his growth. The boys used to call him Little Jacket.
Jacky, however, though small in size, was big in wit, being an
uncommonly smart lad, though he did play truant sometimes, and seldom
knew well his school-lessons. But some boys learn faster out of school
than in school, and this was the case with Little Jacket. Before he
was ten years old, he knew every rope in a ship, and could manage a
sail-boat or a row-boat with equal ease. In fine, salt water seemed to
be his element; and he was never so happy or so wide awake as when he
was lounging with the sailors in the docks. The neighbors thought he
was a sort of good-for-nothing, idle boy, and his parents often
grieved that he was not fonder of home and of school. But Little
Jacket was not a bad boy, and was really learning a good deal in his
way, though he did not learn it all out of books.

Well, it went on so, and Little Jacket grew fonder and fonder of the
sea, and pined more and more to enlist as a sailor, and go off to the
strange countries in one of the splendid big ships. He did not say
much about it to his parents, but they saw what his longing was, and
after thinking and talking the matter over together, they concluded
that it was about as well to let the boy have his way.

So when Little Jacket was about fifteen years old, one bright summer's
day, he kissed his father and mother, and brothers and sisters, and
went off as a sailor in a ship bound to the East Indies.




CHAPTER TWO.

HIS GOOD AND HIS BAD LUCK AT SEA.


It was a long voyage, and there was plenty of hard work for Little
Jacket, but he found several good fellows among the sailors, and was
so quick, so bright, so ready to turn his hand to every thing, and
withal of so kind and social a disposition, that he soon became a
favorite with the Captain and mates, as with all the sailors. They had
fine weather, only too fine, the Captain said, for it was summer time,
and the sea was often as smooth as glass. There were lazy times then
for the sailors, when there was little work to do, and many a story
was told among them as they lay in the warm moonlight nights on the
forecastle. But now and then there came a blow of wind, and all hands
had to be stirring--running up the shrouds, taking in sails, pulling
at ropes, plying the pump; and there was many a hearty laugh among
them at the ducking some poor fellow would get, as now and then a wave
broke over the deck.

Things went on, however, pretty smoothly with Little Jacket, on the
whole, for some time. They doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and were
making their way as fast as they could to the coast of Java, when the
sky suddenly darkened, and there came on a terrible storm. They took
in all the sails they could, after having several carried away by the
wind. The vessel scudded, at last, almost under bare poles. The storm
was so violent as to render her almost unmanageable, and they were
carried a long way out of their course. Everybody had tremendous work
to perform, and Little Jacket began to wish he were safe on dry land
again. Day after day the poor vessel drifted and rolled. The sky was
so dark, that the Captain could not take an observation to tell in
what part of the ocean they were. At last, they saw that they were
driving towards some enormous cliffs that loomed up in the darkness.
Every one lost hope of the ship being saved. Still they neared the
cliffs, and now they saw the white breakers ahead, close under them.
The Captain got the boats out, to be in readiness for the worst. But
the sea was too rough to use them. At last, with a mighty crash, the
great ship struck upon the black rocks. All was confusion and wild
rushing of the salt waves over them, and poor Jacky found himself in
the foaming surge. Struggling to reach the shore, a great wave did
what he could not have done himself. He was thrown dripping wet, and
bruised, upon the rocks. When he came to himself, he discovered that
several of his companions had also reached the shore, but nothing more
was seen of the ship. She had gone down in the fearful tempest, and
carried I know not how many poor fellows down with her.




CHAPTER THREE.

HOW HE FARED ON SHORE.


All this was bad enough, as Little Jacket thought. But he was very
thankful that he was alive and on shore, and able to use his limbs,
and that he found some companions still left. He was not long either
in using his wits, and in making the best use of the chances still
left him. He found himself upon a rocky promontory. But on climbing a
little higher up, he could see that there was beyond it, and joining
on to it, a beautiful smooth beach. The rocks were enormous, and he
and his comrades had hard work to clamber over them. It took them a
good while to do so, exhausted as they were by fatigue, and dripping
with wet. At length they reached the beach, the sands of which were of
very large grain, and so loose that they had to wade nearly knee deep
through them. The country back of the shore seemed very rocky and
rough, and here and there were trees of an enormous magnitude. Every
thing seemed on a gigantic scale, even to the weeds and grasses that
grew on the edge of the beach, where it sloped up to join the main
land. And they could see, by mounting on a stone, the same great
gloomy cliffs which they saw before the ship struck, but some miles
inland. But what most attracted their attention, was the enormous and
beautiful great sea-shells, which lay far up on the shore. They were
not only of the most lovely colors, but quite various in form, and so
large that a man might creep into them. Little Jacket was not long in
discovering the advantage of this fact, for they might be obliged,
when night came on, to retire into these shells, as they saw no house
anywhere within sight. Now, Little Jacket had read Robinson Crusoe,
and Gulliver's Travels, and had half believed the wonderful stories of
Brobdignag; but he never thought that he should ever be actually
wrecked on a giant's island. There now seemed to be a probability that
it might be so, after all. What meant these enormous weeds, and trees,
and rocks, and grains of sand, and these huge shells? What meant these
great cliffs in the distance? He began to feel a little afraid. But he
thought about Gulliver, and how well he fared after all, and, on the
whole, looked forward rather with pleasure at the prospect of some
strange adventure. Now and then he thought he could make out something
like huge footprints on the shore--but this might be fancy. At any
rate, they would hide themselves if they saw the giant coming. And if
they could only find some food to live upon, they might get on
tolerably well for a time. And perhaps this was only a fancy about
giants, and they might yet find civilized beings like themselves
living here.

Now Little Jacket began to be very hungry, and so did his
companions--there were six of them--and they all determined to look
about as far inland as they dared to go, for some kind of fruit or
vegetable which might satisfy their appetites. They were not long in
discovering a kind of beach-plum, about as big as watermelons, which
grew on a bush so tall, that they had to reach the fruit at arm's
length, and on tiptoe. The stalks were covered with very sharp thorns,
about a foot long. Some of these thorns they cut off, (they had their
knives in their pockets still,) for Little Jacket thought they might
be of service to them in defending themselves against any wild animal
which might prowl around at night. It chanced that Little Jacket found
good use for his in the end, as we shall see. When they had gathered
enough of these great plums, they sat down and dined upon them.

They found them a rather coarse, but not unpalatable fruit. As they
were still very wet, they took off their clothes, and dried them in
the sun: for the storm had ceased, and the sun now came out very warm.
The great waves, however, still dashed up on the beach. When their
clothes were dry, they put them on, and feeling a good deal refreshed,
spent the rest of the day in looking about to see what was to be done
for the future. As night came on, they felt a good deal dispirited;
but Little Jacket encouraged his companions, by telling stories of
sailors who had been saved, or had been taken under the protection of
the kings of the country, and had married the king's daughters, and
all that. So they found a group of the great shells near each other,
seven of them, lying high and dry out of the reach of the dashing
waves, and, after bidding each other good night, they crept in. Little
Jacket found his dry and clean, and having curled himself up, in spite
of his anxiety about the future, was soon fast asleep.




CHAPTER FOUR.

HOW HUGGERMUGGER CAME ALONG.


Now it happened that Little Jacket was not altogether wrong in his
fancies about giants, for there _was_ a giant living in this
island where the poor sailors were wrecked. His name was Huggermugger,
and he and his giantess wife lived at the foot of the great cliffs
they had seen in the distance. Huggermugger was something of a farmer,
something of a hunter, and something of a fisherman. Now, it being a
warm, clear, moonlight night, and Huggermugger being disposed to roam
about, thought he would take a walk down to the beach to see if the
late storm had washed up any clams [Footnote: The "clam" is an
American bivalve shell-fish, so called from hiding itself in the sand.
A "clam chowder" is a very savory kind of thick soup, of which the
clam is a chief ingredient. I put in this note for the benefit of
little English boys and girls, if it should chance that this story
should find its way to their country.] or oysters, or other
shell-fish, of which he was very fond. Having gathered a good basket
full, he was about returning, when his eye fell upon the group of
great shells in which Little Jacket and his friends were reposing, all
sound asleep.

[Illustration: THE GIANT PICKS UP LITTLE JACKET'S BEDROOM.]

"Now," thought Huggermugger, "my wife has often asked me to fetch home
one of these big shells. She thinks it would look pretty on her
mantel-piece, with sunflowers sticking in it. Now I may as well
gratify her, though I can't exactly see the use of a shell without a
fish in it. Mrs. Huggermugger must see something in these shells that
I don't."

So he didn't stop to choose, but picked up the first one that came to
his hand, and put it in his basket. It was the very one in which
Little Jacket was asleep. The little sailor slept too soundly to know
that he was travelling, free of expense, across the country at a
railroad speed, in a carriage made of a giant's fish-basket.
Huggermugger reached his house, mounted his huge stairs, set down his
basket, and placed the big shell on the mantel-piece.

"Wife," says he, "here's one of those good-for-nothing big shells you
have often asked me to bring home."

"Oh, what a beauty," says she, as she stuck a sunflower in it, and
stood gazing at it in mute admiration. But, Huggermugger being hungry,
would not allow her to stand idle.

[Illustration: MRS. HUGGERMUGGER ADMIRES THE SHELL AND SUNFLOWER.]

"Come," says he, "let's have some of these beautiful clams cooked for
supper--they are worth all your fine shells with nothing in them."

So they sat down, and cooked and ate their supper, and then went to
bed.

Little Jacket, all this time, heard nothing of their great rumbling
voices, being in as sound a sleep as he ever enjoyed in his life. He
awoke early in the morning, and crept out of a shell--but he could
hardly believe his eyes, and thought himself still dreaming, when he
found himself and his shell on a very high, broad shelf, in a room
bigger than any church he ever saw. He fairly shook and trembled in
his shoes, when the truth came upon him that he had been trapped by a
giant, and was here a prisoner in his castle. He had time enough,
however, to become cool and collected, for there was not a sound to be
heard, except now and then something resembling a thunder-like
snoring, as from some distant room. "Aha," thought Little Jacket to
himself, "it is yet very early, and the giant is asleep, and there may
be time yet to get myself out of his clutches."

He was a brave little fellow, as well as a true Yankee in his
smartness and ingenuity. So he took a careful observation of the room,
and its contents. The first thing to be done was to let himself down
from the mantel-piece. This was not an easy matter as it was very
high. If he jumped, he would certainly break his legs. He was not long
in discovering one of Huggermugger's fishing-lines tied up and lying
not far from him. This he unrolled, and having fastened one end of it
to a nail which he managed just to reach, he let the other end drop
(it was as large as a small rope) and easily let himself down to the
floor. He then made for the door, but that was fastened. Jacky,
however, was determined to see what could be done, so he pulled out
his jackknife, and commenced cutting into the corner of the door at
the bottom, where it was a good deal worn, as if it had been gnawed by
the rats. He thought that by cutting a little now and then, and hiding
himself when the giant should make his appearance, in time he might
make an opening large enough for him to squeeze himself through. Now
Huggermugger was by this time awake, and heard the noise which Jacky
made with his knife.

"Wife," says he, waking her up--she was dreaming about her beautiful
shell--"wife, there are those eternal rats again, gnawing, gnawing at
that door; we must set the trap for them to-night."

Little Jacket heard the giant's great voice, and was very much
astonished that he spoke English. He thought that giants spoke nothing
but "chow-chow-whangalorum-hallaballoo with a-ruffle-bull-bagger!"
This made him hope that Huggermugger would not eat him. So he grew
very hopeful, and determined to persevere. He kept at his work, but as
softly as he could. But Huggermugger heard the noise again, or fancied
he heard it, and this time came to see if he could not kill the rat
that gnawed so steadily and so fearlessly. Little Jacket heard him
coming, and rushed to hide himself. The nearest place of retreat was
one of the giant's great boots, which lay on the floor, opening like a
cave before him. Into this he rushed. He had hardly got into it before
Huggermugger entered.




CHAPTER FIVE.

WHAT HAPPENED TO LITTLE JACKET IN THE GIANT'S BOOT.


Huggermugger made a great noise in entering, and ran up immediately to
the door at which Little Jacket had been cutting, and threshed about
him with a great stick, right and left. He then went about the room,
grumbling and swearing, and poking into all the corners and holes in
search of the rat; for he saw that the hole under the door had been
enlarged, and he was sure that the rats had done it. So he went
peeping and poking about, making Little Jacket not a little troubled,
for he expected every moment that he would pick up the boot in which
he was concealed, and shake him out of his hiding-place. Singularly
enough, however, the giant never thought of looking into his own
boots, and very soon he went back to his chamber to dress himself.
Little Jacket now ventured to peep out of the boot, and stood
considering what was next to be done. He hardly dared to go again to
the door, for Huggermugger was now dressed, and his wife too, for he
heard their voices in the next room, where they seemed to be preparing
their breakfast. Little Jacket now was puzzling his wits to think what
he should do, if the giant should take a fancy to put his boots on
before he could discover another hiding-place. He noticed, however,
that there were other boots and shoes near by, and so there was a
chance that Huggermugger might choose to put on some other pair. If
this should be the case, he might lie concealed where he was during
the day, and at night work away again at the hole in the door, which
he hoped to enlarge enough soon, to enable him to escape. He had not
much time, however, for thought; for the giant and his wife soon came
in. By peeping out a little, he could just see their great feet
shuffling over the wide floor.

"And now, wife." says Huggermugger, "bring me my boots." He was a lazy
giant, and his wife spoiled him, by waiting on him too much.

"Which boots, my dear," says she.

"Why, the long ones," says he; "I am going a hunting to-day, and shall
have to cross the marshes."

Little Jacket hoped the long boots were not those in one of which he
was concealed, but unfortunately they were the very ones. So he felt a
great hand clutch up the boots, and him with them, and put them down
in another place. Huggermugger then took up one of the boots and drew
it on, with a great grunt. He now proceeded to take up the other.
Little Jacket's first impulse was to run out and throw himself on the
giant's mercy, but he feared lest he should be taken for a rat.
Besides he now thought of a way to defend himself, at least for a
while. So he drew from his belt one of the long thorns he had cut from
the bush by the seaside, and held it ready to thrust it into his
adversary's foot, if he could. But he forgot that though it was as a
sword in _his_ hand, it was but a thorn to a giant. Huggermugger
had drawn the boot nearly on, and Little Jacket's daylight was all
gone, and the giant's great toes were pressing down on him, when he
gave them as fierce a thrust as he could with his thorn.

"Ugh!" roared out the giant, in a voice like fifty mad bulls; "wife,
wife, I say!"

"What's the matter, dear?" says wife.

"Here's one of your confounded needles in my boot. I wish to gracious
you'd be more careful how you leave them about!"

"A needle in your boot?" said the giantess, "how can that be? I
haven't been near your boots with my needles."

"Well, you feel there yourself, careless woman, and you'll see."

Whereupon the giantess took the boot, and put her great hand down into
the toe of it, when Little Jacket gave another thrust with his weapon.

"O-o-o-o!!" screams the wife. "There's something here, for it ran into
my finger; we must try to get it out. She then put her hand in again,
but very cautiously, and Little Jacket gave it another stab, which
made her cry out more loudly than before. Then Huggermugger put his
hand in, and again he roared out as he felt the sharp prick of the
thorn.

"It's no use," says he, flinging down the boot in a passion, almost
breaking Little Jacket's bones, as it fell. "Wife, take that boot to
the cobbler, and tell him to take that sharp thing out, whatever it
is, and send it back to me in an hour, for I must go a hunting today."

So off the obedient wife trotted to the shoemaker's, with the boot
under her arm. Little Jacket was curious to see whether the shoemaker
was a giant too. So when the boot was left in his workshop, he
contrived to peep out a little, and saw, instead of another
Huggermugger, only a crooked little dwarf, not more than two or three
times bigger than himself. He went by the name of Kobboltozo.

"Tell your husband," says he, "that I will look into his boot
presently--I am busy just at this moment--and will bring it myself to
his house."

Little Jacket was quite relieved to feel that he was safe out of the
giant's house, and that the giantess had gone. "Now," thought he, "I
think I know what to do."

After a while, Kobboltozo took up the bout and put his hand down into
it slowly and cautiously. But Little Jacket resolved to keep quiet
this time. The dwarf were felt around so carefully, for fear of having
his finger pricked, and his hand was so small in comparison with that
of the giant's, that Little Jacket had time to dodge around his
fingers and down into the toe of the boot, so that Kobboltozo could
feel nothing there. He concluded, therefore, that whatever it was that
hurt the giant and his wife, whether needle, or pin, or tack, or
thorn, it must have dropped out on the way to his shop. So he laid the
boot down, and went for his coat and hat. Little Jacket knew that now
was his only chance of escape--he dreaded being carried back to
Huggermugger--so he resolved to make a bold move. No sooner was the
dwarf's back turned, as he went to reach down his coat, than Little
Jacket rushed out of the boot, made a spring from the table on which
it lay, reached the floor, and made his way as fast as he could to a
great pile of old boots and shoes that lay in a corner of the room,
where he was soon hidden safe from any present chance of detection.

[Illustration: THE SHOEMAKER AT WORK.]




CHAPTER SIX.

HOW LITTLE JACKET ESCAPED FROM KOBBLETOZO'S SHOP.


Great was Huggermugger's astonishment, and his wife's, when they found
that the shoemaker told them the truth, and that there was nothing in
the boot which could in any way interfere with the entrance of Mr.
Huggermugger's toes. For a whole month and a day, it puzzled him to
know what it could have been that pricked him so sharply.

Leaving the giant and his wife to their wonderment, let us return to
Little Jacket. As soon as he found the dwarf was gone, and that all
was quiet, he came out from under the pile of old shoes, and looked
around to see how he should get out. The door was shut, and locked on
the outside, for Kobboltozo had no wife to look after the shop while
he was out. The window was shut too, the only window in the shop. This
window, however, not being fastened on the outside, the little sailor
thought he might be able to open it by perseverance. It was very high,
so he pushed along a chair towards a table, on which he succeeded in
mounting, and from the table, with a stick which he found in the room,
he could turn the bolt which fastened the window inside. This, to his
great joy, he succeeded in doing, and in pulling open the casement. He
could now, with ease, step upon the window sill. The thing was now to
let himself down on the other side. By good luck, he discovered a
large piece of leather on the table. This he took the and cut into
strips, and tying them together, fastened one end to a nail inside,
and boldly swung himself down in sailor fashion, as he had done at the
giant's, and reached the ground. Then looking around, and seeing
nobody near, he ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. But alas!
he knew not where he was. If he could but find a road which would lead
him back to the seaside where his companions were, how happy would he
had been! He saw nothing around him but huge rocks and trees, with
here and there an enormous fence or stone wall. Under these fences,
and through the openings in the stone walls he crept, but could find
no road. He wandered on for some time, clambering over great rocks and
wading through long grasses, and began to be very tired and very
hungry; for he had not eaten any thing since the evening before, when
he feasted on the huge beach plums. He soon found himself in a sort of
blackberry pasture, where the berries were as big as apples; and
having eaten some of these, he sat down to consider what was to be
done. He felt that he was all alone in a great wilderness, and out of
which he feared he never could free himself. Poor Jacky felt lonely
and sad enough, and almost wished he had discovered himself to the
dwarf, for whatever could have happened to him, it could not have been
worse than to be left to perish in a wilderness alone.




CHAPTER SEVEN.

HOW HE MADE USE OF HUGGERMUGGER IN TRAVELLING.


While Little Jacket sat pondering over his situation, he heard voices
not far off, as of two persons talking. But they were great voices, as
of trumpets and drums. He looked over the top of the rock against
which he was seated, and saw for the first time the entire forms of
Huggermugger and his wife, looming up like two great light-houses. He
knew it must be they, for he recognized their voices. They were
standing on the other side of a huge stone wall. It was the giant's
garden.

[Illustration: A PEEP AT THE HUGGERMUGGERS.]

"Wife," said Huggermugger, "I think now I've got my long boots on
again, and my toe feels so much better, I shall go through the marsh
yonder and kill a few frogs for your dinner; after that, perhaps I may
go down again to the seashore, and get some more of those delicious
clams I found last night."

"Well husband," says the wife, "you may go if you choose for your
clams, but be sure you get me some frogs, for you know how fond I am
of them."

So Huggermugger took his basket and his big stick, and strode off to
the marsh. "Now," thought the little sailor, "is my time. I must watch
which way he goes and if I can manage not to be seen, and can only
keep up with him--for he goes at a tremendous pace--we shall see!"

So the giant went to the marsh, in the middle of which was a pond,
while Little Jacket followed him as near as he dared to go. Pretty
soon, he saw the huge fellow laying about him with his stick, and
making a great splashing in the water. It was evident he was killing
Mrs. Huggermugger's frogs, a few of which he put in his basket, and
then strode away in another direction. Little Jacket now made the best
use of his little legs that he ever made in his life. If he could only
keep the giant in sight! He was much encouraged by perceiving that
Huggermugger, who, as I said before, was a lazy giant, walked at a
leisurely pace, and occasionally stopped to pick the berries that grew
everywhere in the fields. Little Jacket could see his large figure
towering up some miles ahead. Another fortunate circumstance, too,
was, that the giant was smoking his pipe as he went, and even when
Little Jacket almost lost sight of him, he could guess where he was
from the clouds of smoke floating in the air, like the vapor from a
high-pressure Mississippi steamboat. So the little sailor toiled
along, scrambling over rocks, and through high weeds and grasses and
bushes, till they came to a road. Then Jacky's spirits began to rise,
and he kept along as cautiously, yet as fast as he could, stopping
only when the giant stopped. At last, after miles and miles of
walking, he caught a glimpse of the sea through the huge trees that
skirted the road. How his heart bounded! "I shall at least see my
messmates again," he said, "and if we are destined to remain long in
this island, we will at least help each other, and bear our hard lot
together."

It was not long before he saw the beach, and the huge Huggermugger
groping in the wet sand for his shell-fish. "If I can but reach my
companions without being seen, tell them my strange adventures, and
all hide ourselves till the giant is out of reach, I shall be only too
happy." Very soon he saw the group of beautiful great shells, just as
they were when he left them, except that _his_ shell, of course,
was not there, as it graced Mrs. Huggermugger's domestic fireside.
When he came near enough, he called some of his comrades by name, not
too loud, for fear of being heard by the shell-fish-loving giant. They
knew his voice, and one after another looked out of his shell. They
had already seen the giant, as they were out looking for their lost
companion, and had fled to hide themselves in their shells.

"For heaven's sake," cried the little sailor. "Tom, Charley, all of
you! don't stay here; the giant will come and carry you all off to his
house under the cliffs; his wife has a particular liking for those
beautiful houses of yours. I have just escaped, almost by miracle.
Come, come with me--here--under the rocks--in this cave--quick, before
he sees us!"

So Little Jacket hurried his friends into a hole in the rocks, where
the giant would never think of prying. Huggermugger did not see them.
They were safe. As soon as he had filled his basket, he went off, and
left nothing but his footprints and the smoke of his pipe behind him.

After all, I don't think the giant would have hurt them, had he seen
them. For he would have known the difference between a sailor and a
shell-fish at once, and was no doubt too good-natured to injure them,
if they made it clear to his mind that they were not by any means
fish: but, on the contrary, might disagree dreadfully with his
digestion, should he attempt to swallow them.




CHAPTER EIGHT.

HOW LITTLE JACKET AND HIS FRIENDS LEFT THE GIANT'S ISLAND.


Very soon the sailors found a nice, large, dry cave in the rocks.
There they brought dry sea-weed and made it into beds, and lived on
the fish and fruits, which they had not much difficulty in obtaining.
They even dragged their beautiful shells into the cave, and made
little closets and cupboards of them. Their cups and plates were made
of smaller bivalve shells. Their drink was clear spring-water, which
they discovered near by, mixed with the juice of fruits.

They lived in this way for several weeks, always hoping some good luck
would happen. At last, one day, they saw a ship a few miles from the
shore. They all ran to the top of a rock, and shouted and waved their
hats. Soon, to their indescribable joy, they saw a boat approaching
the shore. They did not wait for it to reach the land, but being all
good swimmers, with one accord plunged into the sea and swam to the
boat. The sailors in the boat proved to be all Americans, and the ship
was the Nancy Johnson, from Portsmouth, N. H., bound to the East
Indies, but being out of water had made for land to obtain a supply.

The poor fellows were glad enough to get on board ship again. As they
sailed off, they fancied they saw in the twilight, the huge forms of
the great Mr. and Mrs. Huggermugger on the rocks, gazing after them
with open eyes and mouths.

They pointed them out to the people of the ship, as Little Jacket
related his wonderful adventures: but the sailors only laughed at
them, and saw nothing but huge rocks and trees; and they whispered
among themselves, that the poor fellows had lived too long on tough
clams and sour berries, and cold water, and that a little jolly life
on board ship would soon cure their disordered imaginations.




CHAPTER NINE.

MR. NABBUM.


Little Jacket and his friends were treated very kindly by the Captain
and crew of the Nancy Johnson, and as a few more sailors were wanted
on board, their services were gladly accepted. They all arrived safely
at Java, where the ship took in a cargo of coffee. Little Jacket often
related his adventures in the giant's island, but the sailors, though
many of them were inclined to believe in marvellous stories, evidently
did not give much credit to Jacky's strange tale, but thought he must
have dreamed it all.

There was, however, one man who came frequently on board the ship
while at Java, who seemed not altogether incredulous. He was a tall,
powerful Yankee, who went by the name of Zebedee Nabbum.

He had been employed as an agent of Barnum, to sail to the Indies and
other countries in search of elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, tigers,
baboons, and any wild animals he might chance to ensnare. He had been
fitted out with a large ship and crew, and all the men and implements
necessary for this exciting and dangerous task, and had been
successful in entrapping two young elephants, a giraffe, a lion,
sixteen monkeys, and a great number of parrots. He was now at Java
superintending the manufacture of a very powerful net of grass-ropes,
an invention of his own, with which he hoped to catch a good many more
wild animals, and return to America, and make his fortune by
exhibiting them for Mr. Barnum.

Now Zebedee Nabbum listened with profound attention to Little Jacket's
story, and pondered and pondered over it.

[Illustration: MR. NABBUM HEARS LITTLE JACKET'S STORY.]

"And after all," he said to himself, "why shouldn't it be true? Don't
we read in Scripter that there war giants once? Then why hadn't there
ought to be some on 'em left--in some of them remote islands whar
nobody never was? Grimminy! If it should be true--if we should find
Jacky's island--if we should see the big critter alive, or his
wife--if we could slip a noose under his legs and throw him down--or
carry along the great net and trap him while he war down on the beach
arter his clams, and manage to tie him and carry him off in my ship!
He'd kick, I know. He'd a kind o' roar and struggle, and maybe swamp
the biggest raft we could make to fetch him. But couldn't we starve
him into submission? Or, if we gave him plenty of clams, couldn't we
keep him quiet? Or couldn't we give the critter _Rum?_--I guess
he don't know nothin' of ardent sperets--and obfusticate his wits--and
get him reglar boozy--couldn't we do any thing we chose to, then? An't
it worth tryin', any how? If we _could_ catch him, and get him to
Ameriky alive, or only his skeleton, my fortune's made, I cal'late. I
kind o' can't think that young fellow's been a gullin' me. He talks as
though he'd seen the awful big critters with his own eyes. So do the
other six fellows--they couldn't all of 'em have been dreamin'."

So Zebedee had a conversation one day with the Captain of the Nancy
Johnson, and found out from him that he had taken the latitude and
longitude of the coast where they took away the shipwrecked sailors.
The Captain also described to Zebedee the appearance of the coast;
and, in short, Zebedee contrived to get all the information about the
place the Captain could give him, without letting it appear that he
had any other motive in asking questions than mere curiosity.




CHAPTER TEN.

ZEBEDEE AND JACKY PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER.


Zebedee now communicated to Little Jacket his plans about sailing for
the giant's coast, and entrapping Huggermugger and carrying him to
America. Little Jacket was rather astonished at the bold scheme of the
Yankee, and tried to dissuade him from attempting it. But Zebedee had
got his head so full of the notion now, that he was determined to
carry out his project, if he could. He even tried to persuade Little
Jacket to go with him, and his six companions, and finally succeeded.
The six other sailors, however, swore that nothing would tempt them to
expose themselves again on shore to the danger of being taken by the
giant. Little Jacket agreed to land with Zebedee and share all danger
with him, on condition that Zebedee would give him half the profits
Barnum should allow them from the exhibition of the giant in America.
But Little Jacket made Zebedee promise that he would be guided by his
advice, in their endeavors to ensnare the giant. Indeed, a new idea
had entered Jacky's head as to the best way of getting Huggermugger
into their power, and that was to try persuasion rather than stratagem
or force. I will tell you the reasons he had for so thinking.

1. The Huggermuggers were not Ogres or Cannibals. They lived on fish,
frogs, fruit, vegetables, grains, &c.

2. The Huggermuggers wore clothes, lived in houses, and were
surrounded with various indications of civilization. They were not
savages.

3. The Huggermuggers spoke English, with a strange accent, to be sure.
They seemed sometimes to prefer it to their own language. They must,
then, have been on friendly terms with English or Americans, at some
period of their lives.

4. The Huggermuggers were not wicked and blood-thirsty. How different
from the monsters one reads about in children's books! On the
contrary, though they had little quarrels together now and then, they
did not bite nor scratch, but seemed to live together as peaceably and
lovingly, on the whole, as most married couples. And the only time he
had a full view of their faces, Little Jacket saw in them an
expression which was really good and benevolent.

All these facts came much more forcibly to Jacky's mind, now that the
first terror was over, and calm, sober reason had taken the place of
vague fear.

He, therefore, told Mr. Nabbum, at length, his reasons for proposing,
and even urging, that unless Huggermugger should exhibit a very
different side to his character from that which he had seen, nothing
like force or stratagem should be resorted to.

"For," said Little Jacket, "even if you succeeded, Mr. Nabbum, in
throwing your net over his head, or your noose round his leg, as you
would round an elephant's, you should consider how powerful and
intelligent and, if incensed, how furious an adversary you have to
deal with. None but a man out of his wits would think of carrying him
off to your ship by main force. And as to your idea of making him
drunk, and taking him aboard in that condition, there is no knowing
whether drink would not render him quite furious, and ten times more
unmanageable than ever. No, take my word for it, Mr. Nabbum, that I
know Huggermugger too well to attempt any of your tricks with him. You
cannot catch him as you would an elephant or a hippopotamus. Be guided
by me, and see if my plan don't succeed better than yours."

"Well," answered Zebedee, "I guess, arter all, Jackie, you may be
right. You've seen the big varmint, and feel a kind of o' acquainted
with him, so you see I won't insist on my plan, if you've any better.
Now, what I want to know is, what's your idee of comin' it over the
critter?"

"You leave that to me," said Little Jacket; "if talking and making
friends with him can do any thing, I think I can do it. We may coax
him away; tell him stories about our country, and what fun he'd have
among the people so much smaller than himself, and how they'd all look
up to him as the greatest man they ever had, which will be true, you
know: and that perhaps the Americans will make him General
Huggermugger, or His Excellency President Huggermugger; and you add a
word about our nice oysters, and clam-chowders.

"I think there'd be room for him in your big ship. It's warm weather,
and he could lie on deck, you know; and we could cover him up at night
with matting and old sails; and he'd be so tickled at the idea of
going to sea, and seeing strange countries, and we'd show him such
whales and porpoises, and tell him such good stories, that I think
he'd keep pretty quiet till we reached America. To be sure, it's a
long voyage, and we'd have to lay in an awful sight of provisions, for
he's a great feeder; but we can touch at different ports as we go
along, and replenish our stock.

"One difficulty will be, how to persuade him to leave his wife--for
there wouldn't be room for two of them. We must think the matter over,
and it will be time enough to decide what to do when we get there.
Even if we find it impossible to get him to go with us, we'll get
somebody to write his history, and an account of our adventures, and
make a book that will sell."




CHAPTER ELEVEN.

THEY SAIL FOR HUGGERMUGGER'S ISLAND.


So Little Jacket sailed with Mr. Zebedee Nabbum, in search of the
giant's island. They took along a good crew, several bold
elephant-hunters, an author to write their adventures, an artist to
sketch the Huggermuggers, Little Jacket's six comrades,
grappling-irons, nets, ropes, harpoons, cutlasses, pistols, guns, the
two young elephants, the lion, the giraffe, the monkeys, and the
parrots.

They had some difficulty in finding the island, but by taking repeated
observations, they at last discovered land that they thought must be
it. They came near, and were satisfied that they were not deceived.
There were the huge black cliffs--there were the rocky promontory--the
beach. It was growing dusk, however, and they determined to cast
anchor, and wait till morning before they sent ashore a boat.

Was it fancy or not, that Little Jacket thought he could see in the
gathering darkness, a dim, towering shape, moving along like a pillar
of cloud, now and then stooping to pick up something on the
shore--till it stopped, and seemed looking in the direction of the
ship, and then suddenly darted off towards the cliffs, and disappeared
in the dark woods.




CHAPTER TWELVE.

THE HUGGERMUGGERS IN A NEW LIGHT.


I think the giant must have seen the ship, and ran home at full speed
to tell his wife about it. For in the morning early, as Little Jacket
and Nabbum and several others of the boldest of the crew had just
landed their boat, and were walking on the beach, whom should they see
but Huggermugger and his wife hastening towards them with rapid
strides. Their first impulse was to rush and hide themselves, but the
Huggermuggers came too fast towards them to allow them to do so. There
was nothing else to do but face the danger, if danger there was. What
was their surprise to find that the giant and giantess wore the most
beaming smiles on their broad faces. They stooped down and patted
their heads with their huge hands, and called them, in broken English,
"pretty little dolls and dears, and where did they come from, and how
long it was since they had seen any little men like them--and wouldn't
they go home and see them in their big house under the cliffs?" Mrs.
Huggermugger, especially, was charmed with them, and would have taken
them home in her arms--"she had no children of her own, and they
should live with her and be her little babies." The sailors did not
exactly like the idea of being treated like babies, but they were so
astonished and delighted to find the giants in such good humor, that
they were ready to submit to all the good woman's caresses.

Little Jacket then told them where they came from, and related his
whole story of having been shipwrecked there, and all his other
adventures. As he told them how Huggermugger had carried home the big
shell with him in it, sound asleep; how he had let himself down from
the mantel-piece, and had tried to escape by cutting at the door; and
how, when he heard Huggermugger coming, he had rushed into the boot,
and how he had pricked the giant's toe when he attempted to draw his
boot on, and how the boot and he were taken to the cobbler's--then
Huggermugger and his wife could contain themselves no longer, but
burst into such peals of laughter, that the people in the ship, who
were watching their movements on shore through their spy-glasses, and
expected every moment to see their companions all eaten alive or
carried off to be killed, knew not what to make of it. Huggermugger
and his wife laughed till the tears ran down their faces, and made
such a noise in their merriment, that the sailors wished they were
further off. They, however, were in as great glee as the giant and
giantess, and began to entertain such a good opinion of them, that
they were ready to assent to anything the Huggermuggers proposed. In
fact, except in matter of size, they could see very little difference
between the giants and themselves. All Zebedee Nabbum's warlike and
elephant-trapping schemes melted away entirely, and he even began to
have a sort of conscientious scruple against enticing away the big
fellow who proved to be such a jolly good-humored giant. He was
prepared for resistance. He would have even liked the fun of throwing
a noose over his head, and pulling him down and harpooning him, but
this good-humored, merry laughter, this motherly caressing, was too
much for Zebedee. He was overcome. Even Little Jacket was astonished.
The once dreaded giant was in all respects like them--only O, so much
bigger!

So, after a good deal of friendly talk, Huggermugger invited the whole
boat's crew to go home with him to dinner, and even to spend some days
with him, if they would. Little Jacket liked the proposal, but Zebedee
said they must first send back a message to the ship, to say where
they were going. Huggermugger send his card by the boat, to the rest
of the ship's company--it was a huge piece of pasteboard, as big as a
dining-table--saying, that he and Mrs. H. would be happy, some other
day, to see all who would do him the honor of a visit. He would come
himself and fetch them in his fish-basket, as the road was rough, and
difficult for such little folks to travel.




CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

HUGGERMUGGER HALL.


The next morning Huggermugger appeared on the beach with his big
basket, and took away about half a dozen of the sailors. Zebedee and
Little Jacket went with them. It was a curious journey, jogging along
in his basket, and hanging at such a height from the ground. Zebedee
could not help thinking what a capital thing it would be in America to
have a few big men like him to lift heavy stones for building, or to
carry the mail bags from city to city, at a railroad speed. But, as to
travelling in his fish-basket, he certainly preferred our
old-fashioned railroad cars.

[Illustration: A NEW MODE OF CONVEYANCE.]

They were all entertained very hospitably at Huggermugger Hall. They
had a good dinner of fish, frogs, fruit, and vegetables, and drank a
kind of beer, made of berries, out of Mrs. Huggermugger's thimble,
much to the amusement of all. Mrs. Huggermugger showed them her
beautiful shell, and made Little Jacket tell how he had crept out of
it, and let himself down by the fishing-line. And Huggermugger made
him act over again the scene of hiding in the boot. At which all
laughed again. The little people declined their hosts' pressing
invitation to stay all night, so Huggermugger took them all back to
their boat. They had enough to tell on board ship about their visit.
The next day, and the day after, others of the crew were entertained
in the same way at Huggermugger Hall, till all had satisfied their
curiosity. The giant and his wife being alone in the island, they felt
that it was pleasant to have their solitude broken by the arrival of
the little men. There were several dwarfs living here and there in the
island, who worked for the giants, of whom Kobboltozo was one; but
there were no other giants. The Huggermuggers were the last of their
race. Their history, however, was a secret they kept to themselves.
Whether they or their ancestors came from Brobdignag, or whether they
were descended from Gog and Magog, or Goliath of Gath, they never
would declare.

Mr. Scrawler, the author, who accompanied the ship, was very curious
to know something of their history and origin. He ascertained that
they learned English of a party of adventurers who once landed on
their shore, many years before, and that the Huggermugger race had
long inhabited the island. But he could learn nothing of their origin.
They looked very serious whenever this subject was mentioned. There
was evidently a mystery about them, which they had particular reasons
never to unfold. On all other subjects they were free and
communicative. On this, they kept the strictest and most guarded
silence.




CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

KOBBLETOZO ASTONISHES MR. SCRAWLER.


Now it chanced that some of the dwarfs I have spoken of, were not on
the best of terms with the Huggermuggers. Kobboltozo was one of these.
And the only reason why he disliked them, as far as could be
discovered, was that they were giants, and he (though a good deal
larger than an ordinary sized man) was but a dwarf. He could never be
as big as they were. He was like the frog that envied the ox, and his
envy and hatred sometimes swelled him almost to bursting. All the
favors that the Huggermuggers heaped upon him, had no effect in
softening him. He would have been glad at almost any misfortune that
could happen to them.

Now Kobboltozo was at the giant's house one day when Mr. Scrawler was
asking questions of Huggermugger about his origin, and observed his
disappointment at not being furnished with all the information he was
so eager to obtain; for Mr. Scrawler calculated to make a book about
the Huggermuggers and all their ancestors, which would sell. So while
Mr. Scrawler was taking a stroll in the garden, Kobboltozo came up to
him and told him he had something important to communicate to him.
They then retired behind some shrubbery, where Kobboltozo, taking a
seat under the shade of a cabbage, and requesting Mr. Scrawler to do
the same, looked around cautiously, and spoke as follows:--

"I perceive that you all are very eager to know something about the
Huggermugger's origin and history. I think that I am almost the only
one in this island besides them, who can gratify your curiosity in
this matter. But you must solemnly promise to tell no one, least of
all the giants, in what way you came to know what I am going to tell
you, unless it be after you have left the island, for I dread
Huggermugger's vengeance if he knows the story came from me."

"I promise," said Scrawler.

"Know then," said Kobboltozo, "that the ancestors of the
Huggermuggers--the Huggers on the male side, and the Muggers on the
female--were men smaller than me, the poor dwarf. Hundred of years ago
they came to this island, directed hither by an old woman, a sort of
witch, who told them that if they and their children, and their
children's children, ate constantly of a particular kind of
shell-fish, which was found in great abundance here, they would
continue to increase in size, with each successive generation, until
they became proportioned to all other growth on the island--till they
became giants--such giants as the Huggermuggers. But that the last
survivors of the race would meet with some great misfortune, if this
secret should ever be told to more than one person out of the
Huggermugger family. I have reasons for believing that Huggermugger
and his wife are the last of their race; for all their ancestors and
relations are dead, and they have no children, and are likely to have
none. _Now there are two persons who have been told the secret. It
was told to me, and I tell it to you_!"

As Kobboltozo ended, his face wore an almost fiendish expression of
savage triumph, as if he had now settled the giants' fate forever.

"But," said Scrawler, "how came _you_ into possession of this
tremendous secret; and, if true, why do you wish any harm to happen to
the good Huggermuggers?"

"I hate them!" said the dwarf. "They are rich--I am poor. They are big
and well-formed--I am little and crooked. Why should not my race grow
to be as shapely and as large as they; for _my_ ancestors were as
good as theirs, and I have heard that they possessed the island before
the Huggermuggers came into it? No! I am weary of the Huggermuggers. I
have more right to the island than they. But they have grown by
enchantment, while my race only grew to a certain size, and then we
stopped and grew crooked. But the Huggermuggers, if there should be
any more of them, will grow till they are like the trees of the
forest.

"Then as to the way I discovered their mystery. I was taking home a
pair of shoes for the giantess, and was just about to knock at the
door, when I heard the giant and his wife talking. I crept softly up
and listened. They have great voices--not difficult to hear
_them_. They were talking about a secret door in the wall, and of
something precious which was locked up within a little closet. As soon
as their voices ceased, I knocked, and was let in. I assumed an
appearance as if I had heard nothing, and they did not suspect me. I
went and told Hammawhaxo, the carpenter--a friend of mine, and a dwarf
like me. I knew he didn't like Huggermugger much. Hammawhaxo was
employed at the time to repair the bottom of a door in the giant's
house, where the rats had been gnawing. So he went one morning before
the giants were up, and tapped all around the wainscoting of the walls
with his hammer, till he found a hollow place, and a sliding panel,
and inside the wall he discovered an old manuscript in the ancient
Hugger language, in which was written the secret I have told you. And
now we will see if the old fortune-teller's prophecy is to come true
or not."




CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

MRS. HUGGERMUGGER GROWS THIN AND FADES AWAY.


Scrawler, though delighted to get hold of such a story to put into his
book, could not help feeling a superstitious fear that the prediction
might be verified, and some misfortune before the good Huggermuggers.
It could not come from him or any of his friends, he was sure; for
Zebedee Nabbum's first idea of entrapping the giant was long since
abandoned. If he was ever to be taken away from the island, it could
only be by the force of persuasion, and he was sure that Huggermugger
would not voluntarily leave his wife.

Scrawler only hinted then to Huggermugger, that he feared Kobboltozo
was his enemy. But Huggermugger laughed, and said he knew the dwarf
was crabbed and spiteful, but that he did not fear him. Huggermugger
was not suspicious by nature, and it never came into his thoughts that
Kobboltozo, or any other dwarf could have the least idea of his great
secret.

Little Jacket came now frequently to the giant's house, where he
became a great favorite. He had observed, for some days, that Mrs.
Huggermugger's spirits were not so buoyant as usual. She seldom
laughed--she sometimes sat alone and sighed, and even wept. She ate
very little of shell-fish--even her favorite frog had lost its relish.
She was growing thin--the once large, plump woman. Her husband, who
really loved her, though his manner towards her was sometimes rough,
was much concerned. He could not enjoy his lonely supper--he scarcely
cared for his pipe. To divert his mind, he would sometimes linger on
the shore, talking to the little men, as he called them. He would
strip off this long boots and his clothes, and wade out into the sea
to get a nearer view of the ship. He could get near enough to talk to
them on board. "How should you like to go with us," said the little
men, one day, "and sail away to see new countries? We can show you a
great deal that you haven't seen. If you went to America with us, you
would be the greatest man there."

Huggermugger laughed, but not one of his hearty laughs--his mind was
ill at ease about his wife. But the idea was a new one, of going away
from giant-land to a country of pygmies. Could he ever go? Not
certainly without his wife--and she would never leave the island. Why
should he wish to go away? "To be sure." he said, "it is rather lonely
here--all our kindred dead--nobody to be seen but little ugly dwarfs.
And I really like these little sailors, and shall be sorry to part
with them. No, here I shall remain, wife and I, and here we shall end
our days. We are the last of the giants--let us not desert our native
soil."

Mrs. Huggermugger grew worse and worse. It seemed to be a rapid
consumption. No cause could be discovered for her sickness. A dwarf
doctor was called in, but he shook his head--he feared he could do
nothing. Little Jacket came with the ship's doctor, and brought some
medicines. She took them, but they had no effect. She could not now
rise from her bed. Her husband sat by her side all the time. The
good-hearted sailors did all they could for her, which was not much.
Even Zebedee Nabbum's feelings were touched. He told her Yankee
stories, and tales of wild beasts--of elephants, not bigger than one
of her pigs--of lions and bears as small as lapdogs--of birds not
larger than one of their flies. All did what they could to lessen her
sufferings. "To think," said Zebedee, "aint it curious--who'd a
thought that great powerful critter could ever get sick and waste away
like this!"




CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

THE SORROWS OF HUGGERMUGGER.


At last, one morning while the sailors were lounging about on the
beach, they saw the great Huggermugger coming along, his head bent
low, and the great tears streaming down his face. They all ran up to
him. He sat, or rather threw himself down on the ground. "My dear
little friends," said he, "it's all over. I never shall see my poor
wife again--never again--never again--I am the last of the
Huggermuggers. She is gone. And as for me--I care not now whither I
go. I can never stay here--not here--it will be too lonely. Let me go
and bury my poor wife, and then farewell to giant-land! I will go with
you, if you will take me!"

They were all much grieved. They took Huggermugger's great hands, as
he sat there, like a great wrecked and stranded ship, swayed to and
fro by the waves and surges of his grief, and their tears mingled with
his. He took them into his arms, the great Huggermugger, and kissed
them. "You are the only friends left me now," he said, "take me with
you from this lonely place. She who was so dear to me is gone to the
great Unknown, as on a boundless ocean; and this great sea which lies
before us is to me like it. Whether I live or die, it is all one--take
me with you. I am helpless now as a child!"




CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

HUGGERMUGGER LEAVES HIS ISLAND


Zebedee Nabbum could not help thinking how easily he had obtained
permission of his giant. There was nothing to do but to make room for
him in the ship, and lay in a stock of those articles of foods which
the giant was accustomed to eat, sufficient for a long voyage.

Huggermugger laid his wife in a grave by the sea-shore, and covered it
over with the beautiful large shells which she so loved. He then went
home, opened the secret door in the wall, took out the ancient
manuscript, tied a heavy stone to it, and sunk it in a deep well under
the rocks, into which he also threw the key of his house, after having
taken everything he needed for his voyage, and locked the doors.

The ship was now all ready to sail. The sailors had made a large raft,
on which the giant sat and paddled himself to the ship, and climbed on
board. The ship was large enough to allow him to stand, when the sea
was still, and even walk about a little; but Huggermugger preferred
the reclining posture, for he was weary and needed repose.

During the first week or two of the voyage, his spirits seemed to
revive. The open sea, without any horizon, the sails spreading calmly
above him, the invigorating salt breeze, the little sailors clambering
up the shrouds and on the yards, all served to divert his mind from
his great grief. The sailors came to around him and told him stories,
and described the country to which they were bound; and sometimes Mr.
Nabbum brought out his elephants, which Huggermugger patted and
fondled like dogs. But poor Huggermugger was often sea-sick, and could
not sit up. The sailors made him as comfortable as they could. By
night they covered him up and kept him warm, and by day they stretched
an awning above him to protect him from the sun. He was so accustomed
to the open air, that he was never too cold nor too warm. But poor
Huggermugger, after a few weeks more, began to show the symptoms of a
more serious illness then sea-sickness. A nameless melancholy took
possession of him. He refused to eat--he spoke little, and only lay
and gazed up at the white sails and the blue sky. By degrees, he began
to waste away, very much as his wife did. Little Jacket felt a real
sorrow and sympathy, and so did they all. Zebedee Nabbum, however, it
must be confessed "though he felt a kind o' sorry for the poor
critter," thought more of the loss it would be to him, as a money
speculation, to have him die before they reached America. "It would be
too bad," he said, "after all the trouble and expense I've had, and
when the critter was so willin', too, to come aboard, to go and have
him die. We must feed him well, and try hard to save him; for we can't
afford to lose him. Why, he'd be worth at least 50,000 dollars--yes,
100,000 dollars, in the United States." So Zebedee would bring him
dishes of his favorite clams, nicely cooked and seasoned, but the
giant only sighed and shook his head. "No," he said, "my little
friends, I feel that I shall never see your country. Your coming to my
island has been in some way fatal for me. My secret must have been
told. The prophecy, ages ago, has come true!"




CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE LAST OF HUGGERMUGGER.


Mr. Scrawler now thought it was time for him to speak. He had only
refrained from communicating to Huggermugger what the dwarf had told
him, from the fear of making the poor giant more unhappy and ill than
ever. But he saw that he could be silent no longer, for there seemed
to be a suspicion in Huggermugger's mind, that it might be these very
people, in whose ship he had consented to go, who had found out and
revealed his secret.

Mr. Scrawler then related to the giant what the dwarf had told him in
the garden, and about the concealed MS., and the prophecy it
contained.

Huggermugger sunk his head in his hands, and said: "Ah, the dwarf--the
dwarf! Fool that I was; I might have known it. His race always hated
mine. Ah, wretch! that I had punished thee as thou deservest!

"But, after all, what matters it?" he added, "I am the last of my
race. What matters it, if I die a little sooner than I thought? I have
little wish to live, for I should have been very lonely in my island.
Better it is it that I go to other lands--better, perhaps, that I die
here ere reaching land.

"Friends, I feel that I shall never see your country--and why should I
wish it? How could such a huge being as I live among you? For a little
while I should be amused with you, and you astonished at me. I might
find friends here and there, like you; but your people could never
understand my nature, nor I theirs. I should be carried about as a
spectacle; I should not belong to myself, but to those who exhibited
me. There could be little sympathy between your people and mine. I
might, too, be feared, be hated. Your climate, your food, your houses,
your laws, your customs--every thing would be unlike what mine has
been. I am too old, to weary of life, to begin it again in a new
world."

So, my young readers, not to weary you with any more accounts of
Huggermugger's sickness, I must end the matter, and tell you plainly
that he died long before they reached America, much to Mr. Nabbum's
vexation. Little Jacket and his friends grieved very much, but they
could not help it, and thought that, on the whole, it was best it
should be so. Zebedee Nabbum wished they could, at least, preserve the
giant's body, and exhibit it in New York. But it was impossible. All
they could take home with them was his huge skeleton; and even this,
by some mischance, was said to be incomplete.

Some time after the giant's death, Mr. Scrawler, one day when the ship
was becalmed, and the sailors wished to be amused, fell into a poetic
frenzy, and produced the following song, which all hands sung, (rather
slowly) when Mr. Nabbum was not present, to the tune of Yankee
Doodle:--

  Yankee Nabbum went to sea
    A huntin' after lions;
  He came upon an island where
    There was a pair of giants.
  He brought his nets and big harpoon,
    And thought he'd try to catch 'em;
  But Nabbum found out very soon
    There was no need to fetch 'em.

  Yankee Nabbum went ashore,
    With Jacky and some others;
  But Huggermugger treated them
    Just like his little brothers.
  He took 'em up and put 'em in
    His thunderin' big fish basket;--
  He took 'em home and gave them all
    they wanted, ere they asked it.

  The giants were as sweet to them
    As two great lumps of sugar,--
  A very Queen of Candy was
    Good Mrs. Huggermugger.
  But, Ah! The good fat woman died,
    The giant too departed,
  And came himself on Nabbum's ship,
    Quite sad and broken hearted.
  He came aboard and sailed with us,

  A sadder man and wiser--
  But pretty soon, just like his wife,
    He sickened and did die, Sir.
  But Nabbum kept his mighty bones--
    How they will stare to see 'em,
  When Nabbum has them all set up
    in Barnum's great Museum!

Nothing is dearly known, strange to say, as to what became of this
skeleton. In the Museum, at Philadelphia, there are some great bones,
which are usually supposed to be those of the Great Mastodon. It is
the opinion, however, of others, that they are none other than those
of the great Huggermugger--all that remains of the last of the giants.

NOTE:--I was told, several years hence, that Mr. Scrawler's narrative
of his adventures in Huggermugger's Island, was nearly completed, and
that he was only waiting for a publisher. As, however, nothing has as
yet been heard of his long expected book, I have taken the liberty to
print what I have written, from the story, as I heard it from Little
Jacket himself, who is now grown to be a man. I have been told that
Little Jacket, who is now called Mr. John Cable, has left the sea, and
is now somewhere out in the Western States, settled down as a farmer,
and has grown so large and fat, that he fears he must have eaten some
of those strange shell-fish, by which the Huggermugger race grew to be
so great. Other accounts, however, say that he is as fond of the sea
as ever, and has got to be the captain of a great ship; and that he
and Mr. Nabbum are still voyaging round the world, in hopes of finding
other Huggermuggers.










End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Last of the Huggermuggers, by 
Christopher Pierce Cranch

*** 