"Why, you told me the other day, that it was a great thing to learn to
take risks coolly. If I had a gun I could practice and learn."
"Yes," said Forester, "it is well to take risks coolly, when the
advantage is sufficient to justify it. For instance, when you crept
down upon the pole the other day, to get the reins, you took a great
risk, but perhaps you saved the lives of the passengers by it. That
was right - but to hazard your life, for the sake of the pleasure of
shooting a squirrel, is not wise." Marco had before this time told him
about his getting the reins.
"I shouldn't think, there was much danger," said Marco.
"No," said Forester, "there's very little danger. In using a gun, you
put yourself in a very little danger of a very great calamity. There's
very little probability that your gun would burst, or that you would
ever shoot accidentally any other person; - very little indeed. But if
the gun were to burst, and blow off one of your arms, or put out your
eyes, or if you were to shoot another boy, the calamity would be a
very terrible one. So we call it a great risk."
"It seems to be a small risk of a great calamity," said Marco.
"Yes," replied Forester, "but we call it a great risk. We call the
risk great, when either the evil which we are in danger of is great,
or when the chance of its befalling us is great. For example, if you
and I were to walk over that log which lies across the stream, we
should run a great risk; but that would be, not a small chance of a
great evil, but a great chance of a small evil. There would be a great
chance that we should fall off into the stream; but that would not be
much of an evil as we should only get ourselves wet."
[Illustration: The Risk]
"Let us go and try it," said Marco. "Not I," said Forester. "You may,
however, if you please. I am willing to have you take such a risk as
_that_, for your amusement."
Marco went to the log and walked back and forth across it, as
composedly as if it were a broad plank, lying upon the ground.
Finally, he hopped across it on one foot, to show Forester his
dexterity. Forester was surprised. He did not know how much skill in
such feats Marco had acquired by his gymnastics in New York.
After this, Forester and Marco clambered up some rocks on an elevated
summit, where they had a fine view of the village below them. They
could trace the river, winding through the valley, with the green
intervals on both sides of it. They could see the village and the
streets, with the spire of the meeting-house in the center. The
mill-pond was in full view also; and Marco's attention was attracted
by a boat, which he saw gliding over the surface of the water.
"O! there is a boat," said Marco.
"Yes," said Forester. "I have paddled over the water many a time in
her."
"How many oars does she pull?" asked Marco.
"Oars?" said Forester, "no oars; they use paddles."
"I wish they had some oars," said Marco, "and then I would get a crew
of boys, and teach them to manage a boat man-o'-war fashion."
"How do you know any thing about it?" asked Forester.
"O, I learned at New York, in the boats at the Battery."
"Well," said Forester, "we'll have some oars made, and get a crew. I
should like to learn myself."
"Let us go down and see the boat," said Marco, "now."
"No," replied Forester, "it is time to go to dinner now; but we'll
come and see the boat the next time we go to take a walk."
So Marco and Forester came down the hill, and thence went across the
fields home to dinner. They dined at half-past twelve o'clock, which
seemed a very strange hour to Marco.
Chapter V.
Studying.
The little building where Forester's father had his office, had a
small back room in it, which opened from the office proper, and which
was used as a library and private study. It had a small fire place
in it, and there was a table in the middle of the room, with a large
portable writing-desk upon it. This desk was made of rosewood. The
sides of the room were lined with book-shelves. There was one large
window which looked upon the yard and garden behind. The books in
this room were principally law-books, though there were some books of
history and travels, and great dictionaries of various kinds. Forester
conducted Marco into this room, a day or two after their arrival in
the village, saying,
"Here, Marco, this is to be our study. How do you like it?"
"Very well," said Marco. "It is a very pleasant room. Am I to study
all these books?"
"Not more than one at a time, at any rate," said Forester.
"_This_ is my place, I suppose," said Marco; and so saying he sat
down in a great arm-chair, before the portable writing-desk, which was
open on the table.
[Illustration: THE STUDY.]
"No," said Forester, "that is _my_ place. I am going to arrange
your establishment near the window. James has gone to bring your desk
now."
While he was speaking, the door opened, and James, the young man who
lived at Forester's father's came in, bringing a desk. It was painted
blue, and had four legs. These legs were of such a length as to make
the desk just high enough for Marco. James put it down, at Forester's
direction, near the window.
