Chapter Fifteen—Promises

The blacksmith listened as Taleswapper read the letter from beginning to end.

“Do you remember the family?” asked Taleswapper.

“I do,” said Makepeace Smith. “The graveyard almost began with their oldest boy. I pulled his body from the river with my own hands.”

“Well then, will you take him as your prentice?”

A youth, perhaps sixteen years old, walked into the forge carrying a bucket of snow. He glanced at the visitor, ducked his head, and walked to the cooling barrel that stood near the hearth.

“You see I have a prentice,” said the Smith.

“He looks like a big one,” said Taleswapper.

“Getting on,” the Smith agreed. “Ain’t that right, Bosey? You ready to go on your own?”

Bosey smiled a bit, stifled it, nodded. “Yes, Sir,” he said.

“I’m not an easy master,” said the Smith.

“Alvin’s a good-hearted boy. He’ll work hard for you.”

“But will he obey me? I like to be obeyed.”

Taleswapper looked again at Bosey. He was busy scooping snow into the barrel.

“I said he’s a good-hearted boy,” said Taleswapper. “He’ll obey you if you’re fair with him.”

The Smith met his gaze. “I give honest measure. I don’t beat the boys I take on. Have I ever laid hand on you, Bosey?”

“Never, sir.”

“You see, Taleswapper, a prentice can obey out of fear, and he can obey out of greed. But if I’m a good master, he’ll obey me cause he knows that’s how he’ll learn.”

Taleswapper grinned at the smith. “There’s no fee,” said Taleswapper. “The boy will earn it out. And he gets his schooling.”

“No need for a smith to have letters, as I should know.”

“Won’t be long before Hio’s part of the United States,” said Taleswapper. “The boy’s got to vote, I think, and read the newspapers. A man who can’t read only knows what other folks tell him.”

Makepeace Smith looked at Taleswapper with a grin half-hid on his face. “That so? And ain’t it you telling me? So don’t I only know this cause other folks, namely you, is telling me so?”

Taleswapper laughed and nodded. The smith had shot the head clean off the turkey with that one. “I make my way in the world telling tales,” said Taleswapper, “so I know you can get much with just the sound of a man’s voice. He already reads above his years, so it won’t do him harm to miss a bit of school. But his ma is set on him having letters and ciphering like a scholar. So just promise me you won’t stand between him and schooling, if he wants it, and we’ll leave it at that.”

“Got my word on that,” said Makepeace Smith. “And you don’t have to write it down. A man who keeps his word doesn’t have to read and write. But a man who has to write down his promises, you got to watch him all morning. I know that for a fact. We got lawyers in Hatrack these days.”