the story of a pioneer-第8章

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casually；　that　the　Indians　might　not　realize　what　we

were　doing。　　Once　there；　with　the　ladder　drawn　up

after　us　and　the　trap…door　closed；　we　would　be　rea…

sonably　safe；　unless　our　guests　decided　to　burn　the

cabin。



The　evening　seemed　endless；　and　was　certainly

nerve…racking。　　The　Indians　ate　everything　in　the

house；　and　from　my　seat　in　a　dim　corner　I　watched

them　while　my　sisters　waited　on　them。　　I　can　still

see　the　tableau　they　made　in　the　firelit　room　and

hear　the　unfamiliar　accents　of　their　speech　as　they

talked　together。　　Occasionally　one　of　them　would

pull　a　hair　from　his　head；　seize　his　scalping…knife；

and　cut　the　hair　with　ita　most　unpleasant　sight！　

When　either　of　my　sisters　approached　them　some

of　the　Indians　would　make　gestures；　as　if　capturing

and　scalping　her。　　Through　it　all；　however；　the

whisky　held　their　close　attention；　and　it　was　due　to

this　that　we　succeeded　in　reaching　the　attic　unob…

served；　James　coming　last　of　all　and　drawing　the

ladder　after　him。　　Mother　and　the　children　were

then　put　to　bed；　but　through　that　interminable

night　James　and　Eleanor　lay　flat　upon　the　floor；

watching　through　the　cracks　between　the　boards

the　revels　of　the　drunken　Indians；　which　grew　wild…

er　with　every　hour　that　crawled　toward　sunrise。　

There　was　no　knowing　when　they　would　miss　us

or　how　soon　their　mood　might　change。　　At　any

moment　they　might　make　an　attack　upon　us　or

set　fire　to　the　cabin。　　By　dawn；　however；　their

whisky　was　all　gone；　and　they　were　in　so　deep　a

stupor　that；　one　after　the　other；　the　seven　fell　from

their　chairs　to　the　floor；　where　they　sprawled　un…

conscious。　　When　they　awoke　they　left　quietly　and

without　trouble　of　any　kind。　　They　seemed　a

strangely　subdued　and　chastened　band；　probably

they　were　wretchedly　ill　after　their　debauch　on　the

adulterated　whisky　the　traders　had　given　them。



That　autumn　the　Ottawa　tribe　had　a　great　corn

celebration；　to　which　we　and　the　other　settlers　were

invited。　　James　and　my　older　sisters　attended　it；

and　I　went　with　them；　by　my　own　urgent　invita…

tion。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　as　I　was　sharing　the

work　and　the　perils　of　our　new　environment；　I

might　as　well　share　its　joys；　and　I　finally　succeeded

in　making　my　family　see　the　logic　of　this　position。　

The　central　feature　of　the　festivity　was　a　huge　kettle；

many　feet　in　circumference；　into　which　the　Indians

dropped　the　most　extraordinary　variety　of　food　we

had　ever　seen　combined。　　Deer　heads　went　into　it

whole；　as　well　as　every　kind　of　meat　and　vegetable

the　members　of　the　tribe　could　procure。　　We　all　ate

some　of　this　agreeable　mixture；　and　later；　with　one

another；　and　even　with　the　Indians；　we　danced　gaily

to　the　music　of　a　tom…tom　and　a　drum。　　The　affair

was　extremely　interesting　until　the　whisky　entered

and　did　its　unpleasant　work。　　When　our　hosts　be…

gan　to　fall　over　in　the　dance　and　slumber　where　they

lay；　and　when　the　squaws　began　to　show　the　same

ill　effects　of　their　refreshments；　we　unostentatiously

slipped　away。



During　the　winter　life　offered　us　few　diversions

and　many　hardships。　　Our　creek　froze　over；　and　the

water　problem　became　a　serious　one；　which　we　met

with　increasing　difficulty　as　the　temperature　steadily

fell。　　We　melted　snow　and　ice；　and　existed　through

the　frozen　months；　but　with　an　amount　of　discom…

fort　which　made　us　unwilling　to　repeat　at　least　that

special　phase　of　our　experience。　　In　the　spring；

therefore；　I　made　a　well。　　Long　before　this；　James

had　gone；　and　Harry　and　I　were　now　the　only　out…

door　members　of　our　working…force。　　Harry　was

still　too　small　to　help　with　the　well；　but　a　young

man；　who　had　formed　the　neighborly　habit　of　rid…

ing　eighteen　miles　to　call　on　us；　gave　me　much

friendly　aid。　　We　located　the　well　with　a　switch；

and　when　we　had　dug　as　far　as　we　could　reach　with

our　spades；　my　assistant　descended　into　the　hole

and　threw　the　earth　up　to　the　edge；　from　which　I

in　turn　removed　it。　　As　the　well　grew　deeper　we

made　a　half…way　shelf；　on　which　I　stood；　he　throw…

ing　the　earth　on　the　shelf；　and　I　shoveling　it　up　from

that　point。　　Later；　as　he　descended　still　farther

into　the　hole　we　were　making；　he　shoveled　the　earth

into　buckets　and　passed　them　up　to　me；　I　passing

them　on　to　my　sister；　who　was　now　pressed　into

service。　　When　the　excavation　was　deep　enough

we　made　the　wall　of　slabs　of　wood；　roughly　joined　

together。　　I　recall　that　well　with　calm　content。　　It　was　not　a　

thing　of　beauty；　but　it　was　a　thoroughly　practical　well；　and　

it　remained　the　only　one　we　had　during　the　twelve　years　

the　family　occupied　the　cabin。



During　our　first　year　there　was　no　school　within　ten　

miles　of　us；　but　this　lack　failed　to　sadden　Harry　or　me。　　We　

had　brought　with　us　from　Lawrence　a　box　of　books；　in　

which；　in　winter　months；　when　our　outdoor　work　was　

restricted；　we　found　much　comfort。　　They　were　the　only　

books　in　that　part　of　the　country；　and　we　read　them　until　

we　knew　them　all　by　heart。　　Moreover；　father　sent　us　

regularly　the　New　York　Independent；　and　with　this　

admirable　literature；　after　reading　it；　we　papered　our　walls。　

Thus；　on　stormy　days；　we　could　lie　on　the　settle　or　the　

floor　and　read　the　Independent　over　again　with　increased　

interest　and　pleasure。



Occasionally　father　sent　us　the　Ledger；　but　here

mother　drew　a　definite　line。　　She　had　a　special　dis…

like　for　that　periodical；　and　her　severest　comment

on　any　woman　was　that　she　was　the　type　who　would

‘‘keep　a　dog；　make　saleratus　biscuit；　and　read　the

New　York　Ledger　in　the　daytime。''　　Our　modest

library　also　contained　several　histories　of　Greece

and　Rome；　which　must　have　been　good　ones；　for

years　later；　when　I　entered　college；　I　passed　my

examination　in　ancient　history　with　no　other　prep…

aration　than　this　reading。　　There　were　also　a　few　

arithmetics　and　algebras；　a　historical　novel　or　two；

and　the　inevitable　copy　of　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin；　whose　

pages　I　had　freely　moistened　with　my　tears。



When　the　advantages　of　public　education　were　finally　

extended　to　me；　at　thirteen；　by　the　opening　of　a　school　

three　miles　from　our　home；　I　accepted　them　with　growing　

reluctance。　　The　teacher　was　a　spinster　forty…four　years　of　

age　and　the　only　genuine　‘‘old　maid''　I　have　ever　met　who　

was　not　a　married　woman　or　a　man。　　She　was　the　real　

thing；　and　her　name；　Prudence　Duncan；　seemed　the　fitting　

label　for　her　rigidly　uncompromising　personality。　　I　graced　

Prudence's　school　for　three　months；　and　then　left　it　at　her　

fervid　request。　　I　had　walked　six　miles　a　day　through　

trackless　woods　and　Western　blizzards　to　get　what　she　

could　give　me；　but　she　had　little　to　offer　my　awakened　and　

critical　mind。　　My　reading　and　my　Lawrence　school…work　

had　already　taught　me　more　than　Prudence　knewa　fact　

we　both　inwardryadmitted　and　fiercely　resented　from　

our　different　viewpoints。　　Beyond　doubt　I　was　a　pert　and　

trying　young　person。　　I　lost　no　opportunity　to　lead　Prudence　

beyond　her　intellectual　depth　and　leave　her　there；　and　

Prudence　vented　her　chagrin　not　alone　upon　me；　but　upon　

my　little　brother。　　I　became　a　thorn　in　her　side；　and　one　

day；　after　an　especially　unpleasant　episode　in　which　Harry　

also　figured；　she　plucked　me　out；　as　it　were；　and　cast　me　

for　ever　from　her。　　From　that　time　I　studied　at　home；　where　

I　was　a　much　more　valuable　economic　factor　than　I　had　

been　in　school。



The　second　spring　after　our　arrival　Harry　and　I

extended　our　operations　by　tapping　the　sugar…

bushes；　collecting　all　the　sap；　and　carrying　it　home

in　pails　slung　from　our　yoke…laden　shoulders。　　To…

gether　we　made　one　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　of

sugar　and　a　barrel　of　syrup；　but　here　again；　as　al…

ways；　we　worked　in　primitive　ways。　　To　get　the　sap

we　chopped　a　gash　in　the　tree　and　drove　in　a　spile。　

Then　we　dug　out　a　trough　to　catch　the　sap。　　It　was

no　light　task　to　lift　these　troughs　full　of　sap　and

empty　the　sap　into　buckets；　but　we　did　i