rolf in the woods-第37章

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fortunately；　it　was　all　down　hill；　and　four　hours'　toil　brought

them　to　the　cabin。



They　put　the　sick　man　in　his　bunk；　then　Rolf　set　about　preparing

a　meal；　while　Quonab　cut　wood。



After　the　usual　tea；　bacon；　and　flour　cakes；　all　were　feeling

refreshed。　　Hoag　seemed　much　more　like　himself。　He　talked　freely；

almost　cheerfully；　while　Quonab；　with　Skookum　at　his　feet；　sat

silently　smoking　and　staring　into　the　fire。



After　a　long　silence；　the　Indian　turned；　looked　straight　at　the

trapper；　and；　pointing　with　his　pipestem　to　the　furs；　said；　〃How

many　is　ours？〃



Hoag　looked　scared；　then　sulky；　and　said；　〃I　dunno　what　ye　mean。

I'm　a　awful　sick　man。　　You　get　me　out　to　Lyons　Falls　all　right；

and　ye　can　have　the　hull　lot；〃　and　he　wept。



Rolf　shook　his　head　at　Quonab；　then　turned　to　the　sufferer　and

said：　〃Don't　you　worry；　we'll　get　you　out　all　right。　　Have　you　a

good　canoe？〃



〃Pretty　fair；　needs　a　little　fixing。〃



The　night　passed　with　one　or　two　breaks；　when　the　invalid　asked

for　a　drink　of　water。　　In　the　morning　he　was　evidently

recovering；　and　they　began　to　plan　for　the　future。



He　took　the　first　chance　of　wispering　to　Rolf；　〃Can't　you　send

him　away？　　I'll　be　all　right　with　you。〃　　Rolf　said　nothing。



〃Say；〃　he　continued；　〃say；　young　feller；　what's　yer　name？〃



〃Rolf　Kittering。〃



〃Say；　Rolf；　you　wait　a　week　or　ten　days；　and　the　ice　'll　be　out；

then　I'll　be　fit　to　travel。　　There　ain't　on'y　a　few　carries

between　here　an'　Lyons　Falls。〃



After　a　long　pause；　due　to　Quonab's　entry；　he　continued　again：

〃Moose　River's　good　canoeing；　ye　can　get　me　out　in　five　days；　me

folks　is　at　Lyons　Falls。〃　　He　did　not　say　that　his　folks

consisted　of　a　wife　and　boy　that　he　neglected；　but　whom　he

counted　on　to　nurse　him　now。



Rolf　was　puzzled　by　the　situation。



〃Say！　　I'll　give　ye　all　them　furs　if　ye　git　me　out。〃　Rolf　gave

him　a　curious　look　　as　much　as　to　say；　〃Ye　mean　our　furs。〃



Again　the　conversation　was　ended　by　the　entry　of　Quonab。



Rolf　stepped　out；　taking　the　Indian　with　him。　　They　had　a　long

talk；　then；　as　Rolf　reentered；　the　sick　man　began：



〃You　stay　by　me；　and　git　me　out。　　I'll　give　ye　my　rifle〃　　then；

after　a　short　silence　　〃an'　I'll　throw　in　all　the　traps　an'　the

canoe。〃



〃I'll　stay　by　you；〃　said　Rolf；　〃and　in　about　two　weeks　we'll　take

you　down　to　Lyons　Falls。　　I　guess　you　can　guide　us。〃



〃Ye　can　have　all　them　pelts；〃　and　again　the　trapper　presented　the

spoils　he　had　stolen；　〃an'　you　bet　it's　your　rifle　when　ye　get　me　out。〃



So　it　was　arranged。　　But　it　was　necessary　for　Quonab　to　go　back

to　their　own　cabin。　　Now　what　should　he　do？　Carry　the　new　lot　of

fur　there；　or　bring　the　old　lot　here　to　dispose　of　all　at　Lyons　Falls？



Rolf　had　been　thinking　hard。　　He　had　seen　the　evil　side　of　many

men；　including　Hoag。　　To　go　among　Hoag's　people　with　a　lot　of

stuff　that　Hoag　might　claim　was　running　risks；　so　he　said：



〃Quonab；　you　come　back　in　not　more　than　ten　days。　We'll　take　a

few　furs　to　Lyons　Falls　so　we　can　get　supplies。　Leave　the　rest　of

them　in　good　shape；　so　we　can　go　out　later　to　Warren's。　　We'll

get　a　square　deal　there；　and　we　don't　know　what　at　Lyon's。〃



So　they　picked　out　the　lynx；　the　beaver；　and　a　dozen　martens　to

leave；　and　making　the　rest　into　a　pack；　Quonab　shouldered　them；

and　followed　by　Skookum；　trudged　up　the　mountain　and　was　lost　to

view　in　the　woods。



The　ten　days　went　by　very　slowly。　　Hoag　was　alternately

querulous；　weeping；　complaining；　unpleasantly　fawning；　or　trying

to　insure　good　attention　by　presenting　again　and　again　the　furs；

the　gun；　and　the　canoe。



Rolf　found　it　pleasant　to　get　away　from　the　cabin　when　the

weather　was　fine。　　One　day；　taking　Hoag's　gun；　he　travelled　up

the　nearest　stream　for　a　mile；　and　came　on　a　big　beaver　pond。

Round　this　he　scouted　and　soon　　discovered　a　drowned　beaver；　held

in　a　trap　which　he　recog…　nized　at　once；　for　it　had　the　（〃　'　〃'）

mark　on　the　frame。　Then　he　found　an　empty　trap　with　a　beaver　leg

in　it；　and　another；　till　six　traps　were　found。　　Then　he　gathered

up　the　six　and　the　beaver；　and　returned　to　the　cabin　to　be

greeted　with　a　string　of　complaints：



〃Ye　didn't　ought　to　leave　me　like　this。　　I'm　paying　ye　well

enough。　　I　don't　ax　no　favours；〃　etc。



〃See　what　I　got；〃　and　Rolf　showed　the　beaver。　　〃An'　see　what　I

found；〃　then　he　showed　the　traps。　　〃Queer；　ain't　it；〃　he　went　on；

〃we　had　six　traps　just　like　them；　and　I　marked　the　face　just　like

these；　and　they　all　　disappeared；　and　there　was　a　snowshoe　trail

pointing　this　way。　　You　haven't　got　any　crooked　neighbours　about

here；　have　you？〃



The　trapper　looked　sulky　and　puzzled；　and　grumbled；　〃I　bet　it　was

Bill　Hawkins　done　it〃；　then　relapsed　into　silence。







Chapter　47。　Hoag's　Home…coming



When　it　comes　to　personal　feelin's　better　let　yer　friends　　do　the

talkin'　and　jedgin'。　　A　man　can't　handle　his　own　　case　any　more

than　a　delirious　doctor　kin　give　hisself　the　　right　physic　

Sayings　of　Si　Sylvanne。



The　coming　of　springtime　in　the　woods　is　one　of　the　gentlest；

sweetest　advents　in　the　world。　Sometimes　there　are　heavy　rains

which　fill　all　the　little　rivers　with　an　overflood　that　quickly

eats　away　the　ice　and　snow；　but　usually　the　woodland　streams

open；　slowly　and　gradually。　　Very　rarely　is　there　a　spate；　an

upheaval；　and　a　cataclysmal　sweep　that　bursts　the　ice　and　ends

its　reign　in　an　hour　or　two。　　That　is　the　way　of　the　large

rivers；　whose　ice　is　free　and　floating。　　The　snow　in　the　forest

melts　slowly；　and　when　the　ice　is　　attacked；　it　goes　gradually；

gently；　without　uproar。　　The　spring　comes　in　the　woods　with

swelling　of　buds　and　a　lengthening　of　drooping　catkins；　with

honking　of　wild　geese；　and　cawing　of　crows　coming　up　from　the

lower　countries　to　divide　with　their　larger　cousins；　the　ravens；

the　spoils　of　winter's　killing。



The　small　birds　from　the　South　appear　with　a　few　short　notes　of

spring；　and　the　pert　chicadees　that　have　braved　it　all　winter；

now　lead　the　singing　with　their　cheery　〃I　told　you　so〃　notes；

till　robins　and　blackbirds　join　in；　and　with　their　more　ambitious

singing　make　all　the　lesser　roundelays　forgot。



Once　the　winter　had　taken　a　backward　step　　spring　found　it　easy

to　turn　retreat　into　panic　and　rout；　and　the　ten　days　Quonab　stayed

away　were　days　of　revolutionary　change。　　For　in　them　semi…winter

gave　place　to　smiling　spring；　with　all　the　snow…drifts　gone；

except　perhaps　in　the　shadiest　hollows　of　the　woods。



It　was　a　bright　morning；　and　a　happy　one　for　Rolf；　when　he　heard

the　Indian's　short　〃Ho；〃　outside；　and　a　minute　later　had　Skookum

dancing　and　leaping　about　him。　　On　Hoag　the　effect　was　quite

different。　　He　was　well　enough　to　be　up；　to　hobble　about　painfully

on　a　stick；　to　be　exceedingly　fault…finding；　and　to　eat　three

hearty　meals　a　day；　but　the　moment　the　Indian　appeared；　he　withdrew

into　himself；　and　became　silent　and　uneasy。　　　Before　an　hour　passed；

he　again　presented　the　furs；　the　gun；　the　canoe；　and　the　traps　to　Rolf；

on　condition　that　he　should　get　him　out　to　his　folks。



All　three　were　glad　to　set　out　that　very　day　on　the　outward　trip

to　Lyons　Falls。



Down　Little　Moose　River　to　Little　Moose　Lake　and　on　to　South

Branch　of　Moose；　then　by　the　Main　Moose；　was　their　way。　　The

streams　were　flush；　there　was　plenty　of　water；　and　this

fortunately　reduced　the　number　of　carries；　for　Hoag　could　not

walk　and　would　not　hobble。　They　sweat　and　laboured　to　carry　him

over　every　portage；　but　they　covered　the　fifty　miles　in　three

days；　and　on　the　evening　of　the　third；　arrived　at　the　little

backwoods　village　of　Lyons　Falls。



The　change　that　took　place　fn　Hoag　now　was　marked　and　unpleasant。

He　gave　a　number　of　orders；　where；　the　day　before；　he　would　have

made　whining　petitions。　He　told　them　to　〃land　easy；　and　don't

bump　my　canoe。〃　He　hailed　the　loungers　about　the　mill　with　an

effusiveness　that　they　did　not　resdond　to。　　Their　cool；　〃Hello