rolf in the woods-第41章

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He　was　stunned　by　this　succession　of　blows。　He　knew　now　he　was

lost　in　the　woods；　had　been　tramping　in　a　circle。



The　spring　whirled　around　him；　it　seemed　now　north　and　now　south。

His　first　impulse　was　to　rush　madly　northwesterly；　as　he

understood　it。　He　looked　at　all　the　trees　for　guidance。　Most　moss

should　be　on　the　north　side。　It　would　be　so；　if　all　trees　were

perfectly　straight　and　evenly　exposed；　but　alas！　none　are　so。　All

lean　one　way　or　another；　and　by　the　moss　he　could　prove　any　given

side　to　be　north。　He　looked　for　the　hemlock　top　twigs。　Tradition

says　they　always　point　easterly；　but　now　they　differed　among

themselves　as　to　which　was　east。



Rolf　got　more　and　more　worried。　He　was　a　brave　boy；　but　grim　fear

came　into　his　mind　as　he　realized　that　he　was　too　far　from　camp

to　be　heard；　the　ground　was　too　leafy　for　trailing　him；　without

help　he　could　not　get　away　from　that　awful　spring。　His　head　began

to　swim；　when　all　at　once　he　remembered　a　bit　of　advice　his　guide

had　given　him　long　ago：　〃Don't　get　scared　when　you're　lost。

Hunger　don't　kill　the　lost　man；　and　it　ain't　cold　that　does　it；

it's　being　afraid。　Don't　be　afraid；　and　everything　will　come　out

all　right。〃



So；　instead　of　running；　Rolf　sat　down　to　think　it　over。



〃Now；〃　said　he；　〃I　went　due　southeast　all　day　from　the　canoe。〃

Then　he　stopped；　like　a　shock　it　came　to　him　that　he　had　not　seen

the　sun　all　day。　Had　he　really　gone　southeast？　It　was　a

devastating　thought；　enough　to　unhinge　some　men；　but　again　Rolf

said　to　himself　〃Never　mind；　now；　don't　get　scared；　and　it'll　be

all　right。　In　the　morning　the　sky　will　be　clear。〃



As　he　sat　pondering；　a　red　squirrel　chippered　and　scolded　from　a

near　tree；　closer　and　closer　the　impudent　creature　came　to

sputter　at　the　intruder。



Rolf　drew　his　bow；　and　when　the　blunt　arrow　dropped　to　the

ground；　there　also　dropped　the　red　squirrel；　turned　into

acceptable　meat。　Rolf　put　this　small　game　into　his　pocket；

realizing　that　this　was　his　supper。



It　would　soon　be　dark　now；　so　he　prepared　to　spend　the　night。



While　yet　he　could　see；　he　gathered　a　pile　of　dry　wood　into　a

sheltered　hollow。　Then　he　made　a　wind…break　and　a　bed　of　balsam

boughs。　Flint；　steel；　tinder；　and　birch　bark　soon　created　a

cheerful　fire；　and　there　is　no　better　comforter　that　the　lone

lost　man　can　command。



The　squirrel　roasted　in　its　hide　proved　a　passable　supper；　and

Rolf　curled　up　to　sleep。　The　night　would　have　been　pleasant　and

uneventful；　but　that　it　turned　chilly；　and　when　the　fire　burnt

low；　the　cold　awakened　him；　so　he　had　a　succession　of　naps　and

fire…buildings。



Soon　after　dawn；　he　heard　a　tremendous　roaring；　and　in　a　few

minutes　the　wood　was　filled　again　with　pigeons。



Rolf　was　living　on　the　country　now；　so　he　sallied　forth　with　his

bow。　Luck　was　with　him；　at　the　first　shot　he　downed　a　big；　fat

cock。　At　the　second　he　winged　another；　and　as　it　scrambled

through　the　brush；　he　rushed　headlong　in　pursuit。　It　fluttered

away　beyond　reach；　halfflying；　half…running；　and　Rolf；　in

reckless　pursuit；　went　sliding　and　tumbling　down　a　bank　to　land

at　the　bottom　with　a　horrid　jar。　One　leg　was　twisted　under　him；

he　thought　it　was　broken；　for　there　was　a　fearful　pain　in　the

lower　part。　But　when　he　pulled　himself　together　he　found　no

broken　bones；　indeed；　but　an　ankle　badly　sprained。　Now　his

situation　was　truly　grave；　for　he　was　crippled　and　incapable　of

travelling。



He　had　secured　the　second　bird；　and　crawling　painfully　and　slowly

back　to　the　fire；　he　could　not　but　feel　more　and　more　despondent

and　gloomy　as　the　measure　of　his　misfortune　was　realized。



〃There　is　only　one　thing　that　can　shame　a　man；　that　is　to　be

afraid。〃　And　again；　〃There's　always　a　way　out。〃　These　were　the

sayings　that　came　ringing　through　his　head　to　his　heart；　one　was

from　Quonab；　the　other　from　old　Sylvanne。　Yes；　there's　always　a

way；　and　the　stout　heart　can　always　find　it。



Rolf　prepared　and　cooked　the　two　birds；　made　a　breakfast　of　one

and　put　the　other　in　his　pocket　for　lunch；　not　realizing　at　the

time　that　his　lunch　would　be　eaten　on　this　same　spot。　More　than

once；　as　he　sat；　small　flocks　of　ducks　flew　over　the　trees　due

northward。　At　length　the　sky；　now　clear；　was　ablaze　with　the

rising　sun；　and　when　it　came；　it　was　in　Rolf's　western　sky。



Now　he　comprehended　the　duck　flight。　They　were　really　heading

southeast　for　their　feeding　grounds　on　the　Indian　Lake；　and　Rolf；

had　he　been　able　to　tramp；　could　have　followed；　but　his　foot　was

growing　worse。　It　was　badly　swollen；　and　not　likely　to　be　of

service　for　many　a　day　…　perhaps　weeks　　and　it　took　all　of　his

fortitude　not　to　lie　down　and　weep　over　this　last　misfortune。



Again　came　the　figure　of　that　grim；　kindly；　strong　old　pioneer；

with　the　gray…blue　eyes　and　his　voice　was　saying：　〃Jest　when

things　looks　about　as　black　as　they　can　look；　if　ye　hold　steady；

keep　cool　and　kind；　something　sure　happens　to　make　it　all　easy。

There's　always　a　way　and　the　stout　heart　will　find　it。〃



What　way　was　there　for　him？　He　would　die　of　hunger　and　cold

before　Quonab　could　find　him；　and　again　came　the　spectre　of　fear。

If　only　he　could　devise　some　way　of　letting　his　comrade　know。　He

shouted　once　or　twice；　in　the　faint　hope　that　the　still　air　might

carry　the　sound；　but　the　silent　wood　was　silent　when　he　ceased。



Then　one　of　his　talks　with　Quonab　came　to　mind。　He　remembered　how

the　Indian；　as　a　little　papoose；　had　been　lost　for　three　days。

Though；　then　but　ten　years　old；　he　had　built　a　smoke　fire　that

brought　him　help。　Yes；　that　was　the　Indian　way；　two　smokes　means

〃I　am　lost〃；　〃double　for　trouble。〃



Fired　by　this　new　hope；　Rolf　crawled　a　little　apart　from　his　camp

and　built　a　bright　fire；　then　smothered　it　with　rotten　wood　and

green　leaves。　The　column　of　smoke　it　sent　up　was　densely　white

and　towered　above　the　trees。



Then　painfully　he　hobbled　and　crawled　to　a　place　one　hundred

yards　away；　and　made　another　smoke。　Now　all　he　could　do　was　wait。



A　fat　pigeon；　strayed　from　its　dock；　sat　on　a　bough　above　his

camp；　in　a　way　to　tempt　Providence。　Rolf　drew　a　blunt　arrow　to

the　head　and　speedily　had　the　pigeon　in　hand　for　some　future　meal。



As　he　prepared　it；　he　noticed　that　its　crop　was　crammed　with　the

winged　seed　of　the　slippery　elm；　so　he　put　them　all　back　again

into　the　body　when　it　was　cleaned；　knowing　well　that　they　are　a

delicious　food　and　in　this　case　would　furnish　a　welcome　variant

to　the　bird　itself。



An　hour　crawled　by。　Rolf　had　to　go　out　to　the　far　fire；　for　it

was　nearly　dead。　Instinctively　he　sought　a　stout　stick　to　help

him；　then　remembered　how　Hoag　had　managed　with　one　leg　and　two

crutches。　〃Ho！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃That　is　the　answer　　this　is　the

'way。〃'



Now　his　attention　was　fixed　on　all　the　possible　crutches。　The

trees　seemed　full　of　them；　but　all　at　impossible　heights。　It　was

long　before　he　found　one　that　he　could　cut　with　his　knife。

Certainly　he　was　an　hour　working　at　it；　then　he　heard　a　sound

that　made　his　blood　jump。



From　far　away　in　the　north　it　came；　faint　but　reaching；



〃Ye…hoo…o。〃



Rolf　dropped　his　knife　and　listened　with　the　instinctively　open

mouth　that　takes　all　pressure　from　the　eardrums　and　makes　them

keen。　It　came　again：　〃　Ye…hoo…o。〃　No　mistake　now；　and　Rolf　sent

the　ringing　answer　back：



〃Ye…hoo…o；　ye…hoo…o。〃



In　ten　minutes　there　was　a　sharp　〃　yap；　yap；〃　and　Skookum　bounded

out　of　the　woods　to　leap　and　bark　around　Rolf；　as　though　he　knew

all　about　it；　while　a　few　minutes　later；　came　Quonab　striding。



〃Ho；　boy；〃　he　said；　with　a　quiet　smile；　and　took　Rolf's　hand。

〃Ugh！　That　was　good；〃　and　he　nodded　to　the　smoke　fire。　〃I　knew

you　were　in　trouble。〃



〃Yes；〃　and　Rolf　pointed　to　the　swollen　ankle。



The　Indian　picked　up　the　lad　in　his　arms　and　carried　him　back　to

the　little　camp。　Then；　from　his　light　pack；　he　took　bread　and　tea

and　made　a　meal　for　both。　And；　as　they　ate；　each　h