rolf in the woods-第42章

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

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

other's　tale。



〃I　was　troubled　when　you　did　not　come　back　last　night；　for　you

had　no　food　or　blanket。　I　did　not　sleep。　At　dawn　I　went　to　the

hill；　where　I　pray；　and　looked　away　southeast　where　you　went　in

the　canoe。　I　saw　nothing。　Then　I　went　to　a　higher　hill；　where　I

could　see　the　northeast；　and　even　while　I　watched；　I　saw　the　two

smokes；　so　I　knew　my　son　was　alive。〃



〃You　mean　to　tell　me　I　am　northeast　of　camp？　〃



〃About　four　miles。　I　did　not　come　very　quickly；　because　I　had　to

go　for　the　canoe　and　travel　here。



〃How　do　you　mean　by　canoe？〃　said　Rolf；　in　surprise。



You　are　only　half　a　mile　from　Jesup　River；〃　was　the　reply。　〃I

soon　bring　you　home。〃



It　was　incredible　at　first；　but　easy　of　proof。　With　the　hatchet

they　made　a　couple　of　serviceable　crutches　and　set　out　together。



　In　twenty　minutes　they　were　afloat　in　the　canoe；　in　an　hour　they

were　safely　home　again。



And　Rolf　pondered　it　not　a　little。　At　the　very　moment　of　blackest

despair；　the　way　had　opened；　and　it　had　been　so　simple；　so　natural；

so　effectual。　Surely；　as　long　as　he　lived；　he　would　remember　it？

〃There　is　always　a　way；　and　the　stout　heart　will　find　it。〃







Chapter　50。　Marketing　the　Fur



If　Rolf　had　been　at　home　with　his　mother；　she　would　have　rubbed

his　black　and　swollen　ankle　with　goose　grease。　The　medical　man　at

Stamford　would　have　rubbed　it　with　a　carefully　prepared　and

secret　ointment。　His　Indian　friend　sang　a　little　crooning　song

and　rubbed　it　with　deer's　fat。　　All　different；　and　all　good；

because　each　did　something　to　reassure　the　patient；　to　prove　that

big　things　were　doing　on　his　behalf；　and　each　helped　the　process

of　nature　by　frequent　massage。



Three　times　a　day；　Quonab　rubbed　that　blackened　ankle。　The　grease

saved　the　skin　from　injury；　and　in　a　week　Rolf　had　thrown　his

crutches　away。



The　month　of　May　was　nearly　gone；　June　was　at　hand；　that　is；　the

spring　was　over。　！



In　all　ages；　man　has　had　the　impulse；　if　not　the　habit；　of　spring

migration。　Yielding　to　it　he　either　migrated　or　made　some　radical

change　in　his　life。　Most　of　the　Adirondack　men　who　trapped　in　the

winter　sought　work　on　the　log　drives　in　spring；　some　who　had

families　and　a　permanent　home　set　about　planting　potatoes　and

plying　the　fish　nets。　Rolf　and　Quonab　having　neither　way　open；

yet　feeling　the　impulse；　decided　to　go　out　to　Warren's　with　the　fur。



Quonab　wanted　tobacco　　and　a　change。



Rolf　wanted　a　rifle；　and　to　see　the　Van　Trumpers　　and　a　change。



So　June　Ist　saw　them　all　aboard；　with　Quonab　steering　at　the

stern；　and　Skookum　bow…wowing　at　the　bow；　bound　for　the　great

centre　of　Warren's　settlement　　one　store　and　three　houses；　very

wide　apart。



There　was　a　noble　flush　of　water　in　the　streams；　and；　thanks　to

their　axe　work　in　September；　they　passed　down　Jesup's　River

without　a　pause；　and　camped　on　the　Hudson　that　night；　fully

twenty…five　miles　from　home。



Long；　stringing　flocks　of　pigeons　going　north　were　the　most

numerous　forms　of　life。　But　a　porcupine　on　the　bank　and　a　bear　in

the　water　aroused　Skookum　to　a　pitch　of　frightful　enthusiasm　and

vaulting　ambition　that　he　was　forced　to　restrain。



On　the　evening　of　the　third　day　they　landed　at　Warren's　and　found

a　hearty　welcome　from　the　trader；　who　left　a　group　of　loafers　and

came　forward：



〃Good　day　to　ye；　boy。　My；　how　ye　have　growed。〃



So　he　had。　Neither　Rolf　nor　Quonab　had　remarked　it；　but　now　they

were　much　of　the　same　height。　〃Wall；　an'　how'd　ye　make　out　with

yer　hunt？　　Ah；　that's　fine！〃　as　each　of　them　dropped　a　fur　pack

on　the　counter。　〃Wall；　this　is　fine；　we　must　have　a　drink　on　the

head　of　it；〃　and　the　trader　was　somewhat　nonplussed　when　both　the

trappers　refused。　He　was　disappointed；　too；　for　that　refusal

meant　that　they　would　get　much　better　prices　for　their　fun　But　he

concealed　his　chagrin　and　rattled　on：　〃I　reckon　I'll　sell　you　the

finest　rifle　in　the　country　this　time；　〃and　he　knew　by　Rolf's

face　that　there　was　business　to　do　in　that　line。



Now　came　the　listing　of　the　fur；　and　naturally　the　bargaining　was

between　the　shrewd　Yankee　boy　and　the　trader。　The　Indian　stood

shyly　aside；　but　he　did　not　fail　to　help　with　significant　grunts

and　glances。



〃There；　now；〃　said　Warren；　as　the　row　of　martens　were　laid　out

side　by　side；　〃　thirty　martens　　a　leetle　pale　　　worth　three

dollars　and　fifty　cents　each；　or；　to　be　generous；　we'll　say　four

dollars。〃　Rolf　glanced　at　Quonab；　who；　unseen　by　the　trader　shook

his　head；　held　his　right　hand　out；　open　hollow　up；　then　raised　it

with　a　jerk　for　two　inches。



Quickly　Rolf　caught　the　idea　and　said；　〃No；　I　don't　reckon　them

pale。　I　call　them　prime　dark；　every　one　of　them。〃　Quonab　spread

his　hand　with　all　five　fingers　pointed　up；　and　Rolf　continued；

〃They　are　worth　five　dollars　each；　if　they're　worth　a　copper。〃



〃Phew！〃　said　the　trader。　〃you　forget　fur　is　an　awful　risky　thing；

what　with　mildew；　moth；　mice；　and　markets；　we　have　a　lot　of　risk。

But　I　want　to　please　you；　so　let　her　go；　five　each。　There's　a

fine　black　fox；　that's　worth　forty　dollars。〃



〃I　should　think　it　is；〃　said　Rolf；　as　Quonab；　by　throwing　to　his

right　an　imaginary　pinch　of　sand；　made　the　sign　〃refuse。〃



They　had　talked　over　the　value　of　that　fox　skin　and　Rolf　said；

〃Why；　I　know　of　a　black　fox　that　sold　for　two　hundred　dollars。〃



〃Where？〃



〃Oh；　down　at　Stamford。〃



〃Why；　that's　near　New　York。〃



〃Of　course；　don't　you　send　your　fur　to　New　York？〃



〃Yes；　but　it　costs　a　lot　to　get　it　there。



〃Now；〃　said　Warren；　〃if　you'll　take　it　in　trade；　I'll　meet　you

half…way　and　call　it　one　hundred　dollars。〃



〃Make　it　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　dollars　and　I'll　take　a

rifle；　anyway。〃



〃Phew！〃　whistled　the　trader。　〃Where　do　ye　get　such　notions？　〃



〃Nothing　wrong　about　the　notion；　old　Si　Sylvanne　offered　me

pretty　near　that；　if　I'd　come　out　his　way　with　the　stuff。〃



This　had　the　desired　effect　of　showing　that　there　were　other

traders。　At　last　the　deal　was　closed。　Besides　the　fox　skin；　they

had　three　hundred　dollars'　worth　of　fur。　The　exchange　for　the　fox

skin　was　enough　to　buy　all　the　groceries　and　dry　goods　they

needed。　But　Rolf　had　something　else　in　mind。



He　had　picked　out　some　packages　of　candies；　some　calico　prints

and　certain　bright　ribbons；　when　the　trader　grasped　the　idea。　〃I

see；　yer　goin'　visitin'。　Who　is　it？　Must　be　the　Van　Trumpers！　〃



Rolf　nodded　and　now　he　got　some　very　intelligent　guidance。　He　did

not　buy　Annette's　dress；　because　part　of　her　joy　was　to　be　the

expedition　in　person　to　pick　it　out；　but　he　stocked　up　with　some

gorgeous　pieces　of　jewellery　that　were　ten　cents　each；　and

ribbons　whose　colours　were　as　far　beyond　expression　as　were　the

joys　they　could　create　in　the　backwoods　female　heart。



Proudly　clutching　his　new　rlile；　and　carrying　in　his　wallet　a

memorandum　of　three　hundred　dollars　for　their　joint　credit；　Rolf

felt　himself　a　person　of　no　little　impor…　tance。　As　he　was

stepping　out　of　the　store；　the　trader　said；　〃Ye　didn't　run　across

Jack　Hoag　agin；　did　ye？〃



〃Did　we？　Hmph！〃　and　Rolf　told　briefly　of　their　experience　with

that　creature。



〃Just　like　him；　just　like　him；　served　him　right；　he　was　a　dirty

cuss。　But；　say；　don't　you　be　led　into　taking　your　fur　out　Lyons

Falls　way。　They're　a　mean　lot　in　there；　and　it　stands　to　reason　I

can　give　you　better　prices；　being　a　hundred　miles　nearer　New

York。〃



And　that　lesson　was　not　forgotten。　The　nearer　New　York　the　better

the　price；　seventy…five　dollars　at　Lyons　Falls；　one　hundred　and

twenty…five　dollars　at　Warren's；　two　hundred　dollars　at　New　York。

Rolf　pondered　long　and　the　idea　was　one　which　grew　and　bore

fruit。







Chapter　51。　Back　at　Van　Trumper's



Nibowaka〃　　Quonab　always　said　〃Nibowaka〃　when　he　was　impressed

with　Rolf