rolf in the woods-第43章

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Chapter　51。　Back　at　Van　Trumper's



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

with　Rolf's　astuteness　　〃What　about　the　canoe　and　stuff？〃



〃I　think　we　better　leave　all　here。　Callan　will　lend　us　a　canoe。〃

So　they　shouldered　the　guns；　Rolf　clung　to　his；　and　tramped

across　the　portage；　reaching　Callan's　in　less　than　two　hours。



〃Why；　certainly　you　can　have　the　canoe；　but　come　in　and　eat

first；〃　was　the　kindly　backwoods　greeting。　However；　Rolf　was　keen

to　push　on；　they　launched　the　canoe　at　once　and　speedily　were

flashing　their　paddles　on　the　lake。



The　place　looked　sweetly　familiar　as　they　drew　near。　The　crops　in

the　fields　were　fair；　the　crop　of　chickens　at　the　barn　was　good；

and　the　crop　of　children　about　the　door　was　excellent。



〃Mein　Hemel！　mein　Hemel！　〃　shouted　fat　old　Hendrik；　as　they

walked　up　to　the　stable　door。　In　a　minute　he　was　wringing　their

hands　and　smiling　into　great　red；　white；　and　blue　smiles。　〃Coom

in；　coom　in；　lad。　Hi；　Marta；　here　be　Rolf　and　Quonab。　Mein　Hemel！

mein　Hemel！　what　am　I　now　so　happy。〃



〃Where's　Annette？〃　asked　Rolf。



〃Ach；　poor　Annette；　she　fever　have　a　little；　not　mooch；　some；〃

and　he　led　over　to　a　corner　where　on　a　low　cot　lay　Annette；　thin；

pale；　and　listless。



She　smiled　faintly；　in　response；　when　Rolf　stooped　and　kissed　her。



〃Why；　Annette；　I　came　back　to　see　you。　I　want　to　take　you　over　to

Warren's　store；　so　you　can　pick　out　that　dress。　See；　I　brought

you　my　first　marten　and　I　made　this　box　for　you；　you　must　thank

Skookum　for　the　quills　on　it。〃



〃Poor　chile；　she　bin　sick　all　spring；〃　and　Marta　used　a　bunch　of

sedge　to　drive　away　the　flies　and　mosquitoes　that；　bass　and

treble；　hovered　around　the　child。



〃What　ails　her？〃　asked　Rolf　anxiously。



〃Dot　ve　do　not　know；〃　was　the　reply。



〃Maybe　there's　some　one　here　can　tell；〃　and　Roll　glanced　at　the　Indian。



〃Ach；　sure！　Have　I　you　that　not　always　told　all…vays　　eet　is　so。

All…vays；　I　want　sumpin　bad　mooch。　I　prays　de　good　Lord　and　all…vays；

all…vays；　two　times　now；　He　it　send　by　next　boat。　Ach；　how　I　am　spoil；〃

and　the　good　Dutchman's　eyes　filled　with　tears　of　thankfulness。



Quonab　knelt　by　the　sufferer。　He　felt　her　hot；　dry　hand；　he

noticed　her　short；　quick　breathing；　her　bright　eyes；　and　the

untouched　bowl　of　mush　by　her　bed。



〃Swamp　fever；〃　he　said。　〃I　bring　good　medicine。〃　He　passed

quietly　out　into　the　woods。　When　he　returned；　he　carried　a　bundle

of　snake…root　which　he　made　into　tea。



Annette　did　not　wish　to　touch　it；　but　her　mother　persuaded　her　to

take　a　few　sips　from　a　cup　held　by　Rolf。



〃Wah！　this　not　good；〃　and　Quonab　glanced　about　the　close；

fly…infested　room。　〃I　must　make　lodge。〃　He　turned　up　the　cover　of

the　bedding；　three　or　four　large；　fiat　brown　things　moved　slowly

out　of　the　light。　〃Yes；　I　make　lodge。〃



It　was　night　now；　and　all　retired；　the　newcomers　to　the　barn。

They　had　scarcely　entered；　when　a　screaming　of　poultry　gave　a

familiar　turn　to　affairs。　On　running　to　the　spot；　it　proved　not　a

mink　or　coon；　but　Skookum；　up　to　his　old　tricks。　On　the　appearance

of　his　masters；　he　fled　with　guilty　haste；　crouched　beneath　the　post

that　he　used　to　be；　and　soon　again　was；　chained　to。



In　the　morning　Quonab　set　about　his　lodge；　and　Rolf　said：　〃I've

got　to　go　to　Warren's　for　sugar。〃　The　sugar　was　part　truth　and

part　blind。　As　soon　as　he　heard　the　name　swamp　fever；　Rolf

remembered　that；　in　Redding；　Jesuit's　bark　（known　later　as

quinine）　was　the　sovereign　remedy。　He　had　seen　his　mother

administer　it　many　times；　and；　so　far　as　he　knew；　with　uniform

success。　Every　frontier　（or　backwoods；　it's　the　same）　trader

carries　a　stock　of　medicine；　and　in　two　hours　Rolf　left　Warren's

counter　with　twenty…five　pounds　of　maple　sugar　and　a　bottle　of

quinine　extract　in　his　pack。



〃You　say　she's　bothered　with　the　flies；　why　don't　you　take　some

of　this　new　stuff　for　a　curtain？　〃　and　the　trader　held　up　a　web

of　mosquito　gauze；　the　first　Rolf　had　seen。　That　surely　was　a

good　idea；　and　ten　yards　snipped　off　was　a　most　interesting

addition　to　his　pack。　The　amount　was　charged　against　him；　and　in

two　hours　more　he　was　back　at　Van　Trumper's。



On　the　cool　side　of　the　house；　Quonab　had　built　a　little　lodge；

using　a　sheet　for　cover。　On　a　low　bed　of　pine　boughs　lay　the

child。　Near　the　door　was　a　smouldering　fire　of　cedar；　whose

aromatic　fumes　on　the　lazy　wind　reached　every　cranny　of　the　lodge。



Sitting　by　the　bed　head；　with　a　chicken　wing　to　keep　off　the　few

mosquitoes；　was　the　Indian。　The　child's　eyes　were　closed；　she　was

sleeping　peacefully。　Rolf　crept　gently　forward；　laid　his　hand　on

hers；　it　was　cool　and　moist。　He　went　into　the　house　with　his

purchases；　the　mother　greeted　him　with　a　happy　look：　Yes；　Annette

was　a　little　better；　she　had　slept　quietly　ever　since　she　was

taken　outdoors。　The　mother　could　not　understand。　Why　should　the

Indian　want　to　have　her　surrounded　by　pine　boughs？　why

cedar…smoke？　and　why　that　queer　song？　Yes；　there　it　was　again。

Rolf　went　out　to　see　and　hear。　Softly　summing　on　a　tin　pan；　with

a　mudded　stick；　the　Indian　sang　a　song。　The　words　which　Rolf

learned　in　the　after…　time　were：



〃Come；　Kaluskap；　drive　the　witches；　Those　who　came　to　harm　the

dear　one。〃



Annette　moved　not；　but　softly　breathed；　as　she　slept　a　sweet；

restful　slumber；　the　first　for　many　days。



〃Vouldn't　she　be　better　in　de　house？〃　whispered　the　anxious　mother。



〃No；　let　Quonab　do　his　own　way；〃　and　Rolf　wondered　if　any　white

man　had　sat　by　little　Wee…wees　to　brush　away　the　flies　from　his

last　bed。







Chapter　52。　Annette's　New　Dress



Deep　feelin's　ain't　any　count　by　themselves；　work　'em　off；　an'

ye're　somebody；　weep　'em　off　an'　you'd　be　more　use　with　a　heart

o'　stone　　Sayings　of　Si　Sylvanne。



Quonab；　I　am　going　out　to　get　her　a　partridge。〃　〃Ugh；　good。〃



So　Rolf　went　off。　For　a　moment　he　was　inclined　to　grant　Skookom's

prayer　for　leave　to；　follow；　but　another　and　better　plan　came　in

mind。　Skookum　would　most　likely　find　a　mother　partridge；　which

none　should　kill　in　June；　and　there　was　a　simple　way　to　find　a

cock；　that　was；　listen。　It　was　now　the　evening　calm；　and　before

Rolf　had　gone　half　a　mile　he　heard　the　distant　〃Thump；　thump；

thump；　thump　　rrrrrrr〃　of　a　partridge；　drumming。　He　went

quickly　and　cautiously　toward　the　place；　then　waited　for　the　next

drumming。　It　was　slow　in　coming；　so　he　knelt　down　by　a　mossy；

rotten　log；　and　struck　it　with　his　hands　to　imitate　the　thump　and

roll　of　the　partridge。　At　once　this　challenge　procured　response。



〃Thump　　thump　　thump；；　thump　rrrrrrrrrrrr〃　it　came；　with

martial　swing　and　fervour；　and　crawling　nearer；



Rolf　spied　the　drummer；　pompously　strutting　up　and　down　a　log

some　forty　yards　away。　He　took　steady　aim；　not　for　the　head　　　a

strange　gun；　at　forty　yards　　　for　the　body。　　At　the　crack；　the

bird　fell　dead；　and　in　Rolf's　heart　there　swelled　up　a　little

gush　of　joy；　which　he　believed　was　all　for　the　sake　of　the

invalid；　but　which　a　finer　analysis　might　have　proved　to　be　due

quite　as　much　to　pride　in　himself　and　his　newly　bought　gun。



Night　was　coming　on　when　he　got　back；　and　he　found　the　Dutch

parents　in　some　excitement。　〃Dot　Indian　he　gay　no　bring　Annette

indoors　for　de　night。　　How　she　sleep　outdoors　　like　dog　　like

Bigger　　like　tramp？　Yah　it　is　bad；　ain't　it？〃　and　poor　old

Hendrik　looked　sadly　upset　and　mystified。



〃Hendrik；　do　you　suppose　God　turns　out　worse　air　in　the　night

than　in　the　day？〃



〃Ach；　dunno。〃



〃Well；　you　see　Quonab　knows　what　he's　doing。〃



〃Yah。〃



〃Well；　let　him　do　it。　He　or　I'll　sleep　alongside　the　child　she'll

be　all　right；〃　and　Rolf　thought　of　those　horrible　brown　crawlers

under　the　bedding　indoors。



Rolf　had　much　confidence　in　the　Indian　as　a　doctor；　but　he　had

more　in　his　own　mother。　He　was　determined　to　give　Annette　the

quinine；　yet　he　hesitated　to　interfere。　At　length；　he　said：　〃It

is　c