rolf in the woods-第44章

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

is　cool　enough　now；　I　will　put　these　thin　curtains　round　her

bed。〃



〃Ugh；　good！〃　but　the　red　man　sat　there　while　it　was　being　done。



〃You　need　not　stay　now；　I'll　watch　her；　Quonab。〃



〃Soon；　give　more　medicine；〃　was　the　reply　that　Rolf　did　not　want。

So　he　changed　his　ruse。　　〃I　wish　you'd　take　that　partridge　and

make　soup　of　it。　　I've　had　my　hands　in　poison　ivy；　so　I　dare　not

touch　it。〃



〃Ach；　dot　shall　I　do。　Dot　kin　myself　do；〃　and　the　fat　mother；

laying　the　recent　baby　in　its　cradle；　made　cumbrous　haste　to　cook

the　bird。



〃Foiled　again；〃　was　Rolf's　thought；　but　his　Yankee　wit　was　with

him。　He　laid　one　hand　on　the　bowl　of　snake…root　tea。　It　was

lukewarm。　〃Do　you　give　it　hot　or　cold；　Quonab？〃



〃Hot。〃



〃I'll　take　it　in　and　heat　it。〃　　He　carried　it　off；　thinking；　〃If

Quonab　won't　let　me　give　the　bark　extract；　I'll　make　him　give

it。〃　　In　the　gloom　of　the　kitchen　he　had　no　difficulty　in　adding

to　the　tea；　quite　unseen；　a　quarter　of　the　extract；　when　heated；

he　brought　it　again；　and　the　Indian　himself　gave　the　dose。



As　bedtime　drew　near；　and　she　heard　the　red　man　say　he　would

sleep　there；　the　little　one　said　feebly；　〃Mother；　mother；〃　then

whispered　in　her　mother's　ear；　〃I　want　Rolf。〃



Rolf　spread　his　blanket　by　the　cot　and　slept　lightly。　Once　or

twice　he　rose　to　look　at　Annette。　She　was　moving　in　her　sleep；

but　did　not　awake。　　He　saw　to　it　that　the　mosquito　bar　was　in

place；　and　slept　till　morning。



There　was　no　question　that　the　child　was　better。　　The　renewed

interest　in　food　was　the　first　good　symptom；　and　the　partridge

served　the　end　of　its　creation。　　The　snakeroot　and　the　quinine

did　noble　work；　and　thenceforth　her　recovery　was　rapid。　　It　was

natural　for　her　mother　to　wish　the　child　back　indoors。　　It　was　a

matter　of　course　that　she　should　go。　　It　was　accepted　as　an

unavoidable　evil　that　they　should　always　have　those　brown

crawlers　about　the　bed。



But　Rolf　felt　differently。　He　knew　what　his　mother　would　have

thought　and　done。　　It　meant　another　visit　to　Warren's；　and　the

remedy　he　brought　was　a　strong…smelling　oil；　called　in　those　days

〃rock　oil〃　　a　crude　petroleum。　When　all　cracks　in　the　bed　and

near　wall　were　treated　with　this；　it　greatly　mitigated；　if　it　did

not　quite　end；　the　nuisance　of　the　〃plague　that　walks　in　the

dark。〃



Meanwhile；　Quonab　had　made　good　his　welcome　by　working　on　the

farm。　But　when　a　week　had　flown；　he　showed　signs　of　restlessness。

〃We　have　enough　money；　Nibowaka；　why　do　we　stay？〃



Rolf　was　hauling　a　bucket　of　water　from　the　well　at　the　time。　　He

stopped　with　his　burden　on　the　well…sweep；　gazed　into　the　well；

and　said　slowly：　〃I　don't　know。〃　If　the　truth　were　set　forth；　it

would　be　that　this　was　the　only　home　circle　he　knew。　It　was　the

clan　feeling　that　held　him；　and　soon　it　was　clearly　the　same

reason　that　was　driving　Quonab　to　roam。



〃I　have　heard；〃　said　the　Indian；　〃that　my　people　still　dwell　in

Canada；　beyond　Rouse's　Point。　　I　would　see　them。　　I　will　come

again　in　the　Red　Moon　（August）。〃



So　they　hired　a　small　canoe；　and　one　bright　morning；　with　Skookum

in　the　bow；　Quonab　paddled　away　on　his　voyage　of　120　miles　on　the

plead　waters　of　Lakes　George　and　Champlain。　　His　canoe　became　a

dark　spot　on　the　water；　slowly　it　faded　till　only　the　flashing

paddle　was　seen；　and　that　was　lost　around　a　headland。



The　next　day　Rolf　was　sorry　he　let　Quonab　go　alone；　for　it　was

evident　that　Van　Trumper　needed　no　help　for　a　month　yet；　that　is；

he　could　not　afford　to　hire；　and　while　it　was　well　enough　for

Rolf　to　stay　a　few　days　and　work　to　equalize　his　board；　the

arrangement　would　not　long　continue　satisfactory　to　both。



Yet　there　was　one　thing　he　must　do　before　leaving；　take　Annette

to　pick　out　her　dress。　She　was　well　again　now；　and　they　set　off

one　morning　in　the　canoe；　she　and　Rolf。　Neither　father　nor　mother

could　leave　the　house。　They　had　their　misgivings；　but　what　could

they　do？　She　was　bright　and　happy；　full　of　the　childish　joy　that

belongs　to　that　age；　and　engaged　on　such　an　important　errand　for

the　first　time　in　her　life。



There　was　something　more　than　childish　joy　showing　in　her　face；

an　older　person　would　have　seen　that；　but　it　was　largely　lost　on

Rolf。　There　was　a　tendency　to　blush　when　she　laughed；　a

disposition　to　tease　her　〃big　brother；〃　to　tyrannize　over　him　in

little　things。



〃Now；　you　tell　me　some　more　about　'Robinson　Crusoe；'〃　she　began；

as　soon　as　they　were　in　the　canoe；　and　Rolf　resumed　the　ancient；

inspiring　tale　to　have　it　listened　to　eagerly；　but　criticized

from　the　standpoint　of　a　Lake　George　farm。　〃Where　was　his　wife？〃

〃How　could　he　have　a　farm　without　hens？〃　　〃Dried　grapes　must　be

nice；　but　I'd　rather　have　pork　than　goat；〃　etc。



Rolf；　of　course；　took　the　part　of　Robinson　Crusoe；　and　it　gave

him　a　little　shock　to　hear　Quonab　called　his　man　Friday。



At　the　west　side　they　were　to　invite　Mrs。　Callan　to　join　their

shopping　trip；　but　in　any　case　they　were　to　borrow　a　horse　and

buckboard。　　Neither　Mrs。　Callan　nor　the　buckboard　was　available；

but　they　were　welcome　to　the　horse。　So　Annette　was　made

comfortable　on　a　bundle　of　blankets；　and　chattered　incessantly

while　Rolf　walked　alongside　with　the　grave　interest　and

superiority　of　a　much　older　brother。　　So　they　crossed　the

five…mile　portage　and　came　to　Warren's　store。　　Nervous　and

excited；　with　sparkling　eyes；　Annette　laid　down　her　marten　skin；

received　five　dollars；　and　set　about　the　tremendous　task　of

selecting　her　first　dress　of　really；　truly　calico　print；　and　Rolf

realized　that　the　joy　he　had　found　in　his　new　rifle　was　a　very

small　affair；　compared　with　the　epoch…making；　soul…filling；

life…absorbing；　unspeakable；　and　cataclysmal　bliss　that　a　small

girl　can　have　in　her　first　chance　of　unfettered　action　in　choice

of　a　cotton　print。



〃Beautiful？〃　How　can　mere　words　do　justice　to　masses　of　yellow

corn；　mixed　recklessly　with　green　and　scarlet　poppies　on　a　bright

blue　ground。　　No；　you　should　have　seen　Annette's　dress；　or　you

cannot　expect　to　get　the　adequate　thrill。　And　when　they　found

that　there　was　enough　cash　left　over　to　add　a　red　cotton　parasol

to　the　glorious　spoils；　every　one　there　beamed　in　a　sort　of

friendly　joy；　and　the　trader；　carried　away　by　the　emotions　of　the

hour；　contributed　a　set　of　buttons　of　shining　brass。



Warren　kept　a　〃meal　house；〃　which　phrase　was　a　ruse　that　saved

him　from　a　burdensome　hospitality。　Determined　to　do　it　all　in　the

best　style；　Rolf　took　Annette　to　the　meal…house　table。　She　was

deeply　awed　by　the　grandeur　of　a　tablecloth　and　white　plates；　but

every　one　was　kind。



Warren；　talking　to　a　stranger　opposite；　and　evidently　resuming　a

subject　they　had　discussed；　said：



〃Yes；　I'd　like　to　send　the　hull　lot　down　to　Albany　this　week；　if

I　could　get　another　man　for　the　canoe。〃



Rolf　was　interested　at　once　and　said：　〃What　wages　are　you　offering？〃



〃Twenty…five　dollars　and　board。〃



〃How　will　I　do？〃



〃Well；〃　said　Warren；　as　though　thinking　it　over：

〃I　dunno　but　ye　would。　　Could　ye　go　to…morrow？〃



〃Yes；　indeed；　for　one　month。〃



〃All　right；　it's　a　bargain。〃



And　so　Rolf　took　the　plunge　that　influenced　his　whole　life。



But　Annette　whispered　gleefully　and　excitedly；　〃May　I　have　some

of　that；　and　that？〃　pointing　to　every　strange　food　she　could　see；

and　got　them　all。



After　noon　they　set　out　on　their　return　journey；　An…　nette

clutching　her　prizes；　and　prattling　incessantly；　while　Rolf

walked　alongside；　thinking　deeply；　replying　to　her　chatter；　but

depressed　by　the　thought　of　good…bye　tomorrow。　He　was　aroused　at

length　by　a　scraping　sound　overhead　and　a　sharp　reprimand；　〃Rolf；

you'll　tear　my　new　parasol；　if　you　don't　lead　the　horse　better。〃



By　two　o'clock　they　were　at　Callan's。　Another　hour　and　they　had

crossed　the　lake；　and　Annette；　shrill　with　joy；　was　displaying

her　treasures　to　t