rolf in the woods-第46章

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hez　tapped　the　finest　bar'l　in　years。〃



〃No；　I　tell　ye；　I'm　not　drinking　　now。〃



〃Wall；　all　right；　ye　know　yer　own　business。　I　thought　maybe　ye'd

be　glad　to　see　us。〃



〃Well；　ain't　I？〃



〃Hello；　Bill；〃　and　Bill's　fat　brother…in…law　came　up。　Thus　does

me　good；　an'　yer　sister　is　spilin'　to　see　ye。　We'll　hev　one　on

this。〃



〃No；　Sam；　I　ain't　drinkin'；　I've　got　biz　to　tend。〃



〃Wall；　hev　just　one　to　clear　yer　head。　Then　settle　yer　business

and　come　back　to　us。〃



So　Bill　went　to　have　one　to　clear　his　head。　〃I'll　be　back　in　two

minutes；　Rolf；〃　but　Rolf　saw　him　no　more　for　many　days。



〃You　better　come　along；　cub；〃　called　out　a　red…nosed　member　of

the　group。　But　Rolf　shook　his　head。



〃Here；　I'll　help　you　git　them　ashore；〃　volunteered　an　effusive

stranger；　with　one　eye。



〃I　don't　want　help。〃



〃How　are　ye　gain'　to　handle　'em　alone？〃



〃Well；　there's　one　thing　I'd　be　glad　to　have　ye　do；　that　is；　go

up　there　and　bring　Peter　Vandam。〃



〃I'll　watch　yer　stuff　while　you　go。〃



〃No；　I　can't　leave。〃　　〃Then　go　to　blazes；　d'yte　take　me　for　yer

errand　boy？〃　And　Rolf　was　left　alone。



He　was　green　at　the　business；　but　already　he　was　realizing　the

power　of　that　word　fur　and　the　importance　of　the　peltry　trade。

Fur　was　the　one　valued　product　of　the　wilderness　that　only　the

hunter　could　bring。　The　merchants　of　the　world　were　as　greedy　for

fur　as　for　gold；　and　far　more　so　than　for　precious　stones。



It　was　a　commodity　so　light　that；　even　in　those　days；　a　hundred

weight　of　fur　might　range　in　value　from　one　hundred　to　five

thousand　dollars；　so　that　a　man　with　a　pack　of　fine　furs　was　a

capitalist。　The　profits　of　the　business　were　good　for　trapper；

very　large　for　the　trader；　who　doubled　his　first　gain　by　paying

in　trade；　but　they　were　huge　for　the　Albany　middleman；　and

colossal　for　the　New　Yorker　who　shipped　to　London。



With　such　allurements；　it　was　small　wonder　that　more　country　was

explored　and　opened　for　fur　than　for　settlement　or　even　for　gold；

and　there　were　more　serious　crimes　and　high…handed　robberies　over

the　right　to　trade　a　few　furs　than　over　any　other　legitimate

business。　These　things　were　new　to　Rolf　within　the　year；　but　he

was　learn…　ing　the　lesson；　and　Warren's　remarks　about　fur　stuck

in　his　memory　with　growing　value。　Every　incident　since　the　trip

began　had　given　them　new　points。



The　morning　passed　without　sign　of　Bill；　so；　when　in　the

afternoon；　some　bare…legged　boys　came　along；　Rolf　said　to　them：

〃Do　any　of　ye　know　where　Peter　Vandam's　house　is？〃



〃Yeh；　that's　it　right　there；〃　and　they　pointed　to　a　large　log

house　less　than　a　hundred　yards　away。



〃Do　ye　know　him？〃



〃Yeh；　he's　my　paw；〃　said　a　sun…bleached　freckle…face。



〃If　you　bring　him　here　right　away；　I'll　give　you　a　dime。　Tell　him

I'm　from　Warren's　with　a　cargo。〃



The　dusty　stampede　that　followed　was　like　that　of　a　mustang　herd；

for　a　dime　was　a　dime　in　those　days。　And　very　soon；　a　tall；ruddy

man　appeared　at　the　dock。　He　was　a　Dutchman　in　name　only。　　At

first　sight　he　was　much　like　the　other　loafers；　but　was　bigger；

and　had　a　more　business…like　air　when　observed　near　at　hand。



〃Are　you　from　Warren's？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃Alone？　〃



〃No；　sir。　I　came　with　Bill　Bymus。　But　he　went　off　early　this

morning；　I　haven't　seen　him　since。　I'm　afraid　he's　in　trouble。〃



〃Where'd　ho　go？〃



〃In　there　with　some　friends。〃



〃Ha；　just　like　him；　he's　in　trouble　all　right。　He'll　be　no　good

for　a　week。　Last　time　he　came　near　losing　all　our　stuff。　Now

let's　see　what　ye've　got。〃



〃Are　you　Mr。　Peter　Vandam？　〃



〃Of　course　I　am。〃



Still　Rolf　looked　doubtful。　There　was　a　small　group　around；　and

Rolf　heard　several　voices；　〃Yes；　this　is　Peter；　ye　needn't

a…worry。〃　　But　Rolf　knew　none　of　the　speakers。　His　look　of

puzzlement　at　first　annoyed　then　tickled　the　Dutchman；　who

exploded　into　a　hearty　guffaw。



〃Wall；　wall；　you　sure　think　ill　of　us。　　Here；　now　look　at　that；〃

and　he　drew　out　a　bundle　of　letters　addressed　to　Master　Peter

Vandam。　　Then　he　displayed　a　gold　watch　inscribed　on　the　back

〃Peter　Vandam〃；　next　he　showed　a　fob　seal　with　a　scroll　and　an

inscription；　〃Petrus　Vandamus〃；　then　he　turned　to　a　youngster　and

said；　〃Run；　there　is　the　Reverend　Dr。　Powellus；　he　may　help　us〃；

so　the　black…garbed；　knee…breached；　shovel…hatted　clergyman　came

and　pompously　said：　〃Yes；　my　young　friend；　without　doubt　you　may

rest　assured　that　this　is　our　very　estimable　parishioner；　Master

Peter　Vandam；　a　man　well　accounted　in　the　world　of　trade。〃



〃And　now；〃　said　Peter；　〃with　the　help　of　my　birth…　register　and

marriage…certificate；　which　will　be　placed　at　your　service　with

all　possible　haste；　I　hope　I　may　win　your　recognition。〃　　The

situation；　at　first　tense；　had　become　more　and　more　funny；　and

the　bystanders　laughed　aloud。　Rolf　rose　to　it；　and　smiling　said

slowly；　〃I　am　inclined　to　think　that　you　must　be　Master　Peter

Vandam；　of



Albany。　If　that's　so；　this　letter　is　for　you；　also　this　cargo。〃

And　so　the　delivery　was　made。



Bill　Bymus　has　not　delivered　the　other　letter　to　this　day。

Presumably　he　went　to　stay　with　his　sister；　but　she　saw　little　of

him；　for　his　stay　at　Albany　was；　as　usual；　one　long　spree。　It　was

clear　that；　but　for　Rolf；　there　might　have　been　serious　loss　of

fur；　and　Vandam　showed　his　appreciation　by　taking　the　lad　to　his

own　home；　where　the　story　of　the　difficult　identification

furnished　ground　for　gusty　laughter　and　primitive　jest　on　many　an

after　day。



The　return　cargo　for　Warren　consisted　of　stores　that　the　Vandam

warehouse　had　in　stock；　and　some　stuff　that　took　a　day　or　more　to

collect　in　town。



As　Rolf　was　sorting　and　packing　next　day；　a　tall；　thin；　well…dressed

young　man　walked　in　with　the　air　of　one　much　at　home。



〃Good　morrow；　Peter。〃



〃Good　day　to　ye；　sir；〃　and　they　talked　of　crops　and　politics。



Presently　Vandam　said；　〃Rolf；　come　over　here。〃



He　came　and　was　presented　to　the　tall　man；　who　was　indeed　very

thin；　and　looked　little　better　than　an　invalid。　〃This；〃　said

Peter；　〃is　Master　Henry　van　Cortlandt　the　son　of　his　honour；　the

governor；　and　a　very　learned　barrister。　　He　wants　to　go　on　a　long

hunting　trip　for　his　health。　I　tell　him　that　likely　you　are　the

man　he　needs。〃



This　was　so　unexpected　that　Rolf　turned　red　and　gazed　on　the

ground。　Van　Cortlandt　at　once　began　to　clear　things　by

interjecting：　〃You　see；　I'm　not　strong。　I　want　to　live　outdoors

for　three　months；　where　I　can　have　some　hunting　and　be　beyond

reach　of　business。　　I'll　pay　you　a　hundred　dollars　for　the　three

months；　to　cover　board　and　guidance。　And　providing　I'm　well

pleased　and　have　good　hunting；　I'll　give　you　fifty　dollars　more

when　I　get　back　to　Albany。〃



〃I'd　like　much　to　be　your　guide；〃　said　Rolf；　〃but　I　have　a

partner。　I　must　find　out　if　he's　willing。〃



〃Ye　don't　mean…that　drunken　Bill　Bymus？〃



〃No！　my　hunting　partner；　he's　an　Indian。〃　Then；　after　a　pause；　he

added；　〃　You　wouldn't　go　in　fly…time；　would　you？〃



〃No；　I　want　to　be　in　peace。　But　any　time　after　the　first　of　August。〃



〃I　am　bound　to　help　Van　Trumper　with　his　harvest；　that　will　take

most　of　August。〃



As　he　talked；　the　young　lawyer　sized　him　up　and　said　to　himself；

〃This　is　my　man。〃



And　before　they　parted　it　was　agreed　that　Rolf　should　come　to

Albany　with　Quonab　as　soon　as　he　could　return　in　August；　to　form

the　camping　party　for　the　governor's　son。







Chapter　55。　The　Rescue　of　Bill



Bales　were　ready　and　the　canoe　newly　gummed　three　days　after

their　arrival；　but　still　no　sign　of　Bill。　　A　messengers　sent　to

the　brother…in…law's　home　reported　that　he　had　not　been　seen　for

two　days。　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　Albany　numbered　nearly　〃six

thousand　living　human　souls；〃　a　brief　search　by　the　docksharps

soon　revealed　the　sinner's　retreat。　His　worst　enemy　would　have

pitied　him；　a　red…eyed　wreck；　a　starved；　sick　and　trembling

weak