rolf in the woods-第47章

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

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

weakling；　conscience…stricken；　for　the　letter　intrusted　to　him

was　lost；　the　cargo　stolen　　so　his　comforters　had　said　　and

the　raw　country　lad　murdered　and　thrown　out　into　the　river。　What

wonder　that　he　should　shun　the　light　of　day！　And　when　big　Peter

with　Rolf　in　the　living　flesh；　instead　of　the　sheriff；　stood

before　him　and　told　him　to　come　out　of　that　and　get　into　the

canoe；　he　wept　bitter　tears　of　repentance　and　vowed　that　never；

never；　never；　as　long　as　he　lived　would　he　ever　again　let　liquor

touch　his　lips。　　A　frame　of　mind　which　lasted　in　strength　for

nearly　one　day　and　a　half；　and　did　not　entirely　varnish　for　three。



They　passed　Troy　without　desiring　to　stop；　and　began　their　fight

with　the　river。　It　was　harder　than　when　coming；　for　their　course

was　against　stream　when　paddling；　up　hill　when　portaging；　the

water　was　lower；　the　cargo　was　heavier；　and　Bill　not　so　able。　Ten

days　it　took　them　to　cover　those　eighty　miles。　But　they　came　out

safely；　cargo　and　all；　and　landed　at　Warren's　alive　and　well　on

the　twenty…first　day　since　leaving。



Bill　had　recovered　his　usual　form。　　Gravely　and　with　pride　he

marched　up　to　Warren　and　handed　out　a　large　letter　which　read

outside；　〃Bill　of　Lading；〃　and　when　opened；　read：　〃The　bearer　of

this；　Bill　Bymus；　is　no　good。　Don't　trust　him　to　Albany　any　more。

（Signed）　Peter　Vandam。〃



Warren's　eyes　twinkled；　but　he　said　nothing。　　He　took



Rolf　aside　and　said；　〃Let's　have　it。〃　Rolf　gave　him　the　real

letter　that；　unknown　to　Bill；　he　had　carried；　and　Warren　learned

some　things　that　he　knew　before。



Rolf's　contract　was　for　a　month；　it　had　ten　days　to　run；　and

those　ten　days　were　put　in　weighing　sugar；　checking　accounts；

milking　cows；　and　watching　the　buying　of　fur。　Warren　didn't　want

him　to　see　too　much　of　the　fur　business；　but　Rolf　gathered

quickly　that　these　were　the　main　principles：　Fill　the　seller　with

liquor；　if　possible；　〃fire　water　for　fur〃　was　the　idea；　next；

grade　all　fur　as　medium　or　second…class；　when　cash　was　demanded；

but　be　easy　as　long　as　payment　was　to　be　in　trade。　　That　afforded

many　loopholes　between　weighing；　grading；　charging；　and

shrinkage；　and　finally　he　noticed　that　Albany　prices　were　30　to

50　per　cent。　higher　than　Warren　prices。　　Yet　Warren　was　reckoned

a　first…class　fellow；　a　good　neighbour；　and　a　member　of　the

church。　But　it　was　understood　everywhere　that　fur；　like

horseflesh；　was　a　business　with　moral　standards　of　its　own。



A　few　days　before　their　contract　was　up；　Warren　said：　〃How'd　ye

like　to　renew　for　a　month？〃



〃Can't；　I　promised　to　help　Van　Trumper　with　his　harvest。〃



〃What　does　he　pay　ye？〃



〃Seventy…five　cents　a　day　and　board。〃



〃I'll　make　it　a　dollar。〃



〃I've　given　my　word；〃　said　Rolf；　in　surprise。



〃Hey　ye　signed　papers？〃



〃They're　not　needed。　The　only　use　of　signed　papers　is　to　show　ye

have　given　your　word；〃　said　Rolf；　quoting　his　mother；　with　rising

indignation。



The　trader　sniffed　a　little　contemptuously　and　said　nothing。　But

he　realized　the　value　of　a　lad　who　was　a　steady；　intelligent

worker；　wouldn't　drink；　and　was　absolutely　bound　by　a　promise；

so；　after　awhile；　he　said：　〃Wall；　if　Van　don't　want　ye　now；　come

back　for　a　couple　of　weeks。〃



Early　in　the　morning　Rolf　gathered　the　trifles　he　had　secured　for

the　little　children　and　the　book　he　had　bought　for　Annette；　a

sweet　story　of　a　perfect　girl　who　died　and　went　to　heaven；　the

front　embellished　with　a　thrilling　wood…cut。　Then　he　crossed　the

familiar　five…mile　portage　at　a　pace　that　in　an　hour　brought　him

to　the　lake。



The　greeting　at　Van's　was　that　of　a　brother　come　home。



〃Vell；　Rolf；　it's　goood　to　see　ye　back。　It's　choost　vat　I　vented。

Hi；　Marta；　I　told　it　you；　yah。　　I　say；　now　I　hope　ze　good　Gott

send　Rolf。　Ach；　how　I　am　shpoil！〃



Yes；　indeed。　The　hay　was　ready；　the　barley　was　changing。　So　Rolf

took　up　his　life　on　the　farm；　doing　work　that　a　year　before　was

beyond　his　strength；　for　the　spirit　of　the　hills　was　on　him；　with

its　impulse　of　growth；　its　joy　in　effort；　its　glory　in　strength。

And　all　who　saw　the　longlegged；　long…armed；　flat…　backed　youth

plying　fork　or　axe　or　hoe；　in　some　sort　ventured　a　guess：　〃He'll

be　a　good　'un　some　day；　the　kind　o'　chap　to　keep　friendly　with。







Chapter　56。　The　Sick　Ox



The　Thunder　Moon　passed　quickly　by；　the　hay　was　in；　the　barley

partly　so。　　Day　by　day　the　whitefaced　oxen　toiled　at　the　creaking

yoke；　as　the　loads　of　hay　and　grain　were　jounced　cumbrously　over

roots　and　stumps　of　the　virgin　fields。　Everything　was　promising

well；　when；　as　usual；　there　came　a　thunderbolt　out　of　the　clear

sky。　　Buck；　the　off　ox；　fell　sick。



Those　who　know　little　about　cattle　have　written　much　of　the　meek

and　patient　ox。　　Those　who　know　them　well　tell　us　that　the　ox　is

the　〃most　cussedest　of　all　cussed〃　animals；　a　sneak；　a　bully；　a

coward；　a　thief；　a　shirk；　a　schemer；　and　when　he　is　not　in

mischief　he　is　thinking　about　it。　　The　wickedest　pack　mule　that

ever　bucked　his　burden　is　a　pinfeathered　turtle…dove　compared

with　an　average　ox。　There　are　some　gentle　oxen；　but　they　are

rare；　most　are　treacherous；　some　are　dangerous；　and　these　are

best　got　rid　of；　as　they　mislead　their　yoke　mates　and　mislay

their　drivers。　　Van's　two　oxen；　Buck　and　Bright；　manifested　the

usual　variety　and　contrariety　of　disposition。　　They　were　all

right　when　well　handled；　and　this　Rolf　could　do　better　than　Van；

for　he　was　〃raised　on　oxen；〃　and　Van's　over　voluble；　sputtering；

Dutch…　English　seemed　ill　comprehended　of　the　massive　yoke

beasts。　The　simpler　whip…waving　and　fewer　orders　of　the　Yankee

were　so　obviously　successful　that　Van　had　resigned　the　whip　of

authority　and　Rolf　was　driver。



Ordinarily；　an　ox　driver　walks　on　the　hew　（nigh　or　left）　side；

near　the　head　of　his　team；　shouting　〃gee〃　（right）；　〃haw〃　（left）；

〃get　up；〃　〃steady；〃　or　〃whoa〃　（stop）；　accompanying　the　order　with

a　waving　of　the　whip。　　Foolish　drivers　lash　the　oxen　on　the　haw

side　when　they　wish　them　to　gee　　and　vice　versa；　but　it　is

notorious　that　all　good　drivers　do　little　lashing。　Spare　the　lash

or　spoil　your　team。　　So　it　was　not　long　before　Rolf　could　guide

them　from　the　top　of　the　load；　as　they　travelled　from　shook　to

shook　in　the　field。　　This　voice　of　command　saved　his　life；　or　at

least　his　limb；　one　morning；　for　he　made　a　misstep　that　tumbled

him　down　between　the　oxen　and　the　wagon。　At　once　the　team

started；　but　his　ringing　〃Whoa！〃　brought　them　to　a　dead　stop；　and

saved　him；　whereas；　had　it　been　Van's　〃Whoa！〃　it　would　have　set

them　off　at　a　run；　for　every　shout　from　him　meant　a　whip　lick　to

follow。



Thus　Rolf　won　the　respect；　if　not　the　love；　of　the　huge　beasts；

more　and　more　they　were　his　charge；　and　when；　on　that　sad

morning；　in　the　last　of　the　barley；　Van　came　in；　〃Ach；　vot　shall

I　do！　Vot　shall　I　do！　Dot　Buck　ox　be　nigh　dead。〃



Alas！　there　he　lay　on　the　ground；　his　head　sometimes　raised；

sometimes　stretched　out　flat；　while　the　huge　creature　uttered

short　moans　at　times。



Only　four　years　before；　Rolf　had　seen　that　same　thing　at　Redding。

The　rolling　eye；　the　working　of　the　belly　muscles；　the　straining

and　moaning。　〃It's　colic；　have　you　any　ginger？〃



〃No；　I　hat　only　dot　soft　soap。〃



What　soft　soap　had　to　do　with　ginger　was　not　clear；　and　Rolf

wondered　if　it　had　some　rare　occult　medical　power　that　had

escaped　his　mother。



〃Do　you　know　where　there's　any　slippery　elm？〃



〃Yah。〃



〃Then　bring　a　big　boiling　of　the　bark；　while　I　get　some

peppermint。〃



The　elm　bark　was　boiled　till　it　made　a　kettleful　of　brown　slime。

The　peppermint　was　dried　above　the　stove　till　it　could　be

powdered；　and　mixed　with　the　slippery　slush。　Some　sulphur　and

some　soda　were　discovered　and　stirred　in；　on　general　principles；

and　they　hastened　to　the　huge；　helpless　creature　in　the　f