rolf in the woods-第48章

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and　they　hastened　to　the　huge；　helpless　creature　in　the　field。



Poor　Buck　seemed　worse　than　ever。　He　was　flat　on　his　side；　with

his　spine　humped　up；　moaning　and　straining　at　intervals。　But　now

relief　was　in　sight　　so　thought　the　men。　With　a　tin　dipper　they

tried　to　pour　some　relief　into　the　open　mouth　of　the　sufferer；

who　had　so　little　appreciation　that　he　simply　taxed　his　remaining

strength　to　blow　it　out　in　their　faces。　Several　attempts　ended

the　same　way。　Then　the　brute；　in　what　looked　like　temper；　swung

his　muzzle　and　dashed　the　whole　dipper　away。　Next　they　tried　the

usual　method；　mixing　it　with　a　bran　mash；　considered　a　delicacy

in　the　bovine　world；　but　Buck　again　took　notice；　under　pressure

only；　to　dash　it　away　and　waste　it　all。



It　occurred　to　them　they　might　force　it　down　his　throat　if　they

could　raise　his　head。　So　they　used　a　hand　lever　and　a　prop　to

elevate　the　muzzle；　and　were　about　to　try　another　inpour；　when

Buck　leaped　to　his　feet；　and　behaving　like　one　who　has　been

shamming；　made　at　full　gallop　for　the　stable；　nor　stopped　till

safely　in　his　stall；　where　at　once　he　dropped　in　all　the　evident

agony　of　a　new　spasm。



It　is　a　common　thing　for　oxen　to　sham　sick；　but　this　was　the　real

thing；　and　it　seemed　they　were　going　to　lose　the　ox；　which　meant

also　lose　a　large　part　of　the　harvest。



In　the　stable；　now；　they　had　a　better　chance；　they　tied　him；　then

raised　his　head　with　a　lever　till　his　snout　was　high　above　his

shoulders。　Now　it　seemed　easy　to　pour　the　medicine　down　that

long；　sloping　passage。　But　his　mouth　was　tightly　closed；　any　that

entered　his　nostrils　was　blown　afar；　and　the　suffering　beast

strained　at　the　rope　till　he　seemed　likely　to　strangle。



Both　men　and　ox　were　worn　out　with　the　struggle；　the　brute　was　no

better；　but　rather　worse。



〃Wall；〃　said　Rolf；　〃I've　seen　a　good　many　ornery　steers；　but

that's　the　orneriest　I　ever　did　handle；　an'　I　reckon　we'll　lose

him　if　he　don't　get　that　poison　into　him　pretty　soon。〃



Oxen　never　were　studied　as　much　as　horses；　for　they　were

considered　a　temporary　shift；　and　every　farmer　looked　forward　to

replacing　them　with　the　latter。　Oxen　were　enormously　strong；　and

they　could　flourish　without　grain　when　the　grass　was　good；　they

never　lost　their　head　in　a　swamp　hole；　and　ploughed　steadily

among　all　kinds　of　roots　and　stumps；　but　they　were　exasperatingly

slow　and　eternally　tricky。　　Bright；　being　the　trickier　of　the

two；　was　made　the　nigh　ox；　to　be　more　under　control。　　Ordinarily

Rolf　could　manage　Buck　easily；　but　the　present　situation　seemed

hopeless。　In　his　memory　he　harked　back　to　Redding　days；　and　he

recalled　old　Eli　Gooch；　the　ox　expert；　and　wondered　what　he　would

have　done。　　Then；　as　he　sat；　he　caught　sight　of　the　sick　ox

reaching　out　its　head　and　deftly　licking　up　a　few　drops　of　bran

mash　that　had　fallen　from　his　yoke　fellow's　portion。　A　smile

spread　over　Rolf's　face。　〃Just　like　you；　you　think　nothing's　good

except　it's　stolen。　All　right；　we'll　see。〃　He　mixed　a　big　dose　of

medicine；　with　bran；　as　before。　　Then　he　tied　Bright's　head　so

that　he　could　not　reach　the　ground；　and　set　the　bucket　of　mash

half　way　between　the　two　oxen。　〃Here　ye　are；　Bright；〃　he　said；　as

a　matter　of　form；　and　walked　out　of　the　stable；　but；　from　a

crack；　he　watched。　Buck　saw　a　chance　to　steal　Bright's　bran；　he

looked　around；　Oh；　joy！　his　driver　was　away。　He　reached　out

cautiously；　sniffed；　his　long　tongue　shot　forth　for　a　first

taste；　when　Rolf　gave　a　shout　and　ran　in。　〃Hi；　you　old　robber！

Let　that　alone；　that's　for　Bright。〃



The　sick　ox　was　very　much　in　his　own　stall　now；　and　stayed　there

for　some　time　after　Rolf　went　to　resume　his　place　at　the

peephole。　But　encouraged　by　a　few　minutes　of　silence；　he　again

reached　out；　and　hastily　gulped　down　a　mouthful　of　the　mixture

before　Rolf　shouted　and　rushed　in　armed　with　a　switch　to　punish

the　thief。　Poor　Bright；　by　his　efforts　to　reach　the　tempting

mash；　was　unwittingly　playing　the　game；　for　this　was　proof

positive　of　its　desirableness。



After　giving　Buck　a　few　cuts　with　the　switch；　Rolf　retired；　as

before。　Again　the　sick　ox　waited　for　silence；　and　reaching　out

with　greedy　haste；　he　gulped　down　the　rest　and　emptied　the

bucket；　seeing　which；　Rolf　ran　in　and　gave　the　rogue　a　final

trouncing　for　the　sake　of　consistency。



Any　one　who　knows　what　slippery　elm；　peppermint；　soda；　sulphur；

colic；　and　ox　do　when　thoroughly　interincorporated　will　not　be

surprised　to　learn　that　in　the　morning　the　stable　needed　special

treatment；　and　of　all　the　mixture　the　ox　was　the　only　ingredient

left　on　the　active　list。　He　was　all　right　again；　very　thirsty；

and　not　quite　up　to　his　usual　standard；　but；　as　Van　said；　after　a

careful　look；　〃Ah；　tell　you　vot；　dot　you　vas　a　veil　ox　again；　an'

I　t'ink　I　know　not　vot　if　you　all　tricky　vas　like　Bright。〃







Chapter　57。　Rolf　and　Skookum　at　Albany



The　Red　Moon　（August）　follows　the　Thunder　Moon；　and　in　the　early

part　of　its　second　week　Rolf　and　Van；　hauling　in　the　barley　and

discussing　the　fitness　of　the　oats；　were　startled　by　a　most

outrageous　clatter　among　the　hens。　　Horrid　murder　evidently　was

stalking　abroad；　and；　hastening　to　the　rescue；　Rolf　heard　loud；

angry　barks；　then　a　savage　beast　with　a　defunct　〃cackle　party〃

appeared；　but　dropped　the　victim　to　bark　and　bound　upon　the

〃relief　party〃　with　ecstatic　expressions　of　joy；　in　spite　of

Rolf's　　〃Skookum！　you　little　brute！〃



Yes！　Quonab　was　back；　that　is；　he　was　at　the　lake　shore；　and

Skookum　had　made　haste　to　plunge　into　the　joys　and　gayeties　of

this　social　centre；　without　awaiting　the　formalities　of　greeting

or　even　of　dry…shod　landing。



The　next　scene　was　　a　big；　high　post；　a　long；　strong　chain　and

a　small；　sad　dog。



〃Ho；　Quonab；　you　found　your　people？　　You　had　a　good　time？〃



〃Ugh；〃　was　the　answer；　the　whole　of　it；　and　all　the　light　Rolf

got　for　many　a　day　on　the　old　man's　trip　to　the　North。　The

prospect　of　going　to　Albany　for　Van　Cortlandt　was　much　more

attractive　to　Quonab　than　that　of　the　harvest　field；　so　a

compromise　was　agreed　on。　　Callan's　barley　was　in　the　stock；　if

all　three　helped　Callan　for　three　days；　Callan　would　owe　them　for

nine；　and　so　it　was　arranged。



Again　〃good…bye；〃　and　Rolf；　Quonab；　and　little　dog　Skookum　went

sailing　down　the　Schroon　toward　the　junction；　where　they　left　a

cache　of　their　supplies；　and　down　the　broadening　Hudson　toward

Albany。



Rolf　had　been　over　the　road　twice；　Quonab　never　before；　yet　his

nose　for　water　was　so　good　and　the　sense　of　rapid　and　portage　was

so　strong　in　the　red　man；　that　many　times　he　was　the　pilot。　〃This

is　the　way；　because　it　must　be〃；　〃there　it　is　deep　because　so

narrow〃；　〃that　rapid　is　dangerous；　because　there　is　such　a

well…beaten　portage　trail〃；　〃that　we　can　run；　because　I　see　it；〃

or；　〃because　there　is　no　portage　trail；〃　etc。　　The　eighty　miles

were　covered　in　three　sleeps；　and　in　the　mid…moon　days　of　the　Red

Moon　they　landed　at　the　dock　in　front　of　Peter　Vandam's。　　If

Quonab　had　any　especial　emotions　for　the　occasion；　he　cloaked

them　perfectly　under　a　calm　and　copper…coloured　exterior　of

absolute　immobility。



Their　Albany　experiences　included　a　meeting　with　the　governor　and

an　encounter　with　a　broad　and　burly　river　pirate；　who；　seeing　a

lone　and　peaceable…looking　red　man；　went　out　of　his　way　to　insult

him；　and　when　Quonab's　knife　flashed　out　at　last；　it　was　only　his

recently　established　relations　with　the　governor's　son　that　saved

him　from　some　very　sad　results；　for　there　were　many　loafers

about。　　But　burly　Vandam　appeared　in　the　nick　of　time　to　halt　the

small　mob　with　the　warning：　〃Don't　you　know　that's　Mr。　Van

Cortlandt's　guide？〃　　With　the　governor　and　Vandam　to　back　him；

Quonab　soon　had　the　mob　on　his　side；　and　the　dock　loafer's　own

friends　pelted　him　with　mud　as　he　escaped。　But　not　a　little

credit　is　due　to　Skookum；　for　at　the　critical　moment　he　had

sprung　on　the　ruffian's　bare　and　abu