rolf in the woods-第50章

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had　hard　work　to　keep　the　forms　of　respect；　until　the　thought

came：　〃I　suppose　I　looked　just　as　big　a　fool　in　his　world　at

Albany。〃



〃See；〃　said　he；　〃green　wood　and　wet　wood　won't　do；　but　yonder　is

some　birch　bark　and　there's　a　pine　root。〃　He　took　his　axe　and　cut

a　few　sticks　from　the　root；　then　used　his　knife　to　make　a

sliver…fuzz　of　each；　one　piece；　so　resinous　that　it　would　not

whittle；　he　smashed　with　the　back　of　the　axe　into　a　lot　of

matchwood。　With　a　handful　of　finely　shredded　birch　bark　he　was

now　quite　ready。　A　crack　of　the　flint　a　blowing　of　the　spark

caught　on　the　tinder　from　the　box；　a　little　flame　that　at　once

was　magnified　by　the　birch　bark；　and　in　a　minute　the　pine

splinters　made　a　sputtering　fire。　Quonab　did　not　even　pay　Van

Cortlandt　the　compliment　of　using　one　of　his　logs。　He　cut　a

growing　poplar；　built　a　fireplace　of　the　green　logs　around　the

blaze　that　Rolf　had　made；　and　the　meal　was　ready　in　a　few

minutes。



Van　Cortlandt　was　not　a　fool；　merely　it　was　all　new　to　him。　But

his　attention　was　directed　to　fire…making　now；　and　long　before

they　reached　their　cabin　he　had　learned　this；　the　first　of　the

woodman's　arts　　he　could　lay　and　light　a　fire。　And　when；　weeks

later；　he　not　only　made　the　flint　fire；　but　learned　in　emergency

to　make　the　rubbing　stick　spark；　his　cup　of　joy　was　full。　He　felt

he　was　learning。



Determined　to　be　in　everything；　now　he　paddled　all　day；　at　first

with　vigour；　then　mechanically；　at　last　feebly　and　painfully。

Late　in　the　afternoon　they　made　the　first　long　portage；　it　was　a

quarter　mile。　Rolf　took　a　hundred　pounds；　Quonab　half　as　much

more；　Van　Cortlandt　tottered　slowly　behind　with　his　pill…kit　and

his　paddle。　That　night；　on　his　ample　mattress；　he　slept　the　sleep

of　utter　exhaustion。　Next　day　he　did　little　and　said　nothing。　It

came　on　to　rain；　he　raised　a　huge　umbrella　and　crouched　under　it

till　the　storm　was　over。　But　the　third　day　he　began　to　show　signs

of　new　life；　and　before　they　reached　the　Schroon's　mouth；　on　the

fifth　day；　his　young　frame　was　already　responding　to　the　elixir

of　the　hills。



It　was　very　clear　that　they　could　not　take　half　of　the　stuff　that

they　had　cached　at　the　Schroon's　mouth；　so　that　a　new　adjustment

was　needed　and　still　a　cache　to　await　another　trip。



That　night　as　they　sat　by　their　sixth　camp　fire；　Van　Cortlandt

pondered　over　the　recent　days；　and　they　seemed　many　since　he　had

left　home。　He　felt　much　older　and　stronger。　He　felt　not　only　less

strange；　but　positively　intimate　with　the　life；　the　river；　the

canoe；　and　his　comrades；　and；　pleased　with　his　winnings；　he　laid

his　hand　on　Skookum；　slumbering　near；　only　to　arouse　in　response

a　savage　growl；　as　that　important　animal　arose　and　moved　to　the

other　side　of　the　fire。　Never　did　small　dog　give　tall　man　a　more

deliberate　snub。　〃You　can't　do　that　with　Skookum；　you　must　wait

till　he's　ready；〃　said　Rolf。



The　journey　up　the　Hudson　with　its　〃mean〃　waters　and　its

〃carries〃　was　much　as　before。　Then　they　came　to　the　eagle's　nest

and　the　easy　waters　of　Jesup's　River；　and　without　important

incident　they　landed　at　the　cabin。　The　feeling　of　〃home　again〃

spread　over　the　camp　and　every　one　was　gay。







Chapter　59。　Van　Cortlandt's　Drugs



AIN'T　ye　feelin'　all　right？〃　said　Rolf；　one　bright；　calomel

morning；　as　he　saw　Van　Cortlandt　pre…　paring　his　daily　physic。



〃Why；　yes；　I'm　feeling　fine；　I'm　better　every　day；〃　was　the

jovial　reply。



〃Course　I　don't　know；　but　my　mother　used　to　say：　'Med'cine's　the

stuff　makes　a　sick　man　well；　an'　a　well　man　sick。〃'



〃My　mother　and　your　mother　would　have　fought　at　sight；　as　you　may

judge。　　B…u…t；〃　he　added　with　reflective　slowness；　and　a　merry

twinkle　in　his　eye；　〃if　things　were　to　be　judged　by　their

product；　I　am　afraid　your　mother　would　win　easily；〃　and　he　laid

his　long；　thin；　scrawny　hand　beside　the　broad；　strong　hand　of　the

growing　youth。



〃Old　Sylvanne　wasn't　far　astray　when　he　said：　'There　aren't　any

sick；　'cept　them　as　thinks　they　are；〃'　said　Rolf。　〃I　suppose　I

ought　to　begin　to　taper　off；〃　was　the　reply。　　But　the　tapering

was　very　sudden。　　Before　a　week　went　by；　it　seemed　desirable　to

go　back　for　the　stuff　left　in　cache　on　the　Schroon；　where；　of

course；　it　was　subject　to　several　risks。　　There　seemed　no　object

in　taking　Van　Cortlandt　back；　but　they　could　not　well　leave　him

alone。　　He　went。　　He　had　kept　time　with　fair　regularity　

calomel；　rhubarb；　calomel；　rhubarb；　calomel；　rhubarb；　squills　

but　Rolf's　remarks　had　sunk　into　his　intelligence；　as　a　red…hot

shot　will　sink　through　shingles；　letting　in　light　and　creating

revolution。



This　was　a　rhubarb　morning。　　He　drank　his　potion；　then；　carefully

stoppering　the　bottle；　he　placed　it　with　its　companions　in　a　box

and　stowed　that　near　the　middle　of　the　canoe。　　　〃I'll　be　glad

when　it's　finished；〃　he　said　reflectively；　〃I　don't　believe　I

need　it　now。　　I　wish　sometimes　I　could　run　short　of　it　all。〃



That　was　what　Rolf　had　been　hoping　for。　　Without　such　a　remark；

he　would　not　have　dared　do　as　he　did。　He　threw　the　tent　cover

over　the　canoe　amidships；　causing　the　unstable　craft　to　cant：

〃That　won't　do；〃　he　remarked；　and　took　out　several　articles；

including　the　medicine　chest；　put　them　ashore　under　the　bushes；

and；　when　he　replaced　them；　contrived　that　the　medicine　should　be

forgotten。



Next　morning　Van　Cortlandt；　rising　to　prepare　his　calomel；　got　a

shock　to　find　it　not。



〃It　strikes　me；〃　says　Rolf；　〃the　last　time　I　saw　that；　it　was　on

the　bank　when　we　trimmed　the　canoe。〃　Yes；　there　could　be　no　doubt

of　it。　　Van　must　live　his　life　in　utter　druglessness　for　a　time。

It　gave　him　somewhat　of　a　scare；　much　like　that　a　young　swimmer

gets　when　he　finds　he　has　drifted　awav　from　his　floats；　and；　like

that　same　beginner；　it　braced　him　to　help　himself。　So　Van　found

that　he　could　swim　without　corks。



They　made　a　rapid　journey　down；　and　in　a　week　they　were　back　with

the　load。



There　was　the　potion　chest　where　they　had　left　it。　　Van　Cortlandt

picked　it　up　with　a　sheepish　smile；　and　they　sat　down　for　evening

meal。　　Presently　Rolf　said：　〃I　mind　once　I　seen　three　little

hawks　in　a　nest　together。　　The　mother　was　teaching　them　to　fly。

Two　of　them　started　off　all　right；　and　pretty　soon　were　scooting

among　the　treetops。　The　other　was　scared。　　He　says：　'No；　mother；

I　never　did　fly；　and　I'm　scared　I'd　get　killed　if　I　tried。'　At

last　the　mother　got　mad　and　shoved　him　over。　　As　soon　as　he　felt

he　was　gone；　he　spread　out　his　wings　to　save　himself。　　The　wings

were　all　right　enough；　and　long　before　he　struck　the　ground；　he

was　flying。〃







Chapter　61。　Rolf　Learns　Something　from　Van



A　man　can't　handle　his　own　case；　any　more　than　a　delirious　doctor

kin　give　himself　the　right　physic。　Saying　of　Si　Sylvanne。



However　superior　Rolf　might　feel　in　the　canoe　or　the　woods；　there

was　one　place　where　Van　Cortlandt　took　the　lead；　and　that　was　in

the　long　talks　they　had　by　the　campfire　or　in　Van's　own　shanty

which　Quonab　rarely　entered。



The　most　interesting　subjects　treated　in　these　were　ancient

Greece　and　modern　Albany。　Van　Cortlandt　was　a　good　Greek　scholar；

and；　finding　an　intelligent　listener；　he　told　the　stirring　tales

of　royal　Ilion；　Athens；　and　Pergamos；　with　the　loving　enthusiasm

of　one　whom　the　teachers　found　it　easy　to　instruct　in　classic

lore。　And　when　he　recited　or　intoned　the　rolling　Greek　heroics　of

the　siege　of　Troy；　Rolf　listened　with　an　interest　that　was

strange；　considering　that　he　knew　not　a　word　of　it。　But　he　said；

〃It　sounded　like　real　talk；　and　the　tramp　of　men　that　were　all

astir　with　something　big　a…doing。〃



Albany　and　politics；　too；　were　vital　strains；　and　life　at　the

Government　House；　with　the　struggling　rings　and　cabals；　social

and　political。　These　were　extraordinarily　funny　and　whimsical　to

Rolf。　No　doubt　because　Van　Cortlandt　presented　them　that　way。　And

he　more　than　once　wondered　how　rational　humans　co