rolf in the woods-第52章

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〃I　can't　see　him。〃



For　five　minutes　Rolf　tried　in　vain　to　make　his　friend　see　that

statuesque　form；　for　five　minutes　it　never　moved。　Then；　sensing

danger；　the　buck　gave　a　bound　and　was　lost　to　view。



It　was　disheartening。　Rolf　sat　down；　nearly　disgusted；　then　one

of　Sylvanne's　remarks　came　to　him：　〃It　don't　prove　any　one　a

fool；　coz　he　can't　play　your　game。〃



Presently　Rolf　said；　〃Van；　hev　ye　a　book　with　ye？〃



〃Yes；　I　have　my　Virgil。〃



〃Read　me　the　first　page。〃



Van　read　it；　holding　the　book　six　inches　from　his　nose。



〃Let's　see　ye　read　this　page　there；〃　and　Rolf　held　it　up　four

feet　away。



〃I　can't；　it's　nothing　but　a　dim　white　spot。〃



〃Well；　can　ye　see　that　loon　out　there？〃



〃You　mean　that　long；　dark　thing　in　the　bay？　〃



〃No；　that's　a　pine　log　close　to；〃　said　Rolf；　with　a　laugh；　〃away

out　half　a　mile。〃



〃No；　I　can't　see　anything　but　shimmers。〃



〃I　thought　so。　It's　no　use　your　trying　to　shoot　deer　till　ye　get

a　pair　of　specs　to　fit　yer　eyes。　You　have　brains　enough；　but　you

haven't　got　the　eyesight　of　a　hunter。　You　stay　here　till　I　go　see

if　I　have　any　luck。〃



Rolf　melted　into　the　woods。　In　twenty　minutes　Van　heard　a　shot

and　very　soon　Rolf　reappeared；　carrying　a　two…year…　old　buck；　and

they　returned　to　their　camp　by　nightfall。　Quonab　glanced　at　their

faces　as　they　passed　carrying　the　little　buck。　They　tried　to　look

inscrutable。　But　the　Indian　was　not　deceived。　He　gave　out　nothing

but　a　sizzling　〃　Humph！〃







Chapter　63。　The　Redemption　of　Van



WHEN　things　is　looking　black　as　black　can　be；　it's　a　sure　sign　of

luck　coming　your　way。〃　so　said　Si　Sylvanne；　and　so　it　proved　to

Van　Cortlandt　The　Moon　of　the　Falling　Leaves　was　waning；　October

was　nearly　over；　the　day　of　his　return　to　Albany　was　near；　as　he

was　to　go　out　in　time　for　the　hunters　to　return　in　open　water。　He

was　wonderfully　improved　in　strength　and　looks。　His　face　was

brown　and　ruddy。　He　had　abandoned　all　drugs；　and　had　gained　fully

twenty　pounds　in　weight。　He　had　learned　to　make　a　fire；　paddle　a

canoe；　and　go　through　the　woods　in　semi…silence。　His　scholarly

talk　had　given　him　large　place　in　Rolf's　esteem；　and　his　sweet

singing　had　furnished　a　tiny　little　shelf　for　a　modicum　of

Quonab's　respect。　But　his　attempts　to　get　a　deer　were　failures。

〃You　come　back　next　year　with　proper；　farsight　glasses　and　you'll

all　right；〃　said　Rolf；　and　that　seemed　the　one　ray　of　hope。



The　three　days'　storm　had　thrown　so　many　trees　that　the　hunters

decided　it　would　be　worth　while　making　a　fast　trip　down　to

Eagle's　Nest；　to　cut　such　timber　as　might　have　fallen　across　the

stream；　and　so　make　an　easy　way　for　when　they　should　have　less　time。



The　surmise　was　quite　right。　Much　new…fallen　timber　was　now

across　the　channel。　They　chopped　over　twenty…five　trunks　before

they　reached　Eagle's　Nest　at　noon；　and；　leaving　the　river　in

better　shape　than　ever　it　was；　they　turned；　for　the　swift；

straight；　silent　run　of　ten　miles　home。



As　they　rounded　the　last　point；　a　huge　black　form　in　the　water

loomed　to　view。　Skookum's　bristles　rose。　Quonab　whispered；　〃

Moose！　Shoot　quick！〃　　Van　was　the　only　one　with　a　gun。　The　great

black　beast　stood　for　a　moment；　gazing　at　them　with　wide…open

eyes；　ears；　and　nostrils；　then　shook　his　broad　horns；　wheeled；

and　dashed　for　the　shore。　Van　fired　and　the　bull　went　down　with　a

mighty　splash　among　the　lilies。　Rolf　and　Skookum　let　off　a

succession　of　most　unhunterlike　yells　of　triumph。　But　the　giant

sprang　up　again　and　reached　the　shore；　only　to　fall　to　Van

Cortlandt's　second　barrel。　Yet　the　stop　was　momentary；　he　rose

and　dashed　into　the　cover。　Quonab　turned　the　canoe　at　once　and

made　for　the　land。



A　great　sob　came　from　the　bushes；　then　others　at　intervals。

Quonab　showed　his　teeth　and　pointed。　Rolf　seized　his　rifle；

Skookum　sprang　from　the　boat；　and　a　little　later　was　heard

letting　off　his　war…cry　in　the　bushes　not　far　away。



The　men　rushed　forward；　guns　in　hand；　but　Quonab　called；　〃Look

out！　Maybe　he　waiting。〃



〃If　he　is；　he'll　likely　get　one　of　us。〃　said　Rolf；　with　a　light

laugh；　for　he　had　some　hearsay　knowledge　of　moose。



Covered　each　by　a　tree；　they　waited　till　Van　had　reloaded　his

double…barrelled；　then　cautiously　approached。　The　great　frothing

sobs　had　resounded　from　time　to　time。



Skookum's　voice　also　was　heard　in　the　thicket；　and　when　they

neared　and　glimpsed　the　place；　it　was　to　see　the　monster　on　the

ground；　lying　at　full　length；　dinging　up　his　head　at　times　when

he　uttered　that　horrid　sound　of　pain。



The　Indian　sent　a　bullet　through　the　moose's　brain；　then　all　was

still；　the　tragedy　was　over。



But　now　their　attention　was　turned　to　Van　Cortlandt。　He　reeled；

staggered；　his　knees　trembled；　his　face　turned　white；　and；　to

save　himself　from　falling；　he　sank　onto　a　log。　Here　he　covered

his　face　with　his　hands；　his　feet　beat　the　ground；　and　his

shoulders　heaved　up　and　down。



The　others　said　nothing。　They　knew　by　the　signs　and　the　sounds

that　it　was　only　through　a　mighty　effort　that　young　Van

Cortlandt；　grown　man　as　he　was；　could　keep　himself　from

hysterical　sobs　and　tears。



Not　then；　but　the　next　day　it　was　that　Quonab　said：　〃It　comes　to

some　after　they　kill；　to　some　before；　as　it　came　to　you；　Rolf；　to

me　it　came　the　day　I　killed　my　first　chipmunk；　that　time　when　I

stole　my　father's　medicine。〃



They　had　ample　work　for　several　hours　now；　to　skin　the　game　and

save　the　meat。　It　was　fortunate　they　were　so　near　home。　A

marvellous　change　there　was　in　the　atmosphere　of　the　camp。　Twice

Quonab　spoke　to　Van　Cortlandt；　as　the　latter　laboured　with　them

to　save　and　store　the　meat　of　his　moose。　He　was　rubbed；　doped；

soiled；　and　anointed　with　its　flesh；　hair；　and　blood；　and　that

night；　as　they　sat　by　their　camp　fire；　Skookum　arose；　stretched；

yawned；　walked　around　deliberately；　put　his　nose　in　the　lawyer's

hand。　gave　it　a　lick；　then　lay　down　by　his　feet。　Van　Cortlandt

glanced　at　Rolf；　a　merry　twinkle　was　in　the　eyes　of　both。　〃It's

all　right。　You　can　pat　Skookum　now；　without　risk　of　being

crippled。　He's　sized　you　up。　You　are　one　of　us　at　last；〃　and

Quonab　looked　on　with　two　long　ivory　rows　a…gleaming　in　his

smile。







Chapter　64。　Dinner　at　the　Governor's



Was　ever　there　a　brighter　blazing　sunrise　after　such　a　night　of

gloom？　Not　only　a　deer；　but　the　biggest　of　all　deer；　and　Van

himself　the　only　one　of　the　party　that　had　ever　killed　a　moose。

The　skin　was　removed　and　afterward　made　into　a　hunting　coat　for

the　victor。　The　head　and　horns　were　carefully　preserved　to　be

carried　back　to　Albany；　where　they　were　mounted　and　still　hang　in

the　hall　of　a　later　generation　of　the　name。　The　final　days　at　the

camp　were　days　of　happy　feeling；　they　passed　too　soon；　and　the

long…legged　lawyer；　bronzed　and　healthy　looking；　took　his　place

in　their　canoe　for　the　flying　trip　to　Albany。　With　an　empty　canoe

and　three　paddles　（two　and　one　half；　Van　said）；　they　flew　down

the　open　stretch　of　Jesup's　River　in　something　over　two　hours　and

camped　that　night　fully　thirty…five　miles　from　their　cabin。　The

next　day　they　nearly　reached　the　Schroon　and　in　a　week　they

rounded　the　great　bend；　and　Albany　hove　in　view。



How　Van's　heart　did　beat！　How　he　did　exult　to　come　in　triumph

home；　reestablished　in　health　and　strengthened　in　every　way。

They　were　sighted　and　recognized。　Messengers　were　seen　running；

a　heavy　gun　was　fired；　the　flag　run　up　on　the　Capitol；　bells　set

a…ringing；　many　people　came　running；　and　more　flags　ran　up　on　vessels。



A　great　crowd　gathered　by　the　dock。



〃There's　father；　and　mother　too！〃　shouted　Van；　waving　his　hat。



〃Hurrah；〃　and　the　crowd　took　it　up；　while　the　bells　went　jingle；

jangle；　and　Skookum　in　the　bow　sent　back　his　best　in　answer。



The　canoe　was　dragged　ashore。　Van　seized　his　mother　in　his　arms；

as　she　cried：　〃My　boy；　my　boy；　my　darling　boy！　how　well　you　look。

Oh；　why　didn't　you　write？