rolf in the woods-第56章

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had　come　now　to　offer　all　his　furs　for　sale。



Quonab　shook　his　head；　but　Rolf　said；　〃We'll　come　over　and　see

them。〃



A　two…hours'　tramp　in　the　morning　brought　them　to　the　Frenchman's

cabin。　He　opened　out　his　furs；　several　otter；　many　sable；　some

lynx；　over　thirty　beaver　　the　whole　lot　for　two　hundred

dollars。　At　Lyons　Falls　they　were　worth　double　that。



Rolf　saw　a　chance　for　a　bargain。　He　whispered；　〃We　can　double　our

money　on　it；　Quonab。　What　do　ye　say？〃



The　reply　was　simply；　〃Ugh！　you　are　Nibowaka。〃



〃We'll　take　your　offer；　if　we　can　fix　it　up　about　payment；　for　I

have　no　money　with　me　and　barely　two　hundred　dollars　at　the

cabin。〃



〃You　half　tabac　and　grosairs？　〃



〃Yes；　plenty。〃



〃You　can　go　'get　'em　？　Si？〃



Rolf　paused；　looked　down；　then　straight　at　the　Frenchman。



〃Will　you　trust　me　to　take　half　the　fur　now；　when　I　come　back

with　the　pay　I　can　get　the　rest。〃



The　Frenchman　looked　puzzled；　then；　〃By　Gar　you　look　de　good

look。　I　let　um　go。　I　tink　you　pretty　good　fellow；　parbleu！〃



So　Rolf　marched　away　with　half　the　furs　and　four　days　later　he

was　back　and　paid　the　pale…faced　but　happy　Frenchman　the　one

hundred　and　fifty　dollars　he　had　received　from　Van　Cortlandt；

with　other　bills　making　one　hundred　and　ninety…five　dollars　and

with　groceries　and　tobacco　enough　to　satisfy　the　trapper。　The

Frenchman　proved　a　most　amiable　character。　He　and　Rolf　took　to

each　other　greatly；　and　when　they　shook　hands　at　parting；　it　was

in　the　hope　of　an　early　and　happier　meeting。



Francois　la　Colle　turned　bravely　for　the　ninety…mile　tramp　over

the　snow　to　his　home；　while　Rolf　went　south　with　the　furs　that

were　to　prove　a　most　profitable　investment；　shaping　his　life　in

several　ways；　and　indirectly　indeed　of　saving　it　on　one　occasion。







Chapter　68。　War



Eighteen　hundred　and　twelve　had　passed　away。　President　Madison；

driven　by　wrongs　to　his　countrymen　and　indignities　that　no　nation

should　meekly　accept；　had　in　the　midsummer　declared　war　on　Great

Britain。　Unfitted　to　cope　with　the　situation　and　surrounded　by

unfit　counsellors；　his　little　army　of　heroic　men　led　by　unfit

commanders　had　suffered　one　reverse　after　another。



The　loss　of　Fort　Mackinaw；　Chicago；　Detroit；　Brownstown；　and　the

total　destruction　of　the　American　army　that　attacked　Queenstown

were　but　poorly　offset　by　the　victory　at　Niagara　and　the

successful　defence　of　Ogdensburg。



Rolf　and　Quonab　had　repaired　to　Albany　as　arranged；　but　they　left

it　as　United　States　scouts；　not　as　guides　to　the　four　young

sportsmen　who　wished　to　hark　back　to　the　primitive。



Their　first　commission　had　been　the　bearing　of　despatches　to

Plattsburg。



With　a　selected　light　canoe　and　a　minimum　of　baggage　they　reached

Ticonderoga　in　two　days；　and　there　renewed　their　acquaintance

with　General　Hampton；　who　was　fussing　about；　and　digging　useless

entrenchments　as　though　he　expected　a　mighty　siege。　Rolf　was

called　before　him　to　receive　other　despatches　for　Colonel　Pike　at

Plattsburg。　He　got　the　papers　and　learned　their　destination；　then

immediately　made　a　sad　mistake。　〃　Excuse　me；　sir；〃　he　began；　〃if

I　meet　with　　〃



〃Young　man；〃　said　the　general；　severely；　〃I　don't　want　any　of

your　'ifs'　or　'buts'；　your　orders　are　'go。'　'How'　and　'if'　are

matters　for　you　to　find　out；　that's　what　you　are　paid　for。〃



Rolf　bowed；　his　cheeks　were　tingling。　He　was　very　angry　at　what

he　thought　a　most　uncalled　for　rebuke；　but　he　got　over　it；　and　he

never　forgot　the　lesson。　It　was　Si　Sylvanne　that　put　it　into

rememberable　form。



〃A　fool　horse　kin　follow　a　turnpike；　but　it　takes　a　man　with　wits

to　climb；　swim；　boat；　skate；　run；　hide；　go　it　blind；　pick　a　lock；

take　the　long　way；　round；　when　it's　the　short　way　across；　run

away　at　the　right　time；　or　fight　when　it's　wise　　all　in　one

afternoon。〃　Rolf　set　out　for　the　north　carrying　a　bombastic

（meant　to　be　reassuring）　message　from　Hampton　that　he　would

annihilate　any　enemy　who　dared　to　desecrate　the　waters　of　the　lake。



It　was　on　this　trip　that　Rolf　learned　from　Quonab　the　details　of

the　latter's　visit　to　his　people　on　the　St。　Regis。　Apparently　the

joy　of　meeting　a　few　of　his　own　kin；　with　whom　he　could　talk　his

own　language；　was　offset　by　meeting　with　a　large　number　of　his

ancient　enemies　the　Mohawks。　There　had　been　much　discussion　of

the　possible　war　between　the　British　and　the　Yankees。　The　Mohawks

announced　their　intention　to　fight　for　the　British；　which　was　a

sufficient　reason　for　Quonab　as　a　Sinawa　remaining　with　the

Americans；　and　when　he　left　the　St。　Regis　reserve　the　Indian　was

without　any　desire　to　reenter　it。



At　Plattsburg　Rolf　and　Quonab　met　with　another　Albany

acquaintance　in　General　Wilkinson；　and　from　him　received

despatches　which　they　brought　back　to　Albany；　having　covered　the

whole　distance　in　eight　days。



When　1812　was　gone　Rolf　had　done　little　but　carry　despatches　up

and　down　Lake　Champlain。　Next　season　found　the　Americans　still

under　command　of　Generals　Wilkinson　and　Hampton；　whose　utter

incompetence　was　becoming　daily　more　evident。



The　year　1813　saw　Rolf；　eighteen　years　old　and　six　feet　one　in

his　socks；　a　trained　scout　and　despatch　bearer。



By　a　flying　trip　on　snowshoes　in　January　he　took　letters；　from

General　Hampton　at　Ticonderoga　to　Sackett's　Harbour　and　back　in

eight　days；　nearly　three　hundred　miles。　It　made　him　famous　as　a

runner；　but　the　tidings　that　he　brought　were　sad。　Through　him

they　learned　in　detail　of　the　total　defeat　and　capture　of　the

American　army　at　Frenchtown。　After　a　brief　rest　he　was　sent

across　country　on　snowshoes　to　bear　a　reassuring　message　to

Ogdensburg。　The　weather　was　much　colder　now；　and　the　single

blanket　bed　was　dangerously　slight；　so　〃Flying　Kittering；〃　as

they　named　him；　took　a　toboggan　and　secured　Quonab　as　his　running

mate。　Skookum　was　given　into　safe　keeping。　Blankets；　pots；　cups；

food；　guns；　and　despatches　were　strapped　on　the　toboggan；　and

they　sped　away　at　dawn　from　Ticonderoga　on　the　I8th　of　February

1813；　headed　northwestward；　guided　by　little　but　the　compass。

Thirty　miles　that　day　they　made　in　spite　of　piercing　blasts　and

driving　snow。　But　with　the　night　there　began　a　terrible　storm

with　winds　of　zero　chill。　The　air　was　filled　with　stinging；

cutting　snow。　When　they　rose　at　daylight　they　were　nearly　buried

in　drifts；　although　their　camp　was　in　a　dense；　sheltered　thicket。

Guided　wholly　by　the　compass　they　travelled　again；　but　blinded　by

the　whirling　white　they　stumbled　and　blundered　into　endless

difficulties　and　made　but　poor　headway。　After　dragging　the

toboggan　for　three　hours；　taking　turns　at　breaking　the　way；　they

were　changing　places　when　Rolf　noticed　a　large　gray　patch　on

Quonab's　cheek　and　nose。



〃Quonab；　your　face　is　frozen；〃　he　said。



〃So　is　yours；〃　was　the　reply。



Now　they　turned　aside；　followed　a　hollow　until　they　reached　a

spruce　grove；　where　they　camped　and　took　an　observation；　to　learn

that　the　compass　and　they　held　widely　different　views　about　the

direction　of　travel。　It　was　obviously　useless　to　face　the　storm。

They　rubbed　out　their　frozen　features　with　dry　snow　and　rested　by

the　fire。



No　good　scout　seeks　for　hardship；　he　avoids　the　unnecessary　trial

of　strength　and　saves　himself　for　the　unavoidable。　With　zero

weather　about　them　and　twenty…four　hours　to　wait　in　the　storm；

the　scouts　set　about　making　themselves　thoroughly　comfortable。



With　their　snowshoes　they　dug　away　the　snow　in　a　circle　a　dozen

feet　across；　piling　it　up　on　the　outside　so　as　to　make　that　as

high　as　possible。　When　they　were



down　to　the　ground；　the　wall　of　snow　around　them　was　five　feet

high。　Now　they　went　forth　with　the　hatchets；　cut　many　small

spruces；　and　piled　them　against　the　living　spruces　about　the　camp

till　there　was　a　dense　mass　of　evergreen　foliage　ten　feet　high

around　them；　open　only　at　the　top；　where　was　a　space　five　feet

across。　With　abundance　of　dry