rolf in the woods-第73章

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dat　farm　next　ours　purty　good；　but　Rolf　he　say　'No　Lake　George　no

good。'　Better　he　like　all　his　folk　move　over　on　dat　Hudson。〃





Chapter　86。　The　New　Era　of　Prosperity



As　November　neared　and　his　leave　of　absence　ended；　Rolf　was　himself

again；　had　been；　indeed；　for　two　weeks；　and；　swinging　fork　or　axe；

he　had　helped　with　many　an　urgent　job　on　the　farm。



A　fine　log　stable　they　had　rolled　up　together；　with　corners

dovetailed　like　cabinet　work；　and　roof　of　birch　bark　breadths

above　the　hay。



But　there　was　another　building；　too；　that　Rolf　had　worked　at　night

and　day。　It　was　no　frontier　shack；　but　a　tall　and　towering　castle；

splendid　and　roomy；　filled　with　loved　ones　and　love。　Not　by　the

lake　near　by；　not　by　the　river　of　his　choice；　but　higher　up　than

the　tops　of　the　high　mountains　it　loomed；　and　he　built　and　built

until　the　month　was　nearly　gone。　Then　only　did　he　venture　to　ask

for　aid；　and　Annette　it　was　who　promised　to　help　him　finish　the

building。



Yes；　the　Lake　George　shore　was　a　land　of　hungry　farms。　It　was　off

the　line　of　travel；　too。　It　was　neither　Champlain　nor　Hudson；　and

Hendrik；　after　ten　years'　toil　with　barely　a　living　to　show；　was

easily　convinced。　Next　summer　they　must　make　a　new　choice　of　home。

But　now　it　was　back　to　Plattsburg。



On　November　1st　Rolf　and　Quonab　reported　to　General　Macomb。　There

was　little　doing　but　preparations　for　the　winter。　There　were　no

prospects　of　further　trouble　from　their　neighbours　in　the　north。　Most

of　the　militia　were　already　disbanded；　and　the　two　returned　to

Plattsburg；　only　to　receive　their　honourable　discharge；　to　be

presented　each　with　the　medal　of　war；　with　an　extra　clasp　on　Rolf's

for　that　dauntless　dash　that　spiked　the　British　guns。



Wicked　war　with　its　wickedness　was　done　at　last。　〃The　greatest　evil

that　can　befall　a　country；〃　some　call　it；　and　yet　out　of　this　end

came　three　great　goods：　The　interstate　distrust　had　died　away；　for

now　they　were　soldiers　who　had　camped　together；　who　had　〃drunk　from

the　same　canteen〃；　little　Canada；　until　then　a　thing　of　shreds　and

scraps；　had　been　fused　in　the　furnace；　welded　into　a　young　nation；

already　capable　of　defending　her　own。　England；　arrogant　with　long

success　at　sea；　was　taught　a　lesson　of　courtesy　and　justice；　for

now　the　foe　whom　she　had　despised　and　insulted　had　shown　himself

her　equal；　a　king　of　the　sea…king　stock。　The　unnecessary　battle

of　New　Orleans；　fought　two　weeks　after　the　war　was　officially　closed；

showed　that　the　raw　riflemen　of　Tennessee　were　more　than　a　match　for

the　seasoned　veterans　who　had　overcome　the　great　Napoleon；　and　thus

on　land　redeemed　the　Stars　and　Stripes。



The　war　brought　unmeasured　material　loss　on　all　concerned；　but　some

weighty　lasting　gains　to　two　at　least。　On　December　24；　1814；　the

Treaty　of　Ghent　was　signed　and　the　long　rides　were　hung　up　on　the

cabin　walls。　Nothing　was　said　in　the　treaty　about　the　cause　of　war　

the　right　of　search。　Why　should　they　speak　of　it？　If　a　big　boy　bullies

a　smaller　one　and　gets　an　unexpected　knockdown　blow；　it　is　not

necessary　to　have　it　all　set　forth　in　terms　before　they　shake　hands

that　〃I；　John；　of　the　first　part；　to　wit；　the　bully；　do　hereby

agree；　promise；　and　contract　to　refrain　in　future　forevermore　from

bullying　you；　Jonathan；　of　the　second　part；　to　wit；　the　bullied。

〃That　point　had　already　been　settled　by　the　logic　of　events。　The

right　of　search　was　dead　before　the　peace　was　born；　and　the　very

place　of　its　bones　is　forgotten　to…day。



Rolf　with　Quonab　returned　to　the　trapping　that　winter；　and　as　soon

as　the　springtime　came　and　seeding　was　over；　he　and　Van　Trumper

made　their　choice　of　farms。　Every　dollar　they　could　raise　was

invested　in　the　beautiful　sloping　lands　of　the　upper　Hudson。　Rolf

urged　the　largest　possible　purchase　now。　Hendrick　looked　somewhat

aghast　at　such　a　bridge…burning　move。　But　a　purchaser　for　his

farm　was　found　with　unexpected　promptness；　one　who　was　not　on

farming　bent　and　the　way　kept　opening　up。



The　wedding　did　not　take　place　till　another　year；　when　Annette　was

nineteen　and　Rolf　twenty…one。　And　the　home　they　moved　to　was　not

exactly　a　castle；　but　much　more　complete　and　human。



This　was　the　beginning　of　a　new　settlement。　Given　good　land　in　plenty；

and　all　the　rest　is　easy；　neighbours　came　in　increasing　numbers；　every

claim　was　taken　up；　Rolf　and　Hendrik　saw　themselves　growing　rich；　and

at　length　the　latter　was　thankful　for　the　policy　that　he　once　thought

so　rash；　of　securing　all　the　land　he　could。　Now　it　was　his　making；　for

in　later　years　his　grown…up　sons　were　thus　provided　for；　and　kept　at　home。



The　falls　of　the　river　offered；　as　Rolf　had　foreseen；　a　noble　chance

for　power。　　Very　early　he　had　started　a　store　and　traded　for　fur。　Now；

with　the　careful　savings；　he　was　able　to　build　his　sawmill；　and　about

it　grew　a　village　with　a　post…　office　that　had　Rolf's　name　on　the

signboard。



Quonab　had　come；　of　course；　with　Rolf；　but　he　shunned　the　house；　and

the　more　so　as　it　grew　in　size。　In　a　remote　and　sheltered　place　he

built　a　wigwam　of　his　own。



Skookum　was　divided　in　his　allegiance；　but　he　solved　the　puzzle　by

dividing　his　time　between　them。　He　did　not　change　much；　but　he　did

rise　in　a　measure　to　the　fundamental　zoological　fact　that　hens　are

not　partridges；　and　so　acquired　a　haughty　toleration　of　the　cackle…

party　throng　that　assembled　in　the　morning　at　Annette's　call。　　Yes；

he　made　even　another　step　of　progress；　for　on　one　occasion　he　valiantly

routed　the　unenlightened　dog　of　a　neighbour；　a　〃cur　of　low　degree；

〃whose　ideas　of　ornithology　were　as　crude　as　his　own　had　been　in　the

beginning。



All　of　which　was　greatly　to　his　credit；　for　he　found　it　hard　to　learn

now；　he　was　no　longer　young；　and　before　he　had　seen　eight　springs

dissolve　the　snow；　he　was　called　to　the　Land　of　Happy　Hunting；　where

the　porcupine　is　not；　but　where　hens　abound　on　every　side；　and　there

is　no　man　near　to　meddle　with　his　joy。



Yet；　when　he　died；　he　lived。　His　memory　was　kept　ever　green；　for

Skookum　Number　2　was　there　to　fill　his　room；　and　he　gave　place　to

Skookum　3；　and　so　they　keep　their　line　on　to　this　very　day。









Quonab　Goes　Home



The　public　has　a　kind　of　crawlin'　common…sense；　that　is　always

right　and　fair　in　the　end；　only　it's　slow　　Sayings　of　Si　Sylvanne



Twenty　years　went　by。　Rolf　grew　and　prospered。　He　was　a　man　of

substance　and　of　family　now；　for　store　and　mill　were　making　money

fast；　and　the　little　tow…tops　came　at　regular　intervals。



And　when　the　years　had　added　ripeness　to　his　thought；　and　the　kind

gods　of　gold　had　filled　his　scrip；　it　was　that　his　ampler　life

began　to　bloom。　His　was　a　mind　of　the　best　begetting；　born　and

bred　of　ancient；　clean…blooded　stock；　inflexibly　principled；

trained　by　a　God…fearing　mother；　nurtured　in　a　cradle　of　adversity；

schooled　in　a　school　of　hardship；　developed　in　the　big　outdoors；

wise　in　the　ways　of　the　woods；　burnt　in　the　fire　of　affliction；

forced　into　self…　reliance；　inspired　with　the　lofty　inspiration

of　sacrificial　patriotism　　the　good　stuff　of　his　make…up　shone；

as　shines　the　gold　in　the　fervent　heat；　the　hard　blows　that　prove

or　crush；　had　proved；　the　metal　had　rung　true；　and　in　the　great

valley；　Rolf　Kittering　was　a　man　of　mark。



The　country's　need　of　such　is　ever　present　and　ever　seeking。　Those

in　power　who　know　and　measure　men　soon　sought　him　out；　and　their

messenger　was　the　grisly　old　Si　Sylvanne。



Because　he　was　a　busy　man；　Rolf　feared　to　add　to　his　activities。

Because　he　was　a　very　busy　man；　the　party　new　they　needed　him。

So　at　length　it　was　settled；　and　in　a　little　while；　Rolf　stood

in　the　Halls　of　Albany　and　grasped　the　hand　of　the　ancient

mill…man　as　a　colleague；　filling　an　honoured　place　in　the

councils　of　the　state。



Each　change　brought　him　new　activities。　Each　year　he　was　more

of　a　public　man；　and　his　life　grew　larger。　From　Albany　he　went

to　New　York；　in　the　world　of　b