rolf in the woods-第8章

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a　Christian　boy　should　be　brought　up　by　a　godless　pagan。　　She　worried

over　it　almost　as　much　as　she　did　over　the　heathen　in　Central　Africa；

where　there　are　no　Sunday　schools；　and　clothes　are　as　scarce　as　churches。

Failing　to　move　Parson　Peck　and　Elder　Knapp　in　the　matter；　and　despairing

of　an　early　answer　to　her　personal　prayers；　she　resolved　on　a　bold　move；

〃An'　it　was　only　after　many　a　sleepless；　prayerful　night；〃　namely；　to

carry　the　Bible　into　the　heathen's　stronghold。



Thus　it　was　that　one　bright　morning　in　June　she　might　have　been　seen；

prim　and　proper　　almost　glorified；　she　felt；　as　she　set　her　lips　just

right　in　the　mirror　　making　for　the　Pipestave　Pond；　Bible　in　hand　and

spectacles　clean　wiped；　ready　to　read　appropriate　selections　to　the

unregenerate。



She　was　full　of　the　missionary　spirit　when　she　left　Myanos；　and　partly

full　when　she　reached　the　Orchard　Street　Trail；　but　the　spirit　was

leaking　badly；　and　the　woods　did　appear　so　wild　and　lonely　that　she

wondered　if　women　had　any　right　to　be　missionaries。　　When　she　came

in　sight　of　the　pond；　the　place　seemed　unpleasantly　different　from

Myanos　and　where　was　the　Indian　camp？　　　She　did　not　dare　to　shout；

indeed；　she　began　to　wish　she　were　home　again；　but　the　sense　of　duty

carried　her　fully　fifty　yards　along　the　pond；　and　then　she　came　to　an

impassable　rock；　a　sheer　bank　that　plainly　said；　〃Stop！〃　　Now　she　must

go　back　or　up　the　bank。　　Her　Yankee　pertinacity　said；　〃Try　first　up　the

bank；〃　and　she　began　a　long；　toilsome　ascent；　that　did　not　end　until

she　came　out　on　a　bigh；　open　rock　which；　on　its　farther　side；　had　a

sheer　drop　and　gave　a　view　of　the　village　and　of　the　sea。



Whatever　joy　she　had　on　again　seeing　her　bome　was　speedily　queued　in

the　fearsome　discovery　that　she　was　right　over　the　Indian　camp；　and

the　two　inmates　looked　so　utterly；　dreadfully　savage　that　she　was

thankful　they　had　not　seen　her。　　At　once　she　shrank　back；　but　on

recovering　sufficiently　to　again　peer　down；　she　saw　something　roasting

before　the　fire　　〃a　tiny　arm　with　a　hand　that　bore　five　fmgers；〃　as

she　afterward　said；　and　〃a　sickening　horror　came　over　her。　　〃　Yes；　she

had　heard　of　such　things。　If　she　could　only　get　home　in　safety！　　Why

had　she　tempted　Providence　thus？　　She　backed　softly　and　prayed　only　to

escape。　　What；　and　never　even　deliver　the　Bible？　〃It　would　be　wicked

to　return　with　it！〃　　In　a　cleft　of　the　rock　she　placed　it；　and　then；

to　prevent　the　wind　blowing　off　loose　leaves；　she　placed　a　stone　on

top；　and　fled　from　the　dreadful　place。



That　night；　when　Quonab　and　Rolf　had　finished　their　meal　of　corn　and

roasted　coon；　the　old　man　climbed　the　rock　to　look　at　the　sky。　　The

book　caught　his　eye　at　once；　evidently　hidden　there　carefully；　and

therefore　in　cache。　A　cache　is　a　sacred　thing　to　an　Indian。　　He　disturbed

it　not；　but　later　asked　Rolf；　〃That　yours？〃



〃No。〃



It　was　doubtless　the　property　of　some　one　who　meant　to　return　for　it；

so　they　left　it　untouched。　　It　rested　there　for　many　months；　till　the

winter　storms　came　down；　dismantling　the　covers；　dissolving　the　pages；

but　leaving　such　traces　as；　in　the　long　afterward；　served　to　identify

the　book　and　give　the　rock　the　other　name；　the　one　it　bears　to…day　…

〃Bible　Rock；　where　Quonab；　the　son　of　Cos　Cob；　used　to　live。〃







Chapter　11。　The　Thunder…storm　and　the　Fire　Sticks



When　first　Rolf　noticed　the　wigwam's　place；　he　wondered　that

Quonab　had　not　set　it　somewhere　facing　the　lake；　but　he　soon

learned　that　it　is　best　to　have　the　morning　sun；　the　afternoon

shade；　and　shelter　from　the　north　and　west　winds。



The　first　two　points　were　illustrated　nearly　every　day；　but　it

was　two　weeks　before　the　last　was　made　clear。



That　day　the　sun　came　up　in　a　red　sky；　but　soon　was　lost　to　view

in　a　heavy　cloud…bank。　　There　was　no　wind；　and；　as　the　morning

passed；　the　day　grew　hotter　and　closer。　　Quonab　prepared　for　a

storm；　but　it　came　with　unexpected　force；　and　a　gale　of　wind　from

the　northwest　that　would　indeed　have　wrecked　the　lodge；　but　for

the　great　sheltering　rock。　　Under　its　lea　there　was　hardy　a

breeze；　but　not　fifty　yards　away　were　two　trees　that　rubbed

together；　and　in　the　storm　they　rasped　so　violently　that　fine

shreds　of　smoking　wood　were　dropped　and；　but　for　the　rain；　would

surely　have　made　a　blaze。　The　thunder　was　loud　and　lasted　long；

and　the　water　poured　down　in　torrents。　　They　were　ready　for　rain；

but　not　for　the　flood　that　rushed　over　the　face　of　the　cliff　；

soaking　everything　in　the　lodge　except　the　beds；　which；　being

four　inches　off　the　ground；　were　safe；　and　lying　on　them　the　two

campers　waited　patiently；　or　impatiently；　while　the　weather　raged

for　two　drenching　hours。　　And　then　the　pouring　became　a

pattering；　the　roaring；　a　swishing；　the　storm；　a　shower　which

died　away；　leaving　changing　patches　of　blue　in　the　lumpy　sky；　and

all　nature　calm　and　pleased；　but　oh；　so　wet！　　Of　course　the　fire

was　out　in　the　lodge　and　nearly　all　the　wood　was　wet。　　Now　Quonab

drew　from　a　small　cave　some　dry　cedar　and　got　down　his　tinder…box

with　flint　and　steel　to　light　up；　but　a　serious　difficulty

appeared　at　once　　the　tinder　was　wet　and　useless。



These　were　the　days　before　matches　were　invented。　Every　one　counted

on　flint　and　steel　for　their　fire；　but　the　tinder　was　an　essential；

and　now　a　fire　seemed　hopeless；　at　least　Rolf　thought　so。



〃Nana　Bojou　was　dancing　that　time；〃　said　the　Indian。



〃Did　you　see　him　make　fire　with　those　two　rubbing　trees？　So　he

taught　our　fathers；　and　so　make　we　fire　when　the　tricks　of　the

white　man　fail　us。〃



Quonab　now　cut　two　pieces　of　dry　cedar；　one　three　fourths　of　an

inch　thick　and　eighteen　inches　long；　round；　and　pointed　at　both

ends；　the　other　five　eighths　of　an　inch　thick　and　flat。　　In　the

flat　one　he　cut　a　notch　and　at　the　end　of　the　notch　a　little　pit。

Next　he　made　a　bow　of　a　stiff；　curved　stick；　and　a　buckskin

thong：　a　small　pine　knot　was　selected　and　a　little　pit　made　in　it

with　the　point　of　a　knife。　　These　were　the　fare…making　sticks；

but　it　was　necessary　to　prepare　the　firewood；　lay　the　fire；　and

make　some　fibre　for　tinder。　　A　lot　of　fine　cedar　shavings；

pounded　up　with　cedar　bark　and　rolled　into　a　two…inch　ball；　made

good　tinder；　and　all　was　ready。　　Quonab　put　the　bow　thong　once

around　the　long　stick；　then　held　its　point　in　the　pit　of　the　flat

stick；　and　the　pine　knot　on　the。　top　to　steady　it。　　Now　he　drew

the　bow　back　and　forth；　slowly；　steadily；　till　the　long　stick　or

drill　revolving　ground　smoking　black　dust　out　of　the　notch。　　Then

faster；　until　the　smoke　was　very　strong　and　the　powder　filled　the

notch。　　Then　he　lifted　the　flat　stick；　fanning　the　powder　with

his　hands　till　a　glowing　coal　appeared。　　Over　this　he　put　the

cedar　tinder　and　blew　gently；　till　it　flamed；　and　soon　the　wigwam

was　aglow。



The　whole　time　taken；　from　lifting　the　sticks　to　the　blazing

fire；　was　less　than　one　minute。



This　is　the　ancient　way　of　the　Indian；　Rolf　had　often　heard　of　it

as　a　sort　of　semi…myth；　never　before　had　he　seen　it；　and　so　far

as　he　could　learn　from　the　books；　it　took　an　hour　or　two　of　hard

work；　not　a　few　deft　touches　and　a　few　seconds　of　time。



He　soon　learned　to　do　it　himself；　and　in　the　years　which

followed；　he　had　the　curious　experience　of　showing　it　to　many

Indians　who　had　forgotten　how；　thanks　to　the　greater　portability

of　the　white　man's　flint　and　steel。



As　they　walked　in　the　woods　that　day；　they　saw　three　trees　that

had　been　struck　by　lightning　during　the　recent　storm；　all　three

were　oaks。　　Then　it　occurred　to　Rolf　that　he　had　never　seen　any

but　an　oak　struck　by　lightning。



〃Is　it　so；　Quonab？〃



〃No；　there　are　many　others；　the　lightning　strikes　the　oaks　most

of　all；　but　it　will　strike　the　pine；　the　ash；　the　hemlock；　the

basswood；　and　many　more。　　Only　two　trees　have　I　never　seen

struck；　the　balsam　and　the　birch。〃



〃Why　do　they　escape？〃



〃My　father　told　me　when　I　was　a　little　boy　it　w