eben holden-第4章

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Then　we　spread　the　oilcloth　and　lay　down　for　another　sleep。　We　could　see　the　glow　of　the　setting　sun　through　the　tree…tops　when　we　woke；　and　began　our　packing。

'We'll　hev　t'　hurry；'　said　Uncle　Eb；　'er　we'll　never　git　out　o'　the　woods　t'night　'S　'bout　six　mile　er　more　t'　Paradise　Road；　es　I　mek　it。　Come；　yer　slower　'n　a　toad　in　a　tar　barrel。'

We　hurried　off　on　the　trail　and　I　remember　Fred　looked　very　crestfallen　withtwo　big　packages　tied　to　his　collar。　He　delayed　a　bit　by　trying　to　shake　them　off；　but　Uncle　Eb　gave　him　a　sharp　word　or　two　and　then　he　walked　along　very　thoughtfully。　Uncle　Eb　was　a　little　out　of　patience　that　evening；　and　I　thought　he　bore　down　too　harshly　in　his　rebuke　of　the　old　dog。

'You　shif'less　cuss；'　he　said　to　him；　'ye'd　jes'　dew　nothin'　but　chase　squirrels　an'　let　me　break　my　back　t'　carry　yer　dinner。'

It　was　glooming　fast　in　the　thick　timber；　and　Uncle　Eb　almost　ran　with　me　while　the　way　was　plain。　The　last　ringing　note　of　the　wood　thrush　had　died　away　and　in　a　little　while　it　was　so　dark　I　could　distinguish　nothing　but　the　looming　mass　of　tree　tranks。

He　stopped　suddenly　and　strained　his　eyes　in　the　dark。　Then　he　whistled　a　sharp；　sliding　note；　and　the　sound　of　it　gave　me　some　hint　of　his　trouble。

'Git　down；　Willie；'　said　he；　'an'　tek　my　hand。　I'm　'fraid　we're　lost　here　'n　the　big　woods。'

We　groped　about　for　a　minute；　trying　to　find　the　trail。

'No　use；'　he　said　presently；　'we'll　hev　t'　stop　right　here。　Oughter　known　berter　'n　t'　come　through　s'　near　sundown。　Guess　it　was　more　'n　anybody　could　do。'

He　built　a　fire　and　began　to　lay　out　a　supper　for　us　then；　while　Fred　sat　down　by　me　to　be　relieved　of　his　bundles。　Our　supper　was　rather　dry；　for　we　had　no　water；　but　it　was　only　two　hours　since　we　left　the　spring；　so　we　were　not　suffering　yet　Uncle　Eb　took　out　of　the　fire　a　burning　brand　of　pine　and　went　away　into　the　gloomy　woods；　holding　it　above　his　head；　while　Fred　and　I　sat　by　the　fire。

''S　lucky　we　didn't　go　no　further；'　he　said；　as　he　came　in　after　a　few　…minutes。　'There's　a　big　prec'pice　over　yender。　Dunno　how　deep　't　is。　Guess　we'd　a　found　out　purty　soon。'

He　cut　some　boughs　of　hemlock；　growing　near　us；　and　spread　them　in　a　little　hollow。　That　done；　we　covered　them　with　the　oilcloth；　and　sat　down　comfortably　by　the　fire。　Uncle　Eb　had　a　serious　look　and　was　not　inclined　to　talk　or　story　telling。　Before　turning　in　he　asked　me　to　kneel　and　say　my　prayer　as　I　had　done　every　evening　at　the　feet　of　my　mother。　I　remember；　clearly；　kneeling　before　my　old　companion　and　hearing　the　echo　of　my　small　voice　there　in　the　dark　and　lonely　woods。

I　remember　too；　and　even　more　clearly；　how　he　bent　his　head　and　covered　his　eyes　in　that　brief　moment。　I　had　a　great　dread　of　darkness　and　imagined　much　evil　of　the　forest；　but　somehow　I　had　no　fear　if　he　were　near　me。　When　we　had　fixed　the　fire　and　lain　down　for　the　night　on　the　fragrant　hemlock　and　covered　ourselves　with　the　shawl；　Uncle　Eb　lay　on　one　side　of　me　and　old　Fred　on　the　other；　so　I　felt　secure　indeed。　The　night　had　many　voices　there　in　the　deep　wood。　Away　in　the　distance　I　could　hear　a　strange；　wild　cry；　and　I　asked　what　it　was　and　Uncle　Eb　whispered　back；'　's　a　loon。'　Down　the　side　of　the　mountain　a　shrill　bark　rang　in　the　timber　and　that　was　a　fox；　according　to　my　patient　oracle。　Anon　we　heard　the　crash　and　thunder　of　a　falling　tree　and　a　murmur　that　followed　in　the　wake　of　the　last　echo。

'Big　tree　fallin'！'　said　Uncle　Eb；　as　he　lay　gaping。　'It　has　t'　break　a　way　t'　the　ground　an'　it　must　hurt。　Did　ye　notice　how　the　woods　tremble？　If　we　was　up　above　them　we　could　see　the　hole　thet　tree　hed　made。　Jes'　like　an　open　grave　till　the　others　hev　filed　it　with　their　tops。'

My　ears　had　gone　deaf　with　drowsiness　when　a　quick　stir　in　the　body　of　Uncle　Eb　brought　me　back　to　my　senses。　He　was　up　on　his　elbow　listening　and　the　firelight　had　sunk　to　a　glimmer。　Fred　lay　shivering　and　growling　beside　me。　I　could　hear　no　other　sound。

'Be　still；'　said　Uncle　Eb；　as　he　boxed　the　dog's　ears。　Then　he　rose　and　began　to　stir　the　fire　and　lay　on　more　wood。　As　the　flame　leaped　and　threw　its　light　into　the　tree…tops　a　shrill　cry；　like　the　scream　of　a　frightened　woman；　only　louder　and　more　terrible　to　hear　brought　me　to　my　feet；　crying。　I　knew　the　source　of　it　was　near　us　and　ran　to　Uncle　Eb　in　a　fearful　panic。

'Hush；　boy；'　said　he　as　it　died　away　and　went　echoing　in　the　far　forest。　'I'll　take　care　o'　you。　Don't　be　scairt。　He's　more　'fraid　uv　us　than　we　are　o'　him。　He's　makin'　off　now。'

We　heard　then　a　great　crackling　of　dead　brush　on　the　mountain　above　us。　It　grew　fainter　as　we　listened。　In　a　little　while　the　woods　were　silent。

'It's　the　ol'　man　o'　the　woods；'　said　Uncle　Eb。　'E's　out　takin'　a　walk。'

'Will　he　hurt　folks？'　I　enquired。

'Tow！'　he　answered；　'jest　as　harmless　as　a　kitten。'

Chapter　3

Naturally　there　were　a　good　many　things　I　wanted　to　know　about　'the　ol'　man　o'　the　woods；'　but　Uncle　Eb　would　take　no　part　in　any　further　conversation。

So　I　had　to　lie　down　beside　him　again　and　think　out　the　problem　as　best　I　could。　My　mind　was　never　more　acutely　conscious　and　it　gathered　many　strange　impressions；　wandering　in　the　kingdom　of　Fear；　as　I　looked　up　at　the　tree…tops。　Uncle　Eb　had　built　a　furious　fire　and　the　warmth　of　it　made　me　sleepy　at　last。　Both　he　and　old　Fred　had　been　snoring　a　long　time　when　I　ceased　to　hear　them。　Uncle　Eb　woke　me　at　daylight；　in　the　morning；　and　said　we　must　be　off　to　find　the　trail。　He　left　me　by　the　fire　a　little　while　and　went　looking　on　all　sides　and　came　back　no　wiser。　We　were　both　thirsty　and　started　off　on　rough　footing；　without　stopping　to　eat。　We　climbed　and　crawled　for　hours；　it　seemed　to　me；　and　everywhere　the　fallen　tree　trunks　were　heaped　in　our　way。　Uncle　Eb　sat　down　on　one　of　them　awhile　to　rest。

'Like　the　bones　o'　the　dead；'　said　he；　as　he　took　a　chew　of　tobacco　and　picked　at　the　rotten　skeleton　of　a　fallen　tree。　We　were　both　pretty　well　out　of　breath　and　of　hope　also；　if　I　remember　rightly；　when　we　rested　again　under　the　low　hanging　boughs　of　a　basswood　for　a　bite　of　luncheon。　Uncle　Eb　opened　the　little　box　of　honey　and　spread　some　of　it　on　our　bread　and　butter。　In　a　moment　I　noticed　that　half　a　dozen　bees　had　lit　in　the　open　box。

'Lord　Harry！　here's　honey　bees；'　said　he；　as　he　covered　the　box　so　as　to　keep　them　in；　and　tumbled　everything　else　into　the　basket。　'Make　haste　now；　Willie；　and　follow　me　with　all　yer　might；'　he　added。

In　a　minute　he　let　out　one　of　the　bees；　and　started　running　in　the　direction　it　flew。　It　went　but　a　few　feet　and　then　rose　into　the　tree…top。

'He's　goin'　t'　git　up　into　the　open　air；'　said　Uncle　Eb。　'But　I've　got　his　bearins'　an'　I　guess　he　knows　the　way　all　right。'

We　took　the　direction　indicated　for　a　few　minutes　and　then　Uncle　Eb　let　out　another　prisoner。　The　bee　flew　off　a　little　way　and　then　rose　in　a　slanting　course　to　the　tree…tops。　He　showed　us；　however；　that　we　were　looking　the　right　way。

'Them　little　fellers　hev　got　a　good　compass；'　said　Uncle　Eb；　as　we　followed　the　line　of　the　bees。　'It　p'ints　home　ev'ry　time；　an'　never　makes　a　mistake。'

We　went　further　this　time　before　releasing　another。　He　showed　us　that　we　had　borne　out　of　our　course　a　little　and　as　we　turned　to　follow　there　were　half　a　dozen　bees　flying　around　the　box；　as　if　begging　for　admission。

'Here　they　are　back　agin；'　said　Uncle　Eb；　'an'　they've　told　a　lot　o'　their　cronies　'bout　the　man　an'　the　boy　with　honey。'

At　length　one　of　them　flew　over　our　heads　and　back　in　the　direction　we　had　come　from。

'Ah；　ha；'　said　Uncle　Eb；　'it's　a　bee　tree　an'　we've　passed　it；　but　I'm　goin'　t'　keep　lettin'　'em　in　an'　out。　Never　heard　uv　a　swarm　o'　bees　goin'　fur　away　an'　so　we　mus'　be　near　the　clearin'。'

In　a　little　while　we　let　one　go　that　took　a　road　of　its　own。　The　others　had　gone　back　over　our　heads；　this　one　bore　off　to　the　right　in　front　of　us；　and　we　followed。　I　was　riding　in　the　basket　and　was　first　to　see　the　light　of　the　open　through　the　tree…tops。　But　I　didn't　know　what　it　meant　until　I　heard　the　hearty　'hurrah'　of　Uncle　Eb。

We　had　come　to　smooth　footing　in　a　grove　of　maples　and　the　clean　trunks　of　the　trees　stood　up　as　straight　as　a　granite　column。　Present