rolf in the woods-第35部分

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of　mosquito　gauze；　the　first　Rolf　had　seen。　That　surely　was　a

good　idea；　and　ten　yards　snipped　off　was　a　most　interesting

addition　to　his　pack。　The　amount　was　charged　against　him；　and　in

two　hours　more　he　was　back　at　Van　Trumper's。



On　the　cool　side　of　the　house；　Quonab　had　built　a　little　lodge；

using　a　sheet　for　cover。　On　a　low　bed　of　pine　boughs　lay　the

child。　Near　the　door　was　a　smouldering　fire　of　cedar；　whose

aromatic　fumes　on　the　lazy　wind　reached　every　cranny　of　the　lodge。



Sitting　by　the　bed　head；　with　a　chicken　wing　to　keep　off　the　few

mosquitoes；　was　the　Indian。　The　child's　eyes　were　closed；　she　was

sleeping　peacefully。　Rolf　crept　gently　forward；　laid　his　hand　on

hers；　it　was　cool　and　moist。　He　went　into　the　house　with　his

purchases；　the　mother　greeted　him　with　a　happy　look：　Yes；　Annette

was　a　little　better；　she　had　slept　quietly　ever　since　she　was

taken　outdoors。　The　mother　could　not　understand。　Why　should　the

Indian　want　to　have　her　surrounded　by　pine　boughs？　why

cedar…smoke？　and　why　that　queer　song？　Yes；　there　it　was　again。

Rolf　went　out　to　see　and　hear。　Softly　summing　on　a　tin　pan；　with

a　mudded　stick；　the　Indian　sang　a　song。　The　words　which　Rolf

learned　in　the　after…　time　were：



〃Come；　Kaluskap；　drive　the　witches；　Those　who　came　to　harm　the

dear　one。〃



Annette　moved　not；　but　softly　breathed；　as　she　slept　a　sweet；

restful　slumber；　the　first　for　many　days。



〃Vouldn't　she　be　better　in　de　house？〃　whispered　the　anxious　mother。



〃No；　let　Quonab　do　his　own　way；〃　and　Rolf　wondered　if　any　white

man　had　sat　by　little　Wee…wees　to　brush　away　the　flies　from　his

last　bed。







Chapter　52。　Annette's　New　Dress



Deep　feelin's　ain't　any　count　by　themselves；　work　'em　off；　an'

ye're　somebody；　weep　'em　off　an'　you'd　be　more　use　with　a　heart

o'　stone　　Sayings　of　Si　Sylvanne。



Quonab；　I　am　going　out　to　get　her　a　partridge。〃　〃Ugh；　good。〃



So　Rolf　went　off。　For　a　moment　he　was　inclined　to　grant　Skookom's

prayer　for　leave　to；　follow；　but　another　and　better　plan　came　in

mind。　Skookum　would　most　likely　find　a　mother　partridge；　which

none　should　kill　in　June；　and　there　was　a　simple　way　to　find　a

cock；　that　was；　listen。　It　was　now　the　evening　calm；　and　before

Rolf　had　gone　half　a　mile　he　heard　the　distant　〃Thump；　thump；

thump；　thump　　rrrrrrr〃　of　a　partridge；　drumming。　He　went

quickly　and　cautiously　toward　the　place；　then　waited　for　the　next

drumming。　It　was　slow　in　coming；　so　he　knelt　down　by　a　mossy；

rotten　log；　and　struck　it　with　his　hands　to　imitate　the　thump　and

roll　of　the　partridge。　At　once　this　challenge　procured　response。



〃Thump　　thump　　thump；；　thump　rrrrrrrrrrrr〃　it　came；　with

martial　swing　and　fervour；　and　crawling　nearer；



Rolf　spied　the　drummer；　pompously　strutting　up　and　down　a　log

some　forty　yards　away。　He　took　steady　aim；　not　for　the　head　　　a

strange　gun；　at　forty　yards　　　for　the　body。　　At　the　crack；　the

bird　fell　dead；　and　in　Rolf's　heart　there　swelled　up　a　little

gush　of　joy；　which　he　believed　was　all　for　the　sake　of　the

invalid；　but　which　a　finer　analysis　might　have　proved　to　be　due

quite　as　much　to　pride　in　himself　and　his　newly　bought　gun。



Night　was　coming　on　when　he　got　back；　and　he　found　the　Dutch

parents　in　some　excitement。　〃Dot　Indian　he　gay　no　bring　Annette

indoors　for　de　night。　　How　she　sleep　outdoors　　like　dog　　like

Bigger　　like　tramp？　Yah　it　is　bad；　ain't　it？〃　and　poor　old

Hendrik　looked　sadly　upset　and　mystified。



〃Hendrik；　do　you　suppose　God　turns　out　worse　air　in　the　night

than　in　the　day？〃



〃Ach；　dunno。〃



〃Well；　you　see　Quonab　knows　what　he's　doing。〃



〃Yah。〃



〃Well；　let　him　do　it。　He　or　I'll　sleep　alongside　the　child　she'll

be　all　right；〃　and　Rolf　thought　of　those　horrible　brown　crawlers

under　the　bedding　indoors。



Rolf　had　much　confidence　in　the　Indian　as　a　doctor；　but　he　had

more　in　his　own　mother。　He　was　determined　to　give　Annette　the

quinine；　yet　he　hesitated　to　interfere。　At　length；　he　said：　〃It

is　cool　enough　now；　I　will　put　these　thin　curtains　round　her

bed。〃



〃Ugh；　good！〃　but　the　red　man　sat　there　while　it　was　being　done。



〃You　need　not　stay　now；　I'll　watch　her；　Quonab。〃



〃Soon；　give　more　medicine；〃　was　the　reply　that　Rolf　did　not　want。

So　he　changed　his　ruse。　　〃I　wish　you'd　take　that　partridge　and

make　soup　of　it。　　I've　had　my　hands　in　poison　ivy；　so　I　dare　not

touch　it。〃



〃Ach；　dot　shall　I　do。　Dot　kin　myself　do；〃　and　the　fat　mother；

laying　the　recent　baby　in　its　cradle；　made　cumbrous　haste　to　cook

the　bird。



〃Foiled　again；〃　was　Rolf's　thought；　but　his　Yankee　wit　was　with

him。　He　laid　one　hand　on　the　bowl　of　snake…root　tea。　It　was

lukewarm。　〃Do　you　give　it　hot　or　cold；　Quonab？〃



〃Hot。〃



〃I'll　take　it　in　and　heat　it。〃　　He　carried　it　off；　thinking；　〃If

Quonab　won't　let　me　give　the　bark　extract；　I'll　make　him　give

it。〃　　In　the　gloom　of　the　kitchen　he　had　no　difficulty　in　adding

to　the　tea；　quite　unseen；　a　quarter　of　the　extract；　when　heated；

he　brought　it　again；　and　the　Indian　himself　gave　the　dose。



As　bedtime　drew　near；　and　she　heard　the　red　man　say　he　would

sleep　there；　the　little　one　said　feebly；　〃Mother；　mother；〃　then

whispered　in　her　mother's　ear；　〃I　want　Rolf。〃



Rolf　spread　his　blanket　by　the　cot　and　slept　lightly。　Once　or

twice　he　rose　to　look　at　Annette。　She　was　moving　in　her　sleep；

but　did　not　awake。　　He　saw　to　it　that　the　mosquito　bar　was　in

place；　and　slept　till　morning。



There　was　no　question　that　the　child　was　better。　　The　renewed

interest　in　food　was　the　first　good　symptom；　and　the　partridge

served　the　end　of　its　creation。　　The　snakeroot　and　the　quinine

did　noble　work；　and　thenceforth　her　recovery　was　rapid。　　It　was

natural　for　her　mother　to　wish　the　child　back　indoors。　　It　was　a

matter　of　course　that　she　should　go。　　It　was　accepted　as　an

unavoidable　evil　that　they　should　always　have　those　brown

crawlers　about　the　bed。



But　Rolf　felt　differently。　He　knew　what　his　mother　would　have

thought　and　done。　　It　meant　another　visit　to　Warren's；　and　the

remedy　he　brought　was　a　strong…smelling　oil；　called　in　those　days

〃rock　oil〃　　a　crude　petroleum。　When　all　cracks　in　the　bed　and

near　wall　were　treated　with　this；　it　greatly　mitigated；　if　it　did

not　quite　end；　the　nuisance　of　the　〃plague　that　walks　in　the

dark。〃



Meanwhile；　Quonab　had　made　good　his　welcome　by　working　on　the

farm。　But　when　a　week　had　flown；　he　showed　signs　of　restlessness。

〃We　have　enough　money；　Nibowaka；　why　do　we　stay？〃



Rolf　was　hauling　a　bucket　of　water　from　the　well　at　the　time。　　He

stopped　with　his　burden　on　the　well…sweep；　gazed　into　the　well；

and　said　slowly：　〃I　don't　know。〃　If　the　truth　were　set　forth；　it

would　be　that　this　was　the　only　home　circle　he　knew。　It　was　the

clan　feeling　that　held　him；　and　soon　it　was　clearly　the　same

reason　that　was　driving　Quonab　to　roam。



〃I　have　heard；〃　said　the　Indian；　〃that　my　people　still　dwell　in

Canada；　beyond　Rouse's　Point。　　I　would　see　them。　　I　will　come

again　in　the　Red　Moon　（August）。〃



So　they　hired　a　small　canoe；　and　one　bright　morning；　with　Skookum

in　the　bow；　Quonab　paddled　away　on　his　voyage　of　120　miles　on　the

plead　waters　of　Lakes　George　and　Champlain。　　His　canoe　became　a

dark　spot　on　the　water；　slowly　it　faded　till　only　the　flashing

paddle　was　seen；　and　that　was　lost　around　a　headland。



The　next　day　Rolf　was　sorry　he　let　Quonab　go　alone；　for　it　was

evident　that　Van　Trumper　needed　no　help　for　a　month　yet；　that　is；

he　could　not　afford　to　hire；　and　while　it　was　well　enough　for

Rolf　to　stay　a　few　days　and　work　to　equalize　his　board；　the

arrangement　would　not　long　continue　satisfactory　to　both。



Yet　there　was　one　thing　he　must　do　before　leaving；　take　Annette

to　pick　out　her　dress。　She　was　well　again　now；　and　they　set　off

one　morning　in　the　canoe；　she　and　Rolf。　Neither　father　nor　mother

could　leave　the　house。　They　had　their　misgivings；　but　what　could

they　do？　She　was　bright　and　happy；　full　of　the　childish　joy　that

belongs　to　that　age；　and　engaged　on　such　an　important　errand　for

the　first　time　in　her　life。



There　was　something　more　than　childish　joy　showing　in　her　face；

an　older　person　would　have　seen　that；　but　it　was　largely　lost　on

Rolf。　There　was　a　tendency　to　blush　when　she　laughed；　a

disposition　to　tease　her　〃big　brother；〃　to　tyrannize　over　him　in

little　things。



〃Now；　you　tell　me　some　more　about　'Robinson　Crusoe；'〃　she　began；

as　soon　as　they　were　in　the　canoe；　and　Rolf　resumed　the　ancient；

inspiring　tale　to　have　it　listened　to　eagerly；　but　criticized

from　the　standpoint　of　a　Lake　George　farm。　〃Where　was　his　wife？〃

〃How　could　he　have　a　farm　without　hens？〃　　〃Dried　grapes　must　be

nice；　but　I'd　rather　have　pork　than　goat；〃　etc。



Rolf；　of　course；　took　the　part　of　Robinson　Crusoe；　and　it　gave

him　a　little　shock　to　hear　Quonab　called　his　man　Friday。



At　the　west　side　they　were　to　invite　Mrs。　Callan　to　join　their

shopping　trip；　but　in　any　case　they　were　to　borrow　a　horse　and

buckboard。　　Neither　Mrs。　Callan　nor　the　buckboard　was　available；

but　they　were　welcome　to　the　horse。　So　Annette　was　made

comfortable　on　a　bundle　of　blankets；　and　chattered　incessantly

while　Rolf　walked　alongside　with　the　grave　interest　and

superiority　of　a　much　older　brother。　　So　they　crossed　the

five…mile　portage　and　came　to　Warren's　store。　　Nervous　and

excited；　with　sparkling　eyes；　Annette　laid　down　her　marten　skin；

received　five　dollars；　and　set　about　the　tremendous　task　of

selecting　her　first　dress　of　really；　truly　calico　print；　and　Rolf

realized　that　the　joy　he　had　found　in　his　new　rifle　was　a　very

small　affair；　compared　with　the　epoch…making；　soul…filling；

life…absorbing；　unspeakable；　and　cataclysmal　bliss　that　a　small

girl　can　have　in　her　first　chance　of　unfettered　action　in　choice

of　a　cotton　print。



〃Beautiful？〃　How　can　mere　words　do　justice　to　masses　of　yellow

corn；　mixed　recklessly　with　green　and