rolf in the woods-第38部分

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quickly　that　these　were　the　main　principles：　Fill　the　seller　with

liquor；　if　possible；　〃fire　water　for　fur〃　was　the　idea；　next；

grade　all　fur　as　medium　or　second…class；　when　cash　was　demanded；

but　be　easy　as　long　as　payment　was　to　be　in　trade。　　That　afforded

many　loopholes　between　weighing；　grading；　charging；　and

shrinkage；　and　finally　he　noticed　that　Albany　prices　were　30　to

50　per　cent。　higher　than　Warren　prices。　　Yet　Warren　was　reckoned

a　first…class　fellow；　a　good　neighbour；　and　a　member　of　the

church。　But　it　was　understood　everywhere　that　fur；　like

horseflesh；　was　a　business　with　moral　standards　of　its　own。



A　few　days　before　their　contract　was　up；　Warren　said：　〃How'd　ye

like　to　renew　for　a　month？〃



〃Can't；　I　promised　to　help　Van　Trumper　with　his　harvest。〃



〃What　does　he　pay　ye？〃



〃Seventy…five　cents　a　day　and　board。〃



〃I'll　make　it　a　dollar。〃



〃I've　given　my　word；〃　said　Rolf；　in　surprise。



〃Hey　ye　signed　papers？〃



〃They're　not　needed。　The　only　use　of　signed　papers　is　to　show　ye

have　given　your　word；〃　said　Rolf；　quoting　his　mother；　with　rising

indignation。



The　trader　sniffed　a　little　contemptuously　and　said　nothing。　But

he　realized　the　value　of　a　lad　who　was　a　steady；　intelligent

worker；　wouldn't　drink；　and　was　absolutely　bound　by　a　promise；

so；　after　awhile；　he　said：　〃Wall；　if　Van　don't　want　ye　now；　come

back　for　a　couple　of　weeks。〃



Early　in　the　morning　Rolf　gathered　the　trifles　he　had　secured　for

the　little　children　and　the　book　he　had　bought　for　Annette；　a

sweet　story　of　a　perfect　girl　who　died　and　went　to　heaven；　the

front　embellished　with　a　thrilling　wood…cut。　Then　he　crossed　the

familiar　five…mile　portage　at　a　pace　that　in　an　hour　brought　him

to　the　lake。



The　greeting　at　Van's　was　that　of　a　brother　come　home。



〃Vell；　Rolf；　it's　goood　to　see　ye　back。　It's　choost　vat　I　vented。

Hi；　Marta；　I　told　it　you；　yah。　　I　say；　now　I　hope　ze　good　Gott

send　Rolf。　Ach；　how　I　am　shpoil！〃



Yes；　indeed。　The　hay　was　ready；　the　barley　was　changing。　So　Rolf

took　up　his　life　on　the　farm；　doing　work　that　a　year　before　was

beyond　his　strength；　for　the　spirit　of　the　hills　was　on　him；　with

its　impulse　of　growth；　its　joy　in　effort；　its　glory　in　strength。

And　all　who　saw　the　longlegged；　long…armed；　flat…　backed　youth

plying　fork　or　axe　or　hoe；　in　some　sort　ventured　a　guess：　〃He'll

be　a　good　'un　some　day；　the　kind　o'　chap　to　keep　friendly　with。







Chapter　56。　The　Sick　Ox



The　Thunder　Moon　passed　quickly　by；　the　hay　was　in；　the　barley

partly　so。　　Day　by　day　the　whitefaced　oxen　toiled　at　the　creaking

yoke；　as　the　loads　of　hay　and　grain　were　jounced　cumbrously　over

roots　and　stumps　of　the　virgin　fields。　Everything　was　promising

well；　when；　as　usual；　there　came　a　thunderbolt　out　of　the　clear

sky。　　Buck；　the　off　ox；　fell　sick。



Those　who　know　little　about　cattle　have　written　much　of　the　meek

and　patient　ox。　　Those　who　know　them　well　tell　us　that　the　ox　is

the　〃most　cussedest　of　all　cussed〃　animals；　a　sneak；　a　bully；　a

coward；　a　thief；　a　shirk；　a　schemer；　and　when　he　is　not　in

mischief　he　is　thinking　about　it。　　The　wickedest　pack　mule　that

ever　bucked　his　burden　is　a　pinfeathered　turtle…dove　compared

with　an　average　ox。　There　are　some　gentle　oxen；　but　they　are

rare；　most　are　treacherous；　some　are　dangerous；　and　these　are

best　got　rid　of；　as　they　mislead　their　yoke　mates　and　mislay

their　drivers。　　Van's　two　oxen；　Buck　and　Bright；　manifested　the

usual　variety　and　contrariety　of　disposition。　　They　were　all

right　when　well　handled；　and　this　Rolf　could　do　better　than　Van；

for　he　was　〃raised　on　oxen；〃　and　Van's　over　voluble；　sputtering；

Dutch…　English　seemed　ill　comprehended　of　the　massive　yoke

beasts。　The　simpler　whip…waving　and　fewer　orders　of　the　Yankee

were　so　obviously　successful　that　Van　had　resigned　the　whip　of

authority　and　Rolf　was　driver。



Ordinarily；　an　ox　driver　walks　on　the　hew　（nigh　or　left）　side；

near　the　head　of　his　team；　shouting　〃gee〃　（right）；　〃haw〃　（left）；

〃get　up；〃　〃steady；〃　or　〃whoa〃　（stop）；　accompanying　the　order　with

a　waving　of　the　whip。　　Foolish　drivers　lash　the　oxen　on　the　haw

side　when　they　wish　them　to　gee　　and　vice　versa；　but　it　is

notorious　that　all　good　drivers　do　little　lashing。　Spare　the　lash

or　spoil　your　team。　　So　it　was　not　long　before　Rolf　could　guide

them　from　the　top　of　the　load；　as　they　travelled　from　shook　to

shook　in　the　field。　　This　voice　of　command　saved　his　life；　or　at

least　his　limb；　one　morning；　for　he　made　a　misstep　that　tumbled

him　down　between　the　oxen　and　the　wagon。　At　once　the　team

started；　but　his　ringing　〃Whoa！〃　brought　them　to　a　dead　stop；　and

saved　him；　whereas；　had　it　been　Van's　〃Whoa！〃　it　would　have　set

them　off　at　a　run；　for　every　shout　from　him　meant　a　whip　lick　to

follow。



Thus　Rolf　won　the　respect；　if　not　the　love；　of　the　huge　beasts；

more　and　more　they　were　his　charge；　and　when；　on　that　sad

morning；　in　the　last　of　the　barley；　Van　came　in；　〃Ach；　vot　shall

I　do！　Vot　shall　I　do！　Dot　Buck　ox　be　nigh　dead。〃



Alas！　there　he　lay　on　the　ground；　his　head　sometimes　raised；

sometimes　stretched　out　flat；　while　the　huge　creature　uttered

short　moans　at　times。



Only　four　years　before；　Rolf　had　seen　that　same　thing　at　Redding。

The　rolling　eye；　the　working　of　the　belly　muscles；　the　straining

and　moaning。　〃It's　colic；　have　you　any　ginger？〃



〃No；　I　hat　only　dot　soft　soap。〃



What　soft　soap　had　to　do　with　ginger　was　not　clear；　and　Rolf

wondered　if　it　had　some　rare　occult　medical　power　that　had

escaped　his　mother。



〃Do　you　know　where　there's　any　slippery　elm？〃



〃Yah。〃



〃Then　bring　a　big　boiling　of　the　bark；　while　I　get　some

peppermint。〃



The　elm　bark　was　boiled　till　it　made　a　kettleful　of　brown　slime。

The　peppermint　was　dried　above　the　stove　till　it　could　be

powdered；　and　mixed　with　the　slippery　slush。　Some　sulphur　and

some　soda　were　discovered　and　stirred　in；　on　general　principles；

and　they　hastened　to　the　huge；　helpless　creature　in　the　field。



Poor　Buck　seemed　worse　than　ever。　He　was　flat　on　his　side；　with

his　spine　humped　up；　moaning　and　straining　at　intervals。　But　now

relief　was　in　sight　　so　thought　the　men。　With　a　tin　dipper　they

tried　to　pour　some　relief　into　the　open　mouth　of　the　sufferer；

who　had　so　little　appreciation　that　he　simply　taxed　his　remaining

strength　to　blow　it　out　in　their　faces。　Several　attempts　ended

the　same　way。　Then　the　brute；　in　what　looked　like　temper；　swung

his　muzzle　and　dashed　the　whole　dipper　away。　Next　they　tried　the

usual　method；　mixing　it　with　a　bran　mash；　considered　a　delicacy

in　the　bovine　world；　but　Buck　again　took　notice；　under　pressure

only；　to　dash　it　away　and　waste　it　all。



It　occurred　to　them　they　might　force　it　down　his　throat　if　they

could　raise　his　head。　So　they　used　a　hand　lever　and　a　prop　to

elevate　the　muzzle；　and　were　about　to　try　another　inpour；　when

Buck　leaped　to　his　feet；　and　behaving　like　one　who　has　been

shamming；　made　at　full　gallop　for　the　stable；　nor　stopped　till

safely　in　his　stall；　where　at　once　he　dropped　in　all　the　evident

agony　of　a　new　spasm。



It　is　a　common　thing　for　oxen　to　sham　sick；　but　this　was　the　real

thing；　and　it　seemed　they　were　going　to　lose　the　ox；　which　meant

also　lose　a　large　part　of　the　harvest。



In　the　stable；　now；　they　had　a　better　chance；　they　tied　him；　then

raised　his　head　with　a　lever　till　his　snout　was　high　above　his

shoulders。　Now　it　seemed　easy　to　pour　the　medicine　down　that

long；　sloping　passage。　But　his　mouth　was　tightly　closed；　any　that

entered　his　nostrils　was　blown　afar；　and　the　suffering　beast

strained　at　the　rope　till　he　seemed　likely　to　strangle。



Both　men　and　ox　were　worn　out　with　the　struggle；　the　brute　was　no

better；　but　rather　worse。



〃Wall；〃　said　Rolf；　〃I've　seen　a　good　many　ornery　steers；　but

that's　the　orneriest　I　ever　did　handle；　an'　I　reckon　we'll　lose

him　if　he　don't　get　that　poison　into　him　pretty　soon。〃



Oxen　never　were　studied　as　much　as　horses；　for　they　were

considered　a　temporary　shift；　and　every　farmer　looked　forward　to

replacing　them　with　the　latter。　Oxen　were　enormously　strong；　and

they　could　flourish　without　grain　when　the　grass　was　good；　they

never　lost　their　head　in　a　swamp　hole；　and　ploughed　steadily

among　all　kinds　of　roots　and　stumps；　but　they　were　exasperatingly

slow　and　eternally　tricky。　　Bright；　being　the　trickier　of　the

two；　was　made　the　nigh　ox；　to　be　more　under　control。　　Ordinarily

Rolf　could　manage　Buck　easily；　but　the　present　situation　seemed

hopeless。　In　his　memory　he　harked　back　to　Redding　days；　and　he

recalled　old　Eli　Gooch；　the　ox　expert；　and　wondered　what　he　would

have　done。　　Then；　as　he　sat；　he　caught　sight　of　the　sick　ox

reaching　out　its　head　and　deftly　licking　up　a　few　drops　of　bran

mash　that　had　fallen　from　his　yoke　fellow's　portion。　A　smile

spread　over　Rolf's　face。　〃Just　like　you；　you　think　nothing's　good

except　it's　stolen。　All　right；　we'll　see。〃　He　mixed　a　big　dose　of

medicine；　with　bran；　as　before。　　Then　he　tied　Bright's　head　so

that　he　could　not　reach　the　ground；　and　set　the　bucket　of　mash

half　way　between　the　two　oxen。　〃Here　ye　are；　Bright；〃　he　said；　as

a　matter　of　form；　and　walked　out　of　the　stable；　but；　from　a

crack；　he　watched。　Buck　saw　a　chance　to　steal　Bright's　bran；　he

looked　around；　Oh；　joy！　his　driver　was　away。　He　reached　out

cautiously；　sniffed；　his　long　tongue　shot　forth　for　a　first

taste；　when　Rolf　gave　a　shout　and　ran　in。　〃Hi；　you　old　robber！

Let　that　alone；　that's　for　Bright。〃



The　sick　ox　was　very　much　in　his　own　stall　now；　and　stayed　there

for　some　time　after　Rolf　went　to　resume　his　place　at　the

peephole。　But　encouraged　by　a　few　minutes　of　silence；　he　again

reached　out；　and　hastily　gulped　down　a　mouthful　of　the　mixture

before　Rolf　shouted　and　rushed　in　armed　with　a　switch　to　punish

the　thief。　Poor　Bright；　by　his　efforts　to　reach　the　tempting

mash；　was　unwittingly　playing　the