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rolf in the woods-第6章

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further talk; 〃Put up your dew cloth; the sea wind blows

to…night。〃



He finished; both stood for a moment gazing into the fire。  Then

Rolf felt something wet and cold thrust into his hand。  It was

Skookum's nose。  At last the little dog had made up his mind to

accept the white boy as a friend。







Chapter 7。 Rolf Works Out with Many Results



He is the dumbest kind of a dumb fool that ain't king in

some little corner。  Sayings of Si Sylvanne



The man who has wronged you will never forgive you;

and he who has helped you will be forever grateful。

Yes; there is nothing that draws you to a man so much

as the knowledge that you have helped him。



Quonab helped Rolf; and so was more drawn to him

than to many of the neighbours that he had known for

years; he was ready to like him。  Their coming together

was accidental; but it was soon very clear that a friendship

was springing up between them。  Rolf was too much

of a child to think about the remote future; and so was

Quonab。  Most Indians are merely tall children。



But there was one thing that Rolf did think of  he

had no right to live in Quonab's lodge without contributing

a fair share of the things needful。  Quonab got his living

partly by hunting; partly by fishing; partly by selling

baskets; and partly by doing odd jobs for the neighbours。

Rolf's training as a loafer had been wholly neglected; and

when he realized that he might be all summer with Quonab

he said bluntly:



〃You let me stay here a couple of months。  I'll work

out odd days; and buy enough stuff to keep myself any

way。〃  Quonab said nothing; but their eyes met; and the

boy knew it was agreed to。



Rolf went that very day to the farm of Obadiah Timpany;

and offered to work by the day; hoeing corn and root

crops。  What farmer is not glad of help in planting time

or in harvest?  It was only a question of what did he know

and how much did he want?  The first was soon made

clear; two dollars a week was the usual thing for boys in

those times; and when he offered to take it half in trade;

he was really getting three dollars a week and his board。

Food was as low as wages; and at the end of a week; Rolf

brought back to camp a sack of oatmeal; a sack of cornmeal;

a bushel of potatoes; a lot of apples; and one dollar

cash。  The dollar went for tea and sugar; and the total

product was enough to last them both a month; so Rolf

could share the wigwam with a good conscience。



Of course; it was impossible to keep the gossipy little

town of Myanos from knowing; first; that the Indian had

a white boy for partner; and; later; that that boy was Rolf。

This gave rise to great diversity of opinion in the

neighbourhood。  Some thought it should not be allowed; but

Horton; who owned the land on which Quonab was camped; could

not see any reason for interfering。



Ketchura Peck; spinster; however; did see many most

excellent reasons。  She was a maid with a mission; and

maintained it to be an outrage that 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 8。 The Law of Property Among Our Four…Footed Kin



Night came down on the Asamuk woods; and the two in the wigwam

were eating their supper of pork; beans; and tea; for the Indian

did not; by any means object to the white man's luxuries; when a

strange 〃yap…yurr〃 was heard out toward the plain。 The dog was up

at once with a growl。  Rolf looked inquiringly; and Quonab said;

〃Fox;〃 then bade the dog be still。



〃Yap…yurr; yap…yurr;〃 and then; 〃yurr; yeow;〃 it came again and

again。  〃Can we get him?〃 said the eager young hunter。  The

Indian shook his head。



〃Fur no good now。  An' that's a she…one; with yo
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