the story of a pioneer-第5节

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ney；　and　every　day　after　that　we　were　able　to　cover

the　distance　demanded　by　the　schedule　arranged

before　we　started。　　This　meant　that　some　sort　of

shelter　usually　awaited　us　at　night。　　But　one　day

we　knew　there　would　be　no　houses　between　the　place

we　left　in　the　morning　and　that　where　we　were　to

sleep。　　The　distance　was　about　twenty　miles；　and

when　twilight　fell　we　had　not　made　it。　　In　the　back

of　the　wagon　my　mother　had　a　box　of　little　pigs；

and　during　the　afternoon　these　had　broken　loose　and

escaped　into　the　woods。　　We　had　lost　much　time　in

finding　them；　and　we　were　so　exhausted　that　when

we　came　to　a　hut　made　of　twigs　and　boughs　we　de…

cided　to　camp　in　it　for　the　night；　though　we　knew

nothing　about　it。　　My　brother　had　unharnessed

the　horses；　and　my　mother　and　sister　were　cooking

dough…goda　mixture　of　flour；　water；　and　soda；

fried　in　a　pan…when　two　men　rode　up　on　horse…

back　and　called　my　brother　to　one　side。　　Immedi…

ately　after　the　talk　which　followed　James　harnessed

his　horses　again　and　forced　us　to　go　on；　though　by

that　time　darkness　had　fallen。　　He　told　mother；　but

did　not　tell　us　children　until　long　afterward；　that　a

man　had　been　murdered　in　the　hut　only　the　night

before。　　The　murderer　was　still　at　large　in　the　woods；

and　the　new…comers　were　members　of　a　posse　who

were　searching　for　him。　　My　brother　needed　no

urging　to　put　as　many　miles　as　he　could　between

us　and　the　sinister　spot。



In　that　fashion　we　made　our　way　to　our　new　home。　

The　last　day；　like　the　first；　we　traveled　only　eight

miles；　but　we　spent　the　night　in　a　house　I　shall　never

forget。　　It　was　beautifully　clean；　and　for　our　eve…

ning　meal　its　mistress　brought　out　loaves　of　bread

which　were　the　largest　we　had　ever　seen。　　She　cut

great　slices　of　this　bread　for　us　and　spread　maple

sugar　on　them；　and　it　seemed　to　us　that　never　be…

fore　had　anything　tasted　so　good。



The　next　morning　we　made　the　last　stage　of　our

journey；　our　hearts　filled　with　the　joy　of　nearing

our　new　home。　　We　all　had　an　idea　that　we　were

going　to　a　farm；　and　we　expected　some　resemblance

at　least　to　the　prosperous　farms　we　had　seen　in　New

England。　　My　mother's　mental　picture　was；　natu…

rally；　of　an　English　farm。　　Possibly　she　had　visions

of　red　barns　and　deep　meadows；　sunny　skies　and

daisies。　　What　we　found　awaiting　us　were　the　four

walls　and　the　roof　of　a　good…sized　log…house；　stand…

ing　in　a　small　cleared　strip　of　the　wilderness；　its　doors

and　windows　represented　by　square　holes；　its　floor

also　a　thing　of　the　future；　its　whole　effect　achingly

forlorn　and　desolate。　　It　was　late　in　the　afternoon

when　we　drove　up　to　the　opening　that　was　its　front

entrance；　and　I　shall　never　forget　the　look　my

mother　turned　upon　the　place。　　Without　a　word

she　crossed　its　threshold；　and；　standing　very　still；

looked　slowly　around　her。　　Then　something　within

her　seemed　to　give　way；　and　she　sank　upon　the

ground。　　She　could　not　realize　even　then；　I　think；

that　this　was　really　the　place　father　had　prepared

for　us；　that　here　he　expected　us　to　live。　　When　she

finally　took　it　in　she　buried　her　face　in　her　hands；

and　in　that　way　she　sat　for　hours　without　moving　or

speaking。　　For　the　first　time　in　her　life　she　had　for…

gotten　us；　and　we；　for　our　part；　dared　not　speak　to

her。　　We　stood　around　her　in　a　frightened　group；

talking　to　one　another　in　whispers。　　Our　little　world

had　crumbled　under　our　feet。　　Never　before　had

we　seen　our　mother　give　way　to　despair。



Night　began　to　fall。　　The　woods　became　alive

with　night　creatures；　and　the　most　harmless　made

the　most　noise。　　The　owls　began　to　hoot；　and　soon

we　heard　the　wildcat；　whose　crya　screech　like

that　of　a　lost　and　panic…stricken　childis　one　of

the　most　appalling　sounds　of　the　forest。　　Later　the

wolves　added　their　howls　to　the　uproar；　but　though

darkness　came　and　we　children　whimpered　around

her；　our　mother　still　sat　in　her　strange　lethargy。



At　last　my　brother　brought　the　horses　close　to　the

cabin　and　built　fires　to　protect　them　and　us。　　He

was　only　twenty；　but　he　showed　himself　a　man　dur…

ing　those　early　pioneer　days。　　While　he　was　picketing

the　horses　and　building　his　protecting　fires　my

mother　came　to　herself；　but　her　face　when　she

raised　it　was　worse　than　her　silence　had　been。　　She

seemed　to　have　died　and　to　have　returned　to　us

from　the　grave；　and　I　am　sure　she　felt　that　she　had

done　so。　　From　that　moment　she　took　up　again　the

burden　of　her　life；　a　burden　she　did　not　lay　down

until　she　passed　away；　but　her　face　never　lost　the

deep　lines　those　first　hours　of　her　pioneer　life　had

cut　upon　it。



That　night　we　slept　on　boughs　spread　on　the　earth

inside　the　cabin　walls；　and　we　put　blankets　before

the　holes　which　represented　our　doors　and　windows；

and　kept　our　watch…fires　burning。　　Soon　the　other

children　fell　asleep；　but　there　was　no　sleep　for　me。　

I　was　only　twelve　years　old；　but　my　mind　was　full　of

fancies。　　Behind　our　blankets；　swaying　in　the　night

wind；　I　thought　I　saw　the　heads　and　pushing　shoul…

ders　of　animals　and　heard　their　padded　footfalls。　

Later　years　brought　familiarity　with　wild　things；

and　with　worse　things　than　they。　　But　to…night　that

which　I　most　feared　was　within；　not　outside　of；　the

cabin。　　In　some　way　which　I　did　not　understand

the　one　sure　refuge　in　our　new　world　had　been　taken

from　us。　　I　hardly　knew　the　silent　woman　who　lay

near　me；　tossing　from　side　to　side　and　staring　into

the　darkness；　I　felt　that　we　had　lost　our　mother。







II



IN　THE　WILDERNESS



Like　most　men；　my　dear　father　should　never

have　married。　　Though　his　nature　was　one　of

the　sweetest　I　have　ever　known；　and　though　he　would

at　any　call　give　his　time　to　or　risk　his　life　for　others；

in　practical　matters　he　remained　to　the　end　of　his

days　as　irresponsible　as　a　child。　　If　his　mind　turned

to　practical　details　at　all；　it　was　solely　in　their　bear…

ing　toward　great　developments　of　the　future。　　To

him　an　acorn　was　not　an　acorn；　but　a　forest　of　young

oaks。



Thus；　when　he　took　up　his　claim　of　three　hundred

and　sixty　acres　of　land　in　the　wilderness　of　northern

Michigan；　and　sent　my　mother　and　five　young　chil…

dren　to　live　there　alone　until　he　could　join　us　eighteen

months　later；　he　gave　no　thought　to　the　manner　in

which　we　were　to　make　the　struggle　and　survive

the　hardships　before　us。　　He　had　furnished　us　with

land　and　the　four　walls　of　a　log　cabin。　　Some　day；

he　reasoned；　the　place　would　be　a　fine　estate；　which

his　sons　would　inherit　and　in　the　course　of　time　pass

on　to　their　sonsalways　an　Englishman's　most　iri…

descent　dream。　　That　for　the　present　we　were　one

hundred　miles　from　a　railroad；　forty　miles　from　the

nearest　post…office；　and　half　a　dozen　miles　from　any

neighbors　save　Indians；　wolves；　and　wildcats；　that

we　were　wholly　unlearned　in　the　ways　of　the　woods

as　well　as　in　the　most　primitive　methods　of　farming；

that　we　lacked　not　only　every　comfort；　but　even

the　bare　necessities　of　life；　and　that　we　must　begin；

single…handed　and　untaught；　a　struggle　for　existence

in　which　some　of　the　severest　forces　of　nature　would

be　arrayed　against　usthese　facts　had　no　weight

in　my　father's　mind。　　Even　if　he　had　witnessed　my

mother's　despair　on　the　night　of　our　arrival　in　our

new　home；　he　would　not　have　understood　it。　　From

his　viewpoint；　he　was　doing　a　man's　duty。　　He　was

working　steadily　in　Lawrence；　and；　incidentally；

giving　much　time　to　the　Abolition　cause　and　to

other　big　public　movements　of　his　day　which　had

his　interest　and　sympathy。　　He　wrote　to　us　regu…

larly　and　sent　us　occasional　remittances；　as　well　as

a　generous　supply　of　improving　literature　for　our

minds。　　It　remained　for　us　to　strengthen　our　bodies；

to　meet　the　conditions　in　which　he　had　placed　us；

and　to　survive　if　we　could。



We　faced　our　situation　with　clear　and　unalarmed

eyes　the　morning　after　our　arrival。　　The　problem

of　food；　we　knew；　was　at　least　temporarily　solved。　

We　had　brought　with　us　enough　coffee；　pork；　and

flour　to　last　for　several　weeks；　and　the　one　necessity

father　had　put　inside　the　cabin　walls　was　a　great

fireplace；　made　of　mud　and　stones；　in　which　our　food

could　be　cooked。　　The　problem　of　our　water…supply

was　less　simple；　but　my　brother　James　solved　it　for

the　time　by　showing　us　a　creek　a　long　distance　from

the　house；　and　for　months　we　carried　from　this

creek；　in　pails；　every　drop　of　water　we　used；　save

that　which　we　caught　in　troughs　when　the　rain　fell。



We　held　a　family　council　after　breakfast；　and　in　this；　

though　I　was　only　twelve；　I　took　an　eager　and　determined　

part。　　I　loved　workit　has　always　been　my　favorite　form　

of　recreationand　my　spirit　rose　to　the　opportunities　of　it　

which　smiled　on　us　from　every　side。　　Obviously　the　first　

thing　to　do　was　to　put　doors　and　windows　into　the　

yawning　holes　father　had　left　for　them；　and　to　lay　a　board　

flooring　over　the　earth　inside　our　ca