the story of a pioneer-第6节

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

flooring　over　the　earth　inside　our　cabin　walls；　and　these　

duties　we　accomplished　before　we　had　occupied　our　new　

home　a　fortnight。　　There　was　a　small　saw…mill　nine　miles　

from　our　cabin；　on　the　spot　that　is　now　Big　Rapids；　and　

there　we　bought　our　lumber。　　The　labor　we　supplied　

ourselves；　and　though　we　put　our　hearts　into　it　and　the　

results　at　the　time　seemed　beautiful　to　our　partial　eyes；　I　

am　forced　to　admit；　in　looking　back　upon　them；　that　they　

halted　this　side　of　perfection。　　We　began　by　making　three　

windows　and　two　doors；　then；　inspired　by　these　

achievements；　we　ambitiously　constructed　an　attic　and　

divided　the　ground　floor　with　partitions；　which　gave　us　

four　rooms。



The　general　effect　was　temperamental　and　sketchy。　

The　boards　which　formed　the　floor　were　never　even　

nailed　down；　they　were　fine；　wide　planks　without　a　knot　in　

them；　and　they　looked　so　well　that　we　merely　fitted　them　

together　as　closely　as　we　could　and　lightheartedly　let　them　

go　at　that。　　Neither　did　we　properly　chink　the　house。　

Nothing　is　more　comfortable　than　a　log　cabin　which　has　

been　carefully　built

and　finished；　but　for　some　reasonprobably　because　

there　seemed　always　a　more　urgent　duty　calling　to　us　

around　the　cornerwe　never　plastered　our　house　at　all。　

The　result　was　that　on　many　future　winter　mornings　we　

awoke　to　find　ourselves　chastely　blanketed　by　snow；　while　

the　only　warm　spot　in　our　living…room　was　that　directly　in　

front　of　the　fireplace；　where　great　logs　burned　all　day。　

Even　there　our　faces　scorched　while　our　spines　slowly　

congealed；　until　we　learned　to　revolve　before　the　fire　like　a　

bird　upon　a　spit。　　No　doubt　we　would　have　worked　more　

thoroughly　if　my　brother　James；　who　was　twenty　years　

old　and　our　tower　of　strength；　had　remained　with　us；　but　

when　we　had　been　in　our　new　home　only　a　few　months　he　

fell　and　was　forced　to　go　East　for　an　operation。　　He　was　

never　able　to　return　to　us；　and　thus　my　mother；　we　three　

young　girls；　and　my　youngest　brotherHarry；　who　was　

only　eight　years　oldmade　our　fight　alone　until　father　

came　to　us；　more　than　a　year　later。



Mother　was　practically　an　invalid。　　She　had　a　nervous　

affection　which　made　it　impossible　for　her　to　stand　

without　the　support　of　a　chair。　　But　she　sewed　with　

unusual　skill；　and　it　was　due　to　her　that　our　clothes；　

notwithstanding　the　strain　to　which　we　subjected　them；　

were　always　in　good　condition。　　She　sewed　for　hours　every　

day；　and　she　was　able　to　move　about　the　house；　after　a　

fashion；　by　pushing　herself　around　on　a　stool　which　James　

made　for　her　as　soon　as　we　arrived。　　He　also　built　for　her　a　

more　comfortable　chair　with　a　high　back。



The　division　of　labor　planned　at　the　first　council

was　that　mother　should　do　our　sewing；　and　my　older

sisters；　Eleanor　and　Mary；　the　housework；　which

was　far　from　taxing；　for　of　course　we　lived　in　the

simplest　manner。　　My　brothers　and　I　were　to　do

the　work　out　of　doors；　an　arrangement　that　suited

me　very　well；　though　at　first；　owing　to　our　lack　of

experience；　our　activities　were　somewhat　curtailed。　

It　was　too　late　in　the　season　for　plowing　or　planting；

even　if　we　had　possessed　anything　with　which　to

plow；　and；　moreover；　our　so…called　‘‘cleared''　land

was　thick　with　sturdy　tree…stumps。　　Even　during

the　second　summer　plowing　was　impossible；　we

could　only　plant　potatoes　and　corn；　and　follow　the

most　primitive　method　in　doing　even　this。　　We　took

an　ax；　chopped　up　the　sod；　put　the　seed　under　it；

and　let　the　seed　grow。　　The　seed　did　grow；　tooin

the　most　gratifying　and　encouraging　manner。　　Our

green　corn　and　potatoes　were　the　best　I　have　ever

eaten。　　But　for　the　present　we　lacked　these　luxuries。



We　had；　however；　in　their　place；　large　quantities

of　wild　fruitgooseberries；　raspberries；　and　plums

which　Harry　and　I　gathered　on　the　banks　of　our

creek。　　Harry　also　became　an　expert　fisherman。　

We　had　no　hooks　or　lines；　but　he　took　wires　from

our　hoop…skirts　and　made　snares　at　the　ends　of

poles。　　My　part　of　this　work　was　to　stand　on　a　log

and　frighten　the　fish　out　of　their　holes　by　making

horrible　sounds；　which　I　did　with　impassioned

earnestness。　　When　the　fish　hurried　to　the　surface

of　the　water　to　investigate　the　appalling　noises

they　had　heard；　they　were　easily　snared　by　our

small　boy；　who　was　very　proud　of　his　ability　to

contribute　in　this　way　to　the　family　table。



During　our　first　winter　we　lived　largely　on　corn…

meal；　making　a　little　journey　of　twenty　miles　to　the

nearest　mill　to　buy　it；　but　even　at　that　we　were

better　off　than　our　neighbors；　for　I　remember　one

family　in　our　region　who　for　an　entire　winter　lived

solely　on　coarse…grained　yellow　turnips；　gratefully

changing　their　diet　to　leeks　when　these　came　in　the

spring。



Such　furniture　as　we　had　we　made　ourselves。　　In

addition　to　my　mother's　two　chairs　and　the　bunks

which　took　the　place　of　beds；　James　made　a　settle

for　the　living…room；　as　well　as　a　table　and　several

stools。　　At　first　we　had　our　tree…cutting　done　for

us；　but　we　soon　became　expert　in　this　gentle　art；

and　I　developed　such　skill　that　in　later　years；　after

father　came；　I　used　to　stand　with　him　and　‘‘heart''

a　log。



On　every　side；　and　at　every　hour　of　the　day；　we

came　up　against　the　relentless　limitations　of　pioneer

life。　　There　was　not　a　team　of　horses　in　our　entire

region。　　The　team　with　which　my　brother　had

driven　us　through　the　wilderness　had　been　hired

at　Grand　Rapids　for　that　occasion；　and；　of　course；

immediately　returned。　　Our　lumber　was　delivered

by　ox…teams；　and　the　absolutely　essential　purchases

we　made　‘‘outside''　（at　the　nearest　shops；　forty

miles　away）　were　carried　through　the　forest　on　the

backs　of　men。　　Our　mail　was　delivered　once　a

month　by　a　carrier　who　made　the　journey　in　alter…

nate　stages　of　horseback　riding　and　canoeing。　　But

we　had　health；　youth；　enthusiasm；　good　appetites；

and　the　wherewithal　to　satisfy　them；　and　at　night

in　our　primitive　bunks　we　sank　into　abysses　of　dream…

less　slumber　such　as　I　have　never　known　since。　

Indeed；　looking　back　upon　them；　those　first　months

seem　to　have　been　a　long…drawn…out　and　glorious

picnic；　interrupted　only　by　occasional　hours　of　pain

or　panic；　when　we　were　hurt　or　frightened。



Naturally；　our　two　greatest　menaces　were　wild

animals　and　Indians；　but　as　the　days　passed　the　first

of　these　lost　the　early　terrors　with　which　we　had

associated　them。　　We　grew　indifferent　to　the　sounds

that　had　made　our　first　night　a　horror　to　us　all

there　was　even　a　certain　homeliness　in　themwhile

we　regarded　with　accustomed；　almost　blase　eyes　the

various　furred　creatures　of　which　we　caught　distant

glimpses　as　they　slunk　through　the　forest。　　Their

experience　with　other　settlers　had　taught　them　cau…

tion；　it　soon　became　clear　that　they　were　as　eager

to　avoid　us　as　we　were　to　shun　them；　and　by　common

consent　we　gave　each　other　ample　elbow…room。　

But　the　Indians　were　all　around　us；　and　every　settler

had　a　collection　of　hair…raising　tales　to　tell　of　them。　

It　was　generally　agreed　that　they　were　dangerous

only　when　they　were　drunk；　but　as　they　were　drunk

whenever　they　could　get　whisky；　and　as　whisky　was

constantly　given　them　in　exchange　for　pelts　and

game；　there　was　a　harrowing　doubt　in　our　minds

whenever　they　approached　us。



In　my　first　encounter　with　them　I　was　alone　in

the　woods　at　sunset　with　my　small　brother　Harry。　

We　were　hunting　a　cow　James　had　bought；　and　our

young　eyes　were　peering　eagerly　among　the　trees；

on　the　alert　for　any　moving　object。　　Suddenly；　at

a　little　distance；　and　coming　directly　toward　us；　we

saw　a　party　of　Indians。　　There　were　five　of　them；

all　men；　walking　in　single　file；　as　noiselessly　as　ghosts；

their　moccasined　feet　causing　not　even　a　rustle

among　the　dry　leaves　that　carpeted　the　woods。　　All

the　horrible　stories　we　had　heard　of　Indian　cruelty

flashed　into　our　minds；　and　for　a　moment　we　were

dumb　with　terror。　　Then　I　remembered　having　been

told　that　the　one　thing　one　must　not　do　before　them

is　to　show　fear。　　Harry　was　carrying　a　rope　with

which　we　had　expected　to　lead　home　our　reluctant

cow；　and　I　seized　one　end　of　it　and　whispered

to　him　that　we　would　‘‘play　horse；''　pretending　he

was　driving　me。　　We　pranced　toward　the　Indians

on　feet　that　felt　like　lead；　and　with　eyes　so　glazed　by

terror　that　we　could　see　nothing　save　a　line　of　moving

figures；　but　as　we　passed　them　they　did　not　give

to　our　little　impersonation　of　care…free　children　even

the　tribute　of　a　side…glance。　　They　were；　we　realized；

headed　straight　for　our　home；　and　after　a　few　mo…

ments　we　doubled　on　our　tracks　and；　keeping　at　a

safe　distance　from　them　among　the　trees；　ran　back

to　warn　our　mother　that　they　were　coming。



As　it　happened；　James　was　away；　and　mother　had

to　meet　her　unwelcome　guests　supported　only　by

her　young