As we have before said, time passed rapidly; with the exception of one
or two excursions after venison, they remained in the cottage, and Jacob
never went to Lymington. The frost had broken up, the snow had long
disappeared, and the trees began to bud. The sun became powerful, and
in the month of May the forest began again to look green.
"And now, Edward," said Jacob Armitage, one day at breakfast, "we will
try for venison again to sell at Lymington, for I must purchase
Humphrey's cart and harness; so let us get our guns, and go out this
fine morning. The stags are mostly by themselves at this season, for
the does are with their young calves. We must find the slot of a deer,
and track him to his lair, and you shall have the first shot if you
like; but that, however, depends more upon the deer than upon me."
They had walked four or five miles when they came upon the slot or track
of a deer, but Jacob's practised eye pointed out to Edward that it was
the slot of a young one, and not worth following. He explained to
Edward the difference in the hoof-marks and other signs by which this
knowledge was gained, and they proceeded onwards until they found
another slot, which Jacob declared to be that of a warrantable stag--
that is, one old enough to kill and to be good venison.
"We must now track him to his lair, Edward."
This took them about a mile farther, when they arrived at a small
thicket of thorns about an acre in extent.
"Here he is, you see, Edward; let me now see if he is harboured."
They walked round the thicket, and could not find any slot or track by
which the stag had left the covert, and Jacob pronounced that the animal
must be hid in it.
"Now, Edward, do you stay here while I go back to the lee side of the
covert: I will enter it with Smoker, and the stag will, in all
probability, when he is roused, come out to breast the wind. You will
then have a good shot at him; recollect to fire so as to hit him behind
the shoulder: if he is moving quick, fire a little before the shoulders;
if slow, take aim accurately; but recollect, if I come upon him in the
covert, I shall kill him if I can, for we want the venison, and then we
will go after another to give you a chance."
Jacob then left Edward, and went down to the lee side of the covert,
where he entered it with Smoker. Edward was stationed behind a
thorn-bush, which grew a few yards clear of the covert, and he soon
heard the creaking of the branches.
A short time elapsed, and a fine stag came out at a trot; he turned his
head, and was just bounding away, when Edward fired, and the animal
fell. Remembering the advice of Jacob, Edward remained where he was, in
silence reloading his piece, and was soon afterwards joined by Jacob and
the dog.
"Well done, Edward!" said the forester in a low voice, and covering his
forehead to keep off the glare of the sun, he looked earnestly at a high
brake between some thorn-trees, about half a mile to windward. "I think
I see something there--look, Edward, your eyes are younger than mine.
Is that the branch of a tree in the fern, or is it not?"
"I see what you mean," replied Edward. "It is not, it moves."
"I thought so, but my eyes are not so good as they once were. It's
another stag, depend upon it; but how to get near him? We never can get
across this patch of clear grass without being seen."
"No, we cannot get at him from this spot," replied Edward; "but if we
were to fall back to leeward, and gain the forest again, I think that
there are thorns sufficient from the forest to where he lies, to creep
from behind one to the other, so as to get a shot at him; don't you?"
"It will require care and patience to manage that; but I think it might
be done. I will try; it is my turn now, you know. You had better stay
here with the dog, for only one can hide from thorn to thorn."
Jacob, ordering Smoker to remain, then set off. He had to make a
circuit of three miles to get to the spot where the thorns extended from
the forest, and Edward saw no more of him, although he strained his
eyes, until the stag sprung out, and the gun was discharged. Edward
perceived that the stag was not killed, but severely wounded, running
towards the covert near which he was hid. "Down, Smoker," said he, as
he cocked his gun. The stag came within shot, and was coming nearer
when, seeing Edward, it turned. Edward fired, and then cheered on the
dog, who sprang after the wounded animal, giving tongue, as he followed
him. Edward, perceiving Jacob hastening towards him, waited for him.
"He's hard hit, Edward," cried Jacob, "and Smoker will have him; but we
must follow as fast as we can."
They both caught up their guns and ran as fast as they could, when, as
they entered the wood, they heard the dog at bay.
"We shan't have far to go, Edward; the animal is done up, Smoker has him
at bay."
They hastened on another quarter of a mile, when they found that the
stag had fallen on his knees, and had been seized by the throat by
Smoker.
"Mind, Edward, now, how I go up to him, for the wound from the horn of
the deer is very dangerous."
Jacob advanced from behind the stag, and cut his throat with his
hunting-knife. "He is a fine beast, and we have done well to-day; but
we shall have two journeys to make to get all this venison home. I
could not get a fair shot at him--and see, I have hit him here in the
flank."
"And here is my ball in his throat," said Edward.
"So it is. Then it was a good shot that you made, and you are master of
the hunt this day, Edward. Now, I'll remain, and you go home for White
Billy; Humphrey is right about the cart. If we had one, we could have
carried all home at once; but I must go now and cut the throat of the
other stag which you killed so cleverly. You will be a good hunter one
of these days, Edward. A little more knowledge, and a little more
practice, and I will leave it all to you, and hang my gun up over the
chimney."
It was late in the evening before they had made their two trips and
taken all the venison home, and very tired were they before it was all
safely housed. Edward was delighted with his success, but not more so
than was old Jacob. The next morning Jacob set off for Lymington, with
the pony loaded with venison, which he sold, as well as two more loads
which he promised to bring the next day, and the day after. He then
looked out for a cart, and was fortunate in finding a small one just
fitted to the size of the pony, who was not tall, but very strong, as
all New Forest ponies are. He also procured harness, and then put Billy
in the cart to draw him home; but Billy did not admire being put in a
cart, and for some time was very restive, and backed and reared, and
went every way but the right; but by dint of coaxing and leading, he at
last submitted, and went straight on: but then the noise of the cart
behind him frightened him, and he ran away. At last, having tired
himself out, he thought that he might as well go quietly in harness, as
he could not get out of it; and he did so, and arrived safe at the
cottage. Humphrey was delighted at the sight of the cart, and said that
now they should get on well. The next day Jacob contrived to put all
the remainder of the venison in the cart, and White Billy made no more
difficulty; he dragged it all to Lymington, and returned with the cart
as quietly and cleverly as if he had been in harness all his life.
"Well, Edward, the venison paid for the cart, at all events," said
Jacob, "and now, I will tell you all the news I collected while I was at
Lymington. Captain Burly, who attempted to incite the people to rescue
the king, has been hung, drawn, and quartered, as a traitor."
"They are traitors who condemned him," replied Edward in wrath.
"Yes, so they are; but there is better news, which is, that the Duke of
York has escaped to Holland."
"Yes, that is good news; and the king?"
"He is still a prisoner in Carisbrook Castle. There are many rumours
and talks, but no one knows what is true and what is false; but depend
upon it, this cannot last long, and the king will have his rights yet."
Edward remained very grave for some time.
"I trust in heaven we all shall have our rights yet, Jacob," said he at
last. "I wish I was a man!"
Here the conversation ended, and they went to bed.
This was now a busy time at the cottage. The manure had to be got out
of the stable and pigsties, and carried out to the potato-ground and
garden; the crops had to be put in; and the cart was now found valuable.
After the manure had been carried out and spread, Edward and Humphrey
helped Jacob to dig the ground, and then to put in the seed. The
cabbage-plants of last year were then put out, and the turnips and
carrots sown. Before the month was over the garden and potato-field
were cropped, and Humphrey took upon himself to weed and keep it clean.
Little Edith had also employment now; for the hens began to lay eggs,
and as soon as she heard them cackling, she ran for the eggs and brought
them in; and before the month was over Jacob had set four hens upon
eggs. Billy, the pony, was now turned out to graze in the forest; he
came home every night of his own accord.
"I'll tell you what we want," said Humphrey, who took the command
altogether over the farm; "we want a cow."
"Oh yes, a cow," cried Alice; "I have plenty of time to milk her."
"Whose cows are those which I see in the forest sometimes?" said
Humphrey to Jacob.
"If they belong to anybody, they belong to the king," replied Jacob;
"but they are cattle which have strayed and found their way to the
forest, and have remained here ever since. They are rather wild and
savage, and you must be careful how you go too near them, as the bulls
will run at you. They increase very fast: there were but six a few
years ago, and now there are at least fifty in the herd."
"Well, I'll try and get one, if I can," said Humphrey.
"You will be puzzled to do that, boy," replied Jacob, "and as I said
before, beware of the bulls."
"I don't want a bull," replied Humphrey; "but a cow would give us milk,
and then we should have more manure for the garden. My garden will then
grow more potatoes."
"Well, Humphrey, if you can catch a cow, no one will interfere; but I
think you will not find it very easy, and you may find it very
dangerous."
"I'll look-out for one," replied Humphrey, "anyhow. Alice, if we only
had a cow, wouldn't that be jolly?"
The crops were now all up, and as the days began to be long, the work
became comparatively light and easy. Humphrey was busy making a little
wheelbarrow for Edith, that she might barrow away the weeds as he hoed
them up; and at last this great performance was completed, much to the
admiration of all, and much to his own satisfaction. Indeed, when it is
recollected that Humphrey had only the hand-saw and axe, and that he had
to cut down the tree, and then to saw it into plank, it must be
acknowledged that it required great patience and perseverance even to
make a wheelbarrow; but Humphrey was not only persevering, but was full
of invention. He had built up a hen-house with fir poles, and made the
nests for the hens to lay and hatch in, and they now had between forty
and fifty chickens running about. He had also divided the pigsty, so
that the sow might be kept apart from the other pigs; and they expected
very soon to have a litter of young pigs. He had transplanted the wild
strawberries from the forest, and had by manure made them large and
good; and he had also a fine crop of onions in the garden, from seed
which Jacob had bought at Lymington; now Humphrey was very busy cutting
down some poles in the forest to make a cow-house, for he declared that
he would have a cow somehow or another. June arrived, and it was time
to mow down grass to make into hay for the winter, and Jacob had two
scythes. He showed the boys how to use them, and they soon became
expert; and as there was plenty of long grass at this time of the year,
and they could mow when they pleased, they soon had White Billy in full
employment carrying the hay home. The little girls helped to make it,
for Humphrey had made them two rakes. Jacob thought that there was hay
enough made, but Humphrey said that there was enough for the pony, but
not enough for the cow.
"But where is the cow to come from, Humphrey?"
"Where the venison comes from," replied he,--"out of the forest."
So Humphrey continued to mow and make hay, while Edward and Jacob went
out for venison. After all the hay was made and stacked, Humphrey found
out a method of thatching with fern, which Jacob had never thought of;
and when that was done, they commenced cutting down fern for fodder.
Here again Humphrey would have twice as much as Jacob had ever cut
before, because he wanted litter for the cow. At last it became quite a
joke between him and Edward, who, when he brought home more venison than
would keep in the hot weather, told Humphrey that the remainder was for
the cow. Still Humphrey would not give up the point, and every morning
and evening he would be certain to be absent an hour or two, and it was
found out he was watching the herd of wild cattle who were feeding:
sometimes they were very near, at others a long way off. He used to get
up into the trees, and examine them as they passed under him, without
perceiving him. One night Humphrey returned very late, and the next
morning he was off before daylight. Breakfast was over, and Humphrey
did not make his appearance, and they could not tell what was the
matter. Jacob felt uneasy, but Edward laughed, and said:
"Oh, depend upon it, he'll come back and bring the cow with him."
Hardly had Edward said these words when in came Humphrey red with
perspiration.
"Now then, Jacob and Edward, come with me; we must put Billy in the
cart, and take Smoker and a rope with us. Take your guns too, for fear
of accident."
"Why, what's the matter?"
"I'll tell you as we go along, but I must put Billy in the cart, for
there is no time to be lost."