_A Banquet begun, but suddenly interrupted.--The far-off Boar.--Off in
Search of it.--Keeping Watch at the old French Orchard.--Another
Boar, and another Chase.--Soliloquies of Solomon.--Sudden, amazing,
paralyzing, and utterly confounding Discovery.--One deep, dark, dread
Mystery stands revealed in a familiar but absurd Form._
THE boys now began a very pleasant repast in their camp. Solomon had,
as usual, done justice to the occasion. He had chickens, turkeys, mince
pies, and other articles too numerous to mention. The boys had enough
to talk about; for Bart had to narrate again the story of his captivity,
and Bruce had to give an account of their wanderings through the valley
of the Gas-pereaux.
The departure of the invading host was viewed by the boys without any
demonstrations of excitement whatever. They tried to act as though they
were perfectly indifferent to their movements; and having gained the
solid results of a victory, they did not care to heighten its brilliancy
by any vain display of triumph. The triumph that was in their hearts was
enough. They knew also that the Gas-pereaugians would feel an additional
mortification when they reached home; for then they would there learn
that Bruce and his party had penetrated to the very centre of their
territory, and had virtually done defiance by lingering so long by the
bridge.
By that memorable exploit the camp in the woods had now become
hallowed. Henceforth it was to bear in their eyes the charm of historic
associations. They felt that their labor in building it had not been
in vain. In truth it was a pleasant spot; and apart from any other
associations, its own quiet beauty was sufficient to give it strong
attractions. Its walls arose above them, surmounted by its roof, all
interwoven with the fragrant, balsamic branches of fir trees. They had
chosen fir in preference to others for the reason that the spines of the
fir branches will cling for months before drooping; whereas the hemlock,
the spruce, the pine, and most other trees of that kind, are of such a
nature that their spines will not cling to the severed branch for much
more than a week. And here were the dark green walls, cool, and shadowy,
and fragrant. Over the floor was a thick, deep carpeting of soft moss,
suitable for a seat, or for a couch. Outside, all the scene was shut in
by the lofty trees which bordered the little dell. Just behind them the
brook bubbled and babbled over rocks and pebbles, till it fell into
‘the pool. The pool itself, their handiwork, was not the least of
the attractions. Its waters were deep enough to bathe in, and made a
pleasant contrast to those surrounding trees which it reflected in its
mirrorlike surface. Farther down, the brook passed on, bordered on one
side with trees, and on the other by that grassy knoll where late the
beleaguering Gaspereaugians had stood. On it went, past the trees, past
the knoll, through underbrush and mosses, until at length it was lost
to view in the forest. But amid all these beauties, the one object which
was dearest to the “B. O. W. C.” was that which they had fixed over the
door as at once a memorial of the past and a stimulus to adventurous
deeds in the future. It was the jaw of the big fish. They had for a
while been undecided as to its destination, and were on the point of
giving it to the Museum, but at last decided on placing it there. There
it accordingly was, grinning pleasantly with its triangular teeth, and
inviting every one to enter.
Thus they were seated at their lunch, with Solomon a little apart,
looking at them like a father, engaged in pleasing conversation upon
all the topics which their recent varied adventures might suggest,
recounting the past, enjoying the present, and speculating on the
future, when suddenly there came an interruption, which in a moment put
a full stop to everything.
It was a distant sound.
Now a distant sound must have been very peculiar to have caused such
excitement as this.
Very well--this was very peculiar.
It was a harsh, dissonant roar, a noise, in fact, that could not be
called a roar exactly, but something half way between a roar and a
howl, repeating itself over and over, and pealing from afar upon their
startled ears in tremendous echoes. There was no mistaking that sound.
It was the same as the one that had so startled them on the memorable
night of the money-digging, and had sent them flying in confusion from
the spot.
The boys all looked at one another with glances of deep meaning. Not one
of them was frightened now. Solomon was only curious; in him the broad
day destroyed any superstitious feeling. Had it been dark, he would have
been as terrified as he was before.
The noise was repeated over and over as they listened, and at last it
ceased. It sounded like the conglomeration of the bellow of a bull, the
roar of a lion, the yell of a madman, and the shriek of a steam-whistle,
intermixed with other harsh and discordant noises that can scarcely be
defined; and the whole result was one which can certainly not be likened
to anything at all.
“That settles it!” said Bart at last.
“What?” asked Tom.
“Well, I’ve been giving the Gaspereaugians the credit of that row at
the money-hole, and when they came to-day I was certain of it; but this
shows that they could have had nothing to do with it. It’s over there,
between us and the Academy, and sounds now in the direction of the
money-hole.”
“Now’s the time to find it out,” said Bruce. “I was going to propose
a watch to-night, to see if we could get at the bottom of it. This is
lucky, for we can examine it by daylight.”
“It’s the very same noise,” said Arthur.
“O, there’s no doubt about it,” said Phil, “only it’s farther off. That
night the roar seemed to burst forth just behind me. It’s the same in
kind, only less in degree, as Mr. Simmons says.”
“Come along then, boys,” said Bart, “Don’t let’s lose any time. It must
be somewhere about the old French orchard. Hurry up!” and with these
words they all started off.
“De gracious!” cried Solomon. “Where you gwine to? You won’t find
nuffin. Dem sorts ob tings don’t ’low derselves to be caught, mind, I
tell you! Come back, chil’en, an finish yer dinna, an don’t go actin.
An me’s been a cookin for you like all possessed. What’s to become ob an
ole darky ef you won’t eat? Dis heah ain’t de proppa conduc fur de Bee
See Double. I’ll frow up my office. I won’t be a Granpander any longer.”
But the boys hurried away, and Solomon’s voice sounded upon the
empty air. Thereupon he began collecting the dishes and eatables, and
replacing them in his basket.
Leaving Solomon thus, the boys hurried on in a state of great
excitement. The mystery had thus far weighed heavily on all their
spirits. In Bruce it may have been superstitious feeling which made it
oppressive to him; but in the others it was the mortification of their
retreat and panic, and the unpleasantness of not being able to account
for the cause. The sounds, as far as they could judge, seemed to come
from the old French orchard; but Bruce insisted that it issued from the
woods. This formed the subject of loud debate among them as they went
on. The majority, however, were against Bruce, and thought that it was
farther away than the limit of the woods.
“Can it be any of the boys, after all?” said Bart, as they went along
the path. “Can Pat have in his possession any very remarkable kind of
fish-horn or fog-horn?”
“Pat? Nonsense!” said Arthur. “Do you think that any power of Pat’s
could produce such a noise?”
“O, I don’t know. He may have a private pocket steam engine, and
occasionally let off steam to amuse himself.”
“You’ll have to hunt farther than Pat,” said Bruce, seriously.
“Why, man alive!” cried Bart; “you don’t think now that there’s anything
in it--do you?”
Bruce said nothing.
They all hurried along the path, peering into the woods as they went on,
and listening for a renewal of the sound.
But there was none.
At length they reached the gully, and, crossing it, they ascended the
steep slope on the other side. This brought them to the old French
orchard, and to the very cellar which had been the scene of their
memorable midnight operations. Looking down into the cellar, they could
see the traces of their work very plainly. They had filled in the hole
as well as they could, but the ground bore visible marks of having been
turned up.
“If any of the fellows have been up here,” said Bart, “they must have
noticed this.”
“I don’t think that follows,” said Phil. “They wouldn’t notice it, in my
opinion.”
“O, don’t you believe that. The marks of digging there are enough to
make any fellow notice them.”
“Well, what if they do?” said Bruce. “They’ll never think that we had
anything to do with it. So we needn’t bother our heads about that.”
“The fact is,” said Arthur, “none of them have been up here since they
got back. Bogud and Billymack have been studying; Pat has been occupied
on the hill; and the others have taken to the dikes. We’re the only
fellows that have been here at all.”
“For my part,” said Bart, “I should like to try that hole again. I don’t
believe there’s anything there, but at the same time I don’t like to
leave a thing unfinished, especially where it’s been broken off the way
this was. And what’s more, I’m bound to have another turn at it.”
“And so am I,” said Phil.
“And I,” said Arthur.
“I’ll be there,” said Tom.
“Well, boys, I’ll be there, too,” said Bruce, “and we’ll omit Solomon
this time, and Captain Corbet. We may as well do it by daylight.”
“Of course,” said Bart, “it’s all humbug to dig at night. It’s ten times
as much trouble, and then we lose our sleep. We can come up early some
morning and do it. At the same time, I’m glad we had that night. It’s
something to look back upon.”
“That’s all very well,” said Phil; “but I’d like to know why we can’t
hear that noise again. If it came from this hole, or from the old French
orchard, now’s the time for it. Here we are all ready. So roar away,
somebody!”
They all sat down now on the grass, and listened for a while in silence.
They could look over the gully on one side, and part of the play-ground
on the other. On three sides the woods encircled them. Running along
the play-ground on one side, where the woods ended was a pasture field
belonging to Dr. Porter. This pasture field could not be seen from the
place where they were.
They sat here for some time, waiting for the sound to arise again; and
as they sat here, Solomon emerged from the woods, climbed the slope,
and advanced towards them. He had replaced all the dishes and all the
provisions in the basket, and was now carrying it back. “Dar,” he said,
as he put it down. “It beats me. Don’t see de use, no how, fur an ole
darky to go an broil his ole brack head off cookin and roastin all sorts
ob tings if dey won’t be eaten. An tings, too, what got captured by de
Gasperojums! An what we skewered safe back out ob dere plunderin bans!
Besides,--blubbed bruddren, if you don’t eat my tings I feel kind o’
slighted--I feel it a pusnul insult. Dat’s so.”
“O, well, Solomon, you know why we cleared out. So you’ve brought the
basket. Well, why can’t we go to work here? Come, boys, let’s rise
superior to circumstances, and finish our lunch.” Bart’s proposal was
greeted with a shout of joy, and once more Solomon, grinning with pride
and delight, spread out before them his dishes and eatables.
They had just begun; they had just lifted to their still hungry and
unsatisfied mouths a morsel or two, selected from among the dainties
spread out by Solomon; they had just become familiar once more with
the delicious flavor of some of his pet dishes,--when suddenly, without
warning, and altogether unexpectedly, there burst forth again that roar
for which they had been waiting so long. Harsh, dissonant, ferocious,
resonant in its bellowing intonations, it burst upon their ears, now
much nearer than when they had heard it at the camp, and seeming very
nearly as loud as it had been on that eventful night. The sound
also seemed to come from Dr. Porter’s pasture field. One moment they
listened--that moment assured them of the true direction. The next
moment they flung down their plates, and knives, and forks; and away
they went, like madmen, over the field towards the pasture.
Solomon slowly rose to his feet and looked after them, with his head
bent a little forward, and his hands clasped before him.
“Well, well, well!” he ejaculated, while an expression of unutterable
disgust came over his dark face. “Well, well, well! ob all de contrairy
chil’en dat I ebber _did_ see! Nebber in de gracious sakes does dey know
when dere well off. Heah’s de second time dey pitch dere dinnas away. An
what dat dinna cost me--ob trouble and hard work! But, O, dear, down it
goes--O, yes--jes so--flung it all away--an leab dis ole nigga to
pick all it up agen. Pity de Gasperojums didn’t keep de basket. Dey’d
’preciate de dinna, any how--dat’s so. ’Tain’t de trouble,” he
grumbled on, as he picked up the things again, and put them in the
basket,--“’tain’t dat--no, sir. It’s de want ob ’preciation. Collud
folks likes to be ’preciated. So does white folks. Dar’s de doctor. Me
an him likes to be ’preciated,--but dis sort ob ting’s not ’greeble.
De day’ll come when dey’ll like to hab one ob ole Solomon’s dinnas.”
So he went on, picking up the things, growling and grumbling to himself
all the time, until at length he had filled the basket again, and went
off in the direction where the boys had gone, to see what had become of
them, and with a vague idea that the “dinna” would be resumed somewhere
farther on.
He found the boys over in the pasture field, looking a little mystified.
The noises had ceased. A few cows were quietly grazing; and among them
was an animal which was very familiar by name, but which none of them
had ever before seen in the flesh. It was a simple, domestic animal,
in some countries the most common of all; but to these boys it was a
novelty. How it had got here was also a wonder; for they had no idea
that it was here, and in their surprise they forget about the noises.
And what kind of an animal might this have been?
A quiet, a domestic, agreeable animal; in fact, only a little donkey.
“Solomon,” said Bart, as he came up, “who owns the donkey?”
“De doctor,” said Solomon.
“Why, how in the world did he happen to get one?”
“He bought him.”
“Yes, but what did he want of it?”
“O, for de chil’en to play with.”
“That’s queer. I didn’t know there was one.”
“O, you see de doctor got him de time you was off on de scursium. Ole
scissa grinda come long, an de doctor bought de donkey. Ole scissa
grinda beat de donkey so, dat de doctor got him, an means to keep him
for de chil’en. Dat’s all.”
“Poor old Neddy,” said Bart. “He’s pretty lean. But he’s all right now.
This will be a Paradise for him. But I say, boys--I wonder how he rides.
I’ve never been on a donkey’s back in my life. Have you?”
“And I never saw one before,” said Bruce. “I can’t say I admire him
much.”
“Well, neither did I, for that matter,” said Bart; “and for that very
reason I want to have a ride on him.”
Saying this, Bart went up to the donkey. The patient animal did not
move, but calmly went on eating a delicious thistle that was under his
nose. Bart got on his back. The donkey ate on, apparently unconscious of
the weight. Bart caught hold of his long ears, and tried to pull up his
head.
But the donkey ate on!
Then Bart slapped his flanks with his hands.
But the donkey ate on!
Then Bart kicked him vigorously with his heels.
But the donkey ate on!
Then he whistled, and shouted, and pulled his ears, and kicked at him,
and mixed all sorts of encouraging words with acts of the most violent
kind.
But the donkey ate on!
That donkey seemed to be about the most phlegmatic animal that they had
ever met with. Bart was in despair. He looked over the field to see if
there was a stick lying about anywhere. He asked the boys if they could
see one. He now sat still, for a short time, on the donkey’s back,
waiting till he should find a stick.
While he was seated thus the donkey slowly lifted his head.
He had finished that thistle, and felt refreshed.
Slowly he elevated his head; slowly he threw back his ears; slowly also
he elevated his tail; until at last his nose was directed towards a
point about twelve degrees above the northern horizon, and his tail to
another point about eleven degrees above the southern.
Then he spread all his legs apart.
Then he opened his mouth.