II

About a week after this admission of the little raccoon to his Family,

MacPhairrson met with an accident. Coming down the long, sloping

platform of the mill, the point of one of his crutches caught in a

crack, and he plunged headlong, striking his head on a link of heavy

"snaking" chain. He was picked up unconscious and carried to the

nearest cabin. For several days his stupor was unbroken, and the

doctor hardly expected him to pull through. Then he recovered

consciousness--but he was no longer MacPhairrson. His mind was a sort

of amiable blank. He had to be fed and cared for like a very young

child. The doctor decided at last that there was some pressure of bone

on the brain, and that operations quite beyond his skill would be

required. At his suggestion a purse was made up among the mill hands

and the Settlement folk, and MacPhairrson, smiling with infantile

enjoyment, was packed off down river on the little tri-weekly steamer

to the hospital in the city.

As soon as it was known around the mill--which stood amidst its

shanties a little apart from the Settlement--that MacPhairrson was to

be laid up for a long time, the question arose: "What's to become of

the Family?" It was morning when the accident happened, and in the

afternoon the Boy had come up to look after the animals. After that,

when the mill stopped work at sundown, there was a council held, amid

the suddenly silent saws.

"What's to be done about the orphants?" was the way Jimmy Wright put

the problem.

Black Angus MacAllister, the Boss--so called to distinguish him from

Red Angus, one of the gang of log-drivers--had his ideas already

pretty well formed on the subject, and intended that his ideas should

go. He did not really care much about any one else's ideas except the

Boy's, which he respected as second only to those of MacPhairrson

where the wild kindreds were concerned. Black Angus was a huge,

big-handed, black-bearded, bull-voiced man, whose orders and

imprecations made themselves heard above the most piercing crescendos

of the saws. When his intolerant eyes fixed a man, what he had to say

usually went, no matter what different views on the subject his hearer

might secretly cling to. But he had a tender, somewhat sentimental

streak in his character, which expressed itself in a fondness for all

animals. The horses and oxen working around the mill were all well

cared for and showed it in their condition; and the Boss was always

ready to beat a man half to death for some very slight ill-usage of an

animal.

"A man kin take keer o' himself," he would say in explanation, "an'

the dumb critters can't. It's our place to take keer of 'em."

"Boys," said he, his great voice not yet toned down to the quiet, "I

say, let's divvy up the critters among us, jest us mill hands an' the

Boy here, an' look out fer 'em the best we know how till MacPhairrson

gits well!"

He looked interrogatively at the Boy, and the Boy, proud of the

importance thus attached to him, answered modestly--

"That's just what I was hoping you'd suggest, Mr. MacAllister. You

know, of course, they can't stay on together there alone. They

wouldn't be a Happy Family long. They'd get to fighting in no time,

and about half of 'em would get killed quick."

There was a moment of deliberative silence. No smoking was allowed in

the mill, but the hands all chewed. Jimmy Wright, marking the bright

face of a freshly sawed deal about eight feet away, spat unerringly

upon its exact centre, then giving a hitch to his trousers, he

remarked--

"Let the Boss an' the Boy settle it. They onderstand it the best."

"That's right, Jimmy! We'll fix it!" said Black Angus. "Now,

for mine, I've got a fancy for the parrot an' the pig. That

there Ananias-and-Sapphira, she's a bird an' no mistake. An'

the pig--MacPhairrson calls him Ebenezer--he's that smart ye'd

jest kill yerself laffin' to see him. An', moreover, he's that

clean--he's clean as a lady. I'd like to have them two around

my shanty. An' I'm ready to take one more if necessary."

"Then I think you'll have to take the coon too, Mr. MacAllister," said

the Boy. "He and Ebenezer just love each other, an' they wouldn't be

happy separated."

"All right. The coon fer me!" responded the Boss. "Which of the

critters will you take yerself?"

"I'll wait and see which the rest of the boys want," replied the Boy.

"I like them all, and they all know me pretty well. I'll take what's

left."

"Well, then," said Jimmy Wright, "me for Susan. That blame moose

calf's the only one of the critters that I could ever git along with.

She's a kind of a fool, an' seems to like me!" And he decorated the

bright deal once more.

"Me an' my missus, we'll be proud to take them two white cats!" put in

grey old Billy Smith. "She sez, sez she, they be the han'somest cats

in two counties. Mebbe they won't be so lonesome with us as they'd be

somewheres else, bein's as our shanty's so nigh MacPhairrson's bridge

they kin see for themselves all the time there ain't no one on to the

island any more!"

"Stumpy's not spoken for!" reminded the Boy. The dog was popular, and

half a dozen volunteered for him at once.

"Mike gits the dawg!" decided the Boss, to head off arguments.

"Then I'll take the big gander," spoke up Baldy Pallen, one of the

disappointed applicants for Stumpy. "He knows as much as any dawg ever

lived."

"Yes, I reckon he kin teach ye a heap, Baldy!" agreed the Boss. A

laugh went round at Baldy's expense. Then for a few seconds there were

no more applications.

"No one seems to want poor Butters and Bones!" laughed the Boy.

"They're neither of them what you'd call sociable. But Bones has his

good points. He can see in the dark; and he's a great one for minding

his own business. Butters has a heap of sense; but he's too cross to

show it, except for MacPhairrson himself. Guess _I'd_ better take them

both, as I understand their infirmities."

"An' ain't there a young fox?" inquired the Boss.

"Oh, Carrots; he can just stay on the island," answered the Boy. "If

some of you'll throw him a bite to eat every day, he'll be all right.

He can't get into any mischief. And he can't get away. He stands on

his dignity so, nobody'd get any fun out of having _him!_"

These points decided, the council broke up and adjourned to

MacPhairrson's island, carrying several pieces of rope, a halter, and

a couple of oat-bags. The members of the Family, vaguely upset over

the long absence of their master, nearly all came down to the bridge

in their curiosity to see who was coming--all, indeed, but the fox,

who slunk off behind the cabin; Butters, who retired to his box; and

Bones, who remained scornfully indifferent in his corner. The rest

eyed the crowd uneasily, but were reassured by seeing the Boy with

them. In fact, they all crowded around him, as close as they could,

except Stumpy, who went about greeting his acquaintances, and James

Edward, who drew back with lifted wings and a haughty hiss, resolved

to suffer no familiarities.

Jimmy Wright made the first move. He had cunningly brought some salt

in his pocket. With the casual remark that he wasn't going to put it

on her tail, he offered a handful to the non-committal Susan. The

ungainly creature blew most of it away with a windy snort, then

changed her mind and greedily licked up the few remaining grains.

Deciding that Jimmy was an agreeable person with advantages, she

allowed him to slip the halter on her neck and lead her unprotesting

over the bridge.

Then Black Angus made overtures to Ebenezer, who carried the little

raccoon on his back. Ebenezer received them with a mixture of dignity

and doubt, but refused to stir an inch from the Boy's side. Black

Angus scratched his head in perplexity.

"'Tain't no use tryn' to lead him, I reckon!" he muttered.

"No, you'll have to carry him in your arms, Mr. MacAllister," laughed

the Boy. "Good thing he ain't very big yet. But here, take

Ananias-and-Sapphira first. If _she'll_ be friends with you, that'll

mean a lot to Ebenezer." And he deftly transferred the parrot from his

own shoulder, where she had taken refuge at once on his arrival, to

the lofty shoulder of the Boss.

The bird was disconcerted for an instant. She "slicked" down her

feathers till she looked small and demure, and stretched herself far

out as if to try a jump for her old perch. But, one wing being

clipped, she did not dare the attempt. She had had enough experience

of those sickening, flopping somersaults which took the place of

flight when only one wing was in commission. Turning from the Boy, she

eyed MacAllister's nose with her evil, unwinking stare. Possibly she

intended to bite it. But at this moment MacAllister reached up his

huge hand fearlessly to stroke her head, just as fearlessly as if she

were not armed with a beak that could bite through a boot. Greatly

impressed by this daring, she gurgled in her throat, and took the

great thumb delicately between her mandibles with a daintiness that

would not have marred a rose-petal. Yes, she concluded at once, this

was a man after her own heart, with a smell to his hands like that of

MacPhairrson himself. Dropping the thumb with a little scream of

satisfaction, she sidled briskly up and down MacAllister's shoulder,

making herself quite at home.

"My, but she's taken a shine to you, Mr. MacAllister!" exclaimed the

Boy. "I never saw her do like that before."

The Boss grinned proudly.

"Ananias-an'-Sapphira be of the female sect, bain't she?" inquired

Baldy Pallen, with a sly look over the company.

"Sure, she's a she!" replied the Boy. "MacPhairrson says so!"

"That accounts fer it!" said Baldy. "It's a way all shes have with the

Boss. Jest look at her now!"

"Now for Ebenezer!" interrupted the Boss, to change the subject.

"_You_ better hand him to me, an' maybe he'll take it as an

introduction."

Solemnly the Boy stooped, shoving the little raccoon aside, and picked

the pig up in his arms. Ebenezer was amazed, having never before been

treated as a lap-dog, but he made no resistance beyond stiffening out

all his legs in a way that made him most awkward to handle. Placed in

the Boss's great arms, he lifted his snout straight up in the air and

emitted one shrill squeal; but the sight of Ananias-and-Sapphira,

perched coolly beneath his captor's ear, in a measure reassured him,

and he made no further protest. He could not, however, appear

reconciled to the inexplicable and altogether undignified situation,

so he held his snout rigidly as high aloft as he could and shut his

little eyes tight, as if anticipating some further stroke of fate.

Black Angus was satisfied so far. He felt that the tolerance of

Ebenezer and the acceptance of Ananias-and-Sapphira added distinctly

to his prestige.

"Now for the little coon!" said he, jocularly. But the words were

hardly out of his mouth when he felt sharp claws go up his leg with a

rush, and the next instant the little raccoon was on his shoulder,

reaching out its long, black nose to sniff solicitously at Ebenezer's

legs and assure itself that everything was all right.

"Jumping Jiminy! Oh, by Gee!" squealed Ananias-and-Sapphira, startled

at the sudden onset, and nipped the intruder smartly on the leg till

he squalled and whipped around to the other shoulder.

"Now you've got all that's coming to you, I guess, Mr. MacAllister,"

laughed the Boy.

"Then I reckon I'd better be lightin' out fer home with it!" answered

Black Angus, hugely elated. Turning gently, so as not to dislodge the

passengers on his shoulder, he strode off over the bridge and up the

sawdust-muffled street towards his clapboard cottage, Ebenezer's snout

still held rigidly up in air, his eyes shut in heroic resignation,

while Ananias-and-Sapphira, tremendously excited by this excursion

into the outer world, kept shrieking at the top of her voice:

"Ebenezer, Ebenezer, Ebenezer! Oh, by Gee! I want Pa!"

As soon as the noisy and picturesque recessional of Black Angus had

vanished, Baldy Pallen set out confidently to capture the wild

gander, James Edward. He seemed to expect to tuck him under his arm

and walk off with him at his ease. Observing this, the Boy looked

around with a solemn wink. Old Billy Smith and the half-dozen

onlookers who had no responsibility in the affair grinned and waited.

As Baldy approached, holding out a hand of placation, and "chucking"

persuasively as if he thought James Edward was a hen, the latter

reared his snaky black head and stared in haughty surprise. Then he

gave vent to a strident hiss of warning. Could it be possible that

this impudent stranger contemplated meddling with him? Yes, plainly it

was possible. It was certain, in fact. The instant he realized this,

James Edward lowered his long neck, darted it out parallel with the

ground, spread his splendid wings, and rushed at Baldy's legs with a

hiss like escaping steam. Baldy was startled and bewildered. His legs

tweaked savagely by the bird's strong, hard bill, and thumped

painfully by the great, battering, windy wings, he sputtered: "Jumpin'

Judas!" in an embarrassed tone, and retreated behind Billy Smith and

the Boy.

A roar of delighted laughter arose as James Edward backed away in

haughty triumph, and strolled carelessly up towards the cabin. There

were cries of "Ketch him quick, Baldy!" "Try a leetle coaxin'!" "Don't

be so rough with the gosling, Baldy!" "Jest whistle to him, an' he'll

folly ye!" But, ignoring these pleasantries, Baldy rubbed his legs and

turned to the Boy for guidance.

"Are you sure you want him now?" inquired the latter.

"Course I want him!" returned Baldy with a sheepish grin. "I'll coax

him round an' make friends with him all right when I git him home. But

how'm I goin' to git him? I'm afeared o' hurtin' him, he seems that

delicate, and his feelin's so sensitive like!"

"We'll have to surround him, kind of. Just wait, boys!" said the Boy.

And running into the cabin, past the deliberate James Edward, he

reappeared with a heavy blanket.

The great gander eyed his approach with contemptuous indifference. He

had come to regard the Boy as quite harmless. When, therefore, the

encumbering folds of the blanket descended, it was too late to resist.

In a moment he was rolled over in the dark, bundled securely, picked

up, and ignominiously tucked under Baldy Pallen's arm.

"Now you've got him, don't let go o' him!" admonished the Boy,

and amid encouraging jeers Baldy departed, carrying the bundle

victoriously. He had not more than crossed the bridge, however,

when the watchers on the island saw a slender black head wriggle

out from one end of the bundle, dart upward behind his left arm,

and seize the man viciously by the ear. With a yell Baldy grabbed

the head, and held it securely in his great fist till the Boy

ran to his rescue. When James Edward's bill was removed from

Baldy's bleeding ear, his darting, furious head tucked back into

the blanket, the Boy said--

"Now, Baldy, that was just your own fault for not keeping tight hold.

You can't blame James Edward for biting you!"

"Sure, no!" responded Baldy, cheerfully. "I don't blame him a mite. I

brag on the spunk of him. Him an' me'll git on all right."

James Edward gone, the excitement was over. The Boy picked up the two

big white cats, Melindy and Jim, and placed them in the arms of old

Billy Smith, where they settled themselves, looking about with an air

of sleepy wisdom. From smallest kittenhood the smell of a homespun

shirt had stood to them for every kind of gentleness and shelter, so

they saw no reason to find fault with the arms of Billy Smith. By this

time old Butters, the woodchuck, disturbed at the scattering of the

Family, had retired in a huff to the depths of his little barrel by

the doorstep. The Boy clapped an oat-bag over the end of the barrel,

and tied it down. Then he went into the cabin and slipped another bag

over the head of the unsuspecting Bones, who fluffed all his feathers

and snapped his fierce beak like castanets. In two minutes he was tied

up so that he could neither bite nor claw.

"That was slick!" remarked Red Angus, who had hitherto taken no part

in the proceedings. He and the rest of the hands had followed in hope

of further excitement.

"Well, then, Angus, will you help me home? Will you take the barrel,

and see that Butters doesn't gnaw out on the way?"

Red Angus picked up the barrel and carried it carefully in front of

him, head up, that the sly old woodchuck might not steal a march on

him. Then the Boy picked up Bones in his oat-bag, and closed the cabin

door. As the party left the island with loud tramping of feet on the

little bridge, the young fox crept slyly from behind the cabin, and

eyed them through cunningly narrowed slits of eyes. At last he was

going to have the island all to himself; and he set himself to dig a

burrow directly under the doorstep, where that meddlesome MacPhairrson

had never permitted him to dig.