A SURPRISE
Jonas walked on until he came out of the woods, at the house where he
had seen the boy cut wood. As he approached the place, he saw that the
boy was there still; but there was a man with him. The man had a
goad-stick in his hand.
"He is driving a team somewhere," said Jonas to himself. "I wonder where
his oxen are."
A moment afterwards, Jonas came in sight of the oxen, which were in the
road, having been hid from his view before, by the wood pile.
The man and the boy looked at Jonas, as he walked towards them. The man
smiled a little, as if he knew Jonas; but Jonas thought that he had
never seen him before.
"Well, Jonas," said the man, "did you find Mr. Woodman?"
"Yes, sir," replied Jonas. He wondered how the man happened to know his
name.
"I'm glad of it," said he; "and you'd better make haste back. Rollo is
almost tired of waiting for you."
"Oliver, you mean," said Jonas.
"No," said the man,--"Rollo; he said his name was Rollo."
"Rollo?" said Jonas; "his name is Oliver. I don't see what made him tell
you that his name was Rollo."
So saying, Jonas walked thoughtfully away, wondering what this could
mean. He had never known Oliver to do any such thing before. Oliver, he
thought, would not tell a falsehood on any account. He was not inclined
to say any thing of that kind by way of jest. He was a very sober and
sedate, as well as honest boy. Besides, he could not think what should
have put Rollo into Oliver's head. He did not recollect that he had said
any thing of Rollo for a long time. In fact, he had seldom told Oliver
any thing about him; and what could have induced him to call himself
Rollo, he could not conceive.
However, he had nothing to do but to go on, for the more he attempted
to imagine some explanation of the mystery, the more he was puzzled.
So he walked on as diligently as he could.
He came, at length, in sight of the spot where he had left the horse and
Oliver. The horse was there, but Oliver was not to be seen.
"He has got tired of waiting, and has gone away," said Jonas; "or
perhaps he is playing about near."
This last supposition was pretty soon, for a moment, confirmed; for
Jonas saw, very soon after, a boy's head on the bank of the brook, at a
little distance below.
"There he is now," said Jonas to himself. "No, it isn't he. That boy
isn't dressed like Oliver. I wonder who it is."
The boy had a long pole in his hand, and was pushing cakes of ice with
it. He was so intent upon this amusement, that at first he did not see
Jonas; but, presently, looking up, his eye suddenly caught a view of
Jonas, coming, and he instantly dropped his pole, and ran towards him,
shouting,--
"Jonas!"
"Why, Rollo!" exclaimed Jonas, in his turn. "How came you to be here?"
It was Rollo, indeed. Jonas was astonished. He could scarcely believe
his senses. "Is it possible that this is you?" said he.
"Yes," said Rollo, laughing with great delight, "I believe it is."
"And how came you here? I left Oliver here an hour ago, little thinking
that he would turn into Rollo while I was gone."
"Oliver?" said Rollo, "who is Oliver?"
"Why, don't you know Oliver?" said Jonas. "He is the farmer's son. He
came with me, and I left him here to the care of the sleigh. Haven't you
seen any thing of him?"
"No," replied Rollo, "nothing; there was nobody here when I came."
"What can have become of him, then?" said Jonas. "I hope he is not lost
in the woods."
So saying, Jonas began to call aloud, "Oliver! Oliver!" But no Oliver
answered.
"Let us see if we can find any tracks," said he; and he and Rollo began
to look about for tracks.
"What's this?" said Rollo, looking down intently upon the snow, pretty
near where the horse had been tied.
"Any tracks?" said Jonas.
"No," said Rollo, "but some writing in the snow."
So Rollo began to read the writing in a slow manner, as he walked along
from one word to another; for, the letters being large, the sentence
extended quite a distance from where it first attracted his attention.
He read as follows:--
"'Jonas,--I--am--tired of writing,'--no, 'waiting. I am
going--back--to--the--mill.'"
"Let me see," said Jonas.
So Jonas came to the place, and saw the writing. Rollo had read it
correctly.
"Yes," said Jonas, "he has gone back to the mill, no doubt. We will go,
and we shall find him there;--but when did you come from home? and how
did you find where I was?"
Rollo, in answer to Jonas's question, explained to him that his father
had given him permission to take the horse and sleigh and Nathan, and
come and pay Jonas a visit. He had arrived at the farmer's that day,
just after Jonas and Oliver had set out. The farmer told them where
Jonas had gone, and he was very desirous of going after him. He said
that he had no doubt that he could find him.
The farmer had hesitated a little; but finally he gave his consent, and
Rollo set off, leaving Nathan at the farmer's, as he was rather tired.
He had followed Jonas to the mill, and then he inquired of the people
whether Jonas had been there. A man in the road told him that he had
seen Jonas ride away on a certain road; and so Rollo had followed on in
the road pointed out to him, as he knew that it was not far that he was
to go.
When Rollo had got so far in his story, Jonas interrupted him to ask,--
"Were you on foot, Rollo?"
"No," replied Rollo, "in my sleigh."
"And where is your sleigh?" asked Jonas.
"Why, I left it out here a little way. When I found that the snow was
deep, and my horse slumped in pretty bad, I left him by the side of the
road, and walked on to see if I could see any thing of you. I soon found
your sleigh, run out of the path, and the horse tied under a tree over
the brook. So I knew that you couldn't be far off."
"And you did not go any farther."
"No," said Rollo; "I thought it would be better for me to stay by the
sleigh, and wait for you."
Jonas asked Rollo a great many questions about all the people at
home--his father and mother, and his cousin Lucy; and he said that he
was very glad indeed, that Rollo had come to see him.
"Do you have a pretty good time upon the farm?" said Rollo.
"Yes," said Jonas, "very good indeed. You would like to be here very
much."
"Are there any boys for me to play with?" said Rollo.
"Yes," said Jonas, "there is Oliver, though he don't play much. He works
nearly all the time. But then there is Josey, though he has gone home
now."
"I saw a boy at the mill," said Rollo, "when I came along. I verily
believe it was Oliver."
"How big was he?" asked Jonas.
"O, about as big as I am," said Rollo.
"And what was he doing?" said Jonas.
"O, he was playing about on the rocks, under the falls. But he didn't
seem to have much to do. He stopped and looked at me when I was coming
by."
"Very likely it was he," said Jonas. "If he had only known who you were,
he would have liked very much to have come along with you; and you would
have been good company for each other.
"And O, Rollo," said Jonas again, very eagerly, "there's somebody you'll
like very much indeed."
"Who is it?" said Rollo.
"Franco Ney," said Jonas.
"Franco Ney!" repeated Rollo; "I never heard a boy named Franco before.
How old is he?"
"I don't know," said Jonas.
"Don't know? Well, where does he live?--at your house?"
"No," said Jonas. Jonas was correct in this answer, for Franco was
accustomed to live in the barn.
After some other conversation, Rollo, suddenly looking up, said,--
"How far is it, Jonas, from your house to Mr. Ney's?"
Jonas laughed very heartily at this question, but gave no answer. Rollo
could not imagine what he could he laughing at. Jonas, however, would
not tell him, but said that he would know all about it, when he should
come to see Franco Ney.
"Well," said Rollo, "I'll ask him why you wouldn't tell me where his
father lives."
Very soon Rollo and Jonas arrived at the mill. They found Oliver safe
there, waiting for them; and the rolls, too, were ready. As they did not
like to tumble the rolls, Oliver rode with Rollo in his sleigh, and
Jonas took care of the rolls.
Rollo was greatly astonished, as well as very much pleased, when he came
to see Franco Ney.
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