THE MAMIE MEAD
As the man of the family and courier of the expedition, Leicester had
assumed an air of importance, and looked after the baggage checks,
tickets and time-tables with an effect of official guardianship.
"Why, it's a steamboat!" exclaimed Fairy, as a diminutive steamer came
puffing up to the dock. "I thought it would be a canal-boat."
"People don't travel to a Domain in a canal-boat, my child," said
Leicester, instructively.
"But you said we'd go on the canal," insisted Fairy; "and I want to see
what a canal is like. There is one in my geography----"
"Skip aboard, kidlums, and you'll soon see what a canal is like," said
Leicester, who was marshaling his party over the gangplank.
The _Mamie Mead_ was the very smallest steamboat the children had ever
seen, and it seemed like playing house to establish themselves on its
tiny deck. Dare seemed to find it inadequate to his ideas of proportion,
and he stalked around, knocking over chairs and camp-stools with a fine
air of indifference.
Grandma Dorrance, who by this time was rather tired by the journey, was
made as comfortable as possible, and then the children prepared to enjoy
the excitements of their first trip on a canal.
The smoothness of the water amazed them all, and they wondered why it
wasn't more like a river.
The locks, especially, aroused awe and admiration.
By the time they went through the first gate they had made the
acquaintance of the captain, and could watch the performance more
intelligently. It seemed nothing short of magic to watch the great gates
slowly close, and then to feel their own boat rising slowly but
steadily, as the water rushed in from the upper sluice.
"It's just like Noah and the Ark," exclaimed Fairy, "when the floods
made them go up and up."
"It's exactly like that," agreed Dorothy, as the waters kept rising;
"and we've nearly as many animals on board as he had."
All too soon they had risen to the level of the lake, and another pair
of great gates swung open to let them through.
"Are we going to stay on top?" asked Fairy; "or must we go down again?"
"You'll stay on top this time, little missie," said good-natured old
Captain Kane, smiling at Fairy. "This boat ain't no submarine to dive
down into the lake."
"But you dived up into the lake," insisted Fairy.
"That was the only way to get here, miss. But any day you would like to
go back and dive down, here's the man that will take you. The _Mamie
Mead_ is always glad of passengers. She don't get none too many
nowadays."
"Why doesn't she?" asked Leicester, with interest.
"Well, you see, sir, since the hotel's been empty, they ain't no call
for _Mamie_ much. So whenever you kids wants a free ride, just come
down to the dock and wave something. If so be's I'm goin' by, I'll stop
and take you on. Is the place you're goin' near the hotel?"
"Near the hotel!" cried Dorothy; "why we're going _to_ the hotel."
"You can't. 'Tain't open."
"I know it," said Dorothy; "but it will be when we get there. We have
all the keys."
"For the land's sake! And what are you goin' to do there?"
"We're going to live there," exclaimed Leicester; "we own the
place,--that is, my grandmother does."
"Own it? Own the Dorrance place?"
"Yes; we're all Dorrances."
"For the land's sake! Well, when you want to go down to the station for
anything, this here boat's at your service,--that is, if I'm up this
way."
"Do you come up this way often?" asked Dorothy, who appreciated the
possible value of this offer.
"I allus comes once a week, miss. I goes over to Dolan's Point every
Saturday. Will you be here till Saturday?"
"Saturday! Why we're going to stay all summer."
"Beggin' your pardon, miss, but I don't think as how you will. Just the
few of you shakin' around in that big hotel! It's ridikilus!"
"Ridiculous or not, we're going to do it," said Leicester, stoutly; "but
we thank you for your offer, Captain Kane, and very likely we'll be glad
to accept it."
"Well, there's your home," said Captain Kane, as a large white building
began to be visible through the trees.
Without a word, the Dorrance children looked in the direction the
captain indicated.
High up on the sloping shore of the lake, they saw a great house which
seemed to be an interminable length of tall, white columns supporting
tiers of verandas.
"Oh!" exclaimed Dorothy, "that can't be it! that great, big place!"
"It looks like the Pantheon," said Lilian.
"You mean the Parthenon," said Leicester; "but I never can tell them
apart, myself. Anyway, if that's the Dorrance Domain, it's all right!
What do you think, Fairy?"
Fairy looked at the big hotel, and then said thoughtfully, "I guess
we'll have room enough."
"I guess we will," cried Dorothy, laughing; and then they all ran to
Grandma Dorrance, to show her the wonderful sight.
The good lady was also astounded at the enormous size of the hotel, and
greatly impressed with the beauty of the scene. It was about three
o'clock, on a lovely May afternoon, and the hotel, which faced the west,
gleamed among trees which shaded from the palest spring tints to the
dark evergreens. It was at the top of a high slope, but behind it was a
background of other hills, and in the distance, mountains.
"_Aren't_ you glad we came? Oh, grannymother, _aren't_ you glad we
came?" cried Dorothy, clasping her hands in ecstasy.
"Indeed I am, dear; but I had no idea it was such an immense house. How
can we take care of it?"
"That question will come later," said Leicester; "the thing is now, how
shall we get to it. How _do_ people get to it, Captain Kane?"
"Steps," answered the captain, laconically.
"Up from the dock?"
"Yep; a hundred and forty of 'em."
"Oh, how can grandmother climb all those?"
"Settin'-places all the way along," suggested the captain, cheerfully.
"Oh, you mean landing-places on the stair-way?"
"Yep; so folks can rest. I guess your grandma'll get up all right; but
what about all your trunks and things?"
"Why I don't know," said Leicester, suddenly losing his air of capable
importance.
"Well, there's old Hickox; you might get him."
"Where can we find Mr. Hickox?"
"He's most generally settin' around the dock. Favorite restin'-place of
his. Think I can see him there now."
After a few moments more the _Mamie Mead_ bumped against the dock.
"Our own dock!" cried Dorothy; "oh, isn't it gorgeous!"
Probably such an excited crowd had never before landed from the _Mamie
Mead_. The children all talked at once; Grandma Dorrance seemed
rejuvenated by the happy occasion; Tessie was speechless with delight;
Dare gave short, sharp barks expressive of deep satisfaction and the
canary bird burst into his most jubilant song. Doubtless the kitten was
purring contentedly, if not audibly.
The trunks and other luggage were put out on the dock, and Mr. Hickox
sauntered up and viewed them with an air of great interest.
"I guess this is where I come in handy," he said, with a broad smile and
a deferential bob of his head that somehow seemed to serve as a general
introduction all around.
Mr. Hickox was a strange looking man. He was very tall, indeed, by far
the tallest man the children had ever seen; and he was also very thin.
Or perhaps _lean_ is a more expressive word to describe Mr. Hickox, for
he gave no impression of ill-health, or emaciation, but rather the
leanness of muscular strength. His brown hair and side-whiskers were
touched with gray, and his tanned face was wrinkled, but he did not seem
like an old man. His blue eyes twinkled with good-humor, and his voice
was delightfully kind.
Instinctively the Dorrance children felt that they had found a friend in
this strange man, and they were grateful.
"Could you tell us, sir," said Leicester, "how we are going to get these
trunks and things up to the hotel?"
"Well, yes, I can tell you that. I'm going to lug them up myself."
"What, carry them?" said Leicester, in surprise.
"Well, no; not carry them,--not exactly carry them. You see I've got a
little contraption of my own; a sort of cart or dray, and I'll just put
all that duffle of yours into it, and it'll be up to the top before
you're there yourselves."
"You don't drag it up the stairs!"
"No, I go up the back way,--a roundabout, winding path of my own. But
don't you worry,--don't worry,--Hickox'll look after things. It'll be
all right."
Although Mr. Hickox spoke in short staccato jerks, his remarks seemed to
carry authority; and nodding his head in a manner peculiar to himself,
he went off after his cart.
"He's all right, he is," declared Captain Kane; "but his old woman, she
isn't so right. But never mind 'bout that. You'll see old Mrs. Hickox
sooner or later and then you can size her up for yourself. Well, me and
_Mamie_ must be gettin' along. You all jest stay here till Hickox comes
back, and he'll get you up the hill all right."
As Captain Kane went away the children could hear him chuckling to
himself, and murmuring, "Goin' to live in the hotel! well, well!"
As Grandma Dorrance would want frequent rests by the way, Dorothy
proposed that she should start on up the steps with Tessie, while the
rest waited for Mr. Hickox.
That long specimen of humanity soon came briskly along, trundling a
queer sort of push-cart, which it was quite evident was of home
manufacture.
"I made it myself," he declared, pointing with pride to the ungainly
vehicle. "I was surprised that I could do it," he added modestly; "Mrs.
Hickox, she was surprised, too. But she generally is surprised. You
don't know my wife, do you?"
"No," said Dorothy, politely; "we haven't that pleasure."
"H'm," said Mr. Hickox, rubbing down his side-whiskers; "she's a nice
woman,--a very nice woman, but you must take her easy. Yes, when you
meet her, you must certainly take her easy. She doesn't like to be
surprised."
"Do you think she will be surprised at us?" asked Lilian, who was well
aware that many people thought the Dorrances surprising.
"Yes; I think she will. I certainly think she will. Why, to tell the
truth, I'm some surprised at you myself,--and I ain't half so easy
surprised as Mrs. Hickox."
As he talked, Mr. Hickox was bundling the luggage into his cart. He
picked up trunks and boxes as if they weighed next to nothing, and
deposited them neatly and compactly in his queer vehicle.
"Any of the live stock to go?" he inquired.
"No," said Dorothy, "we'll take the animals; unless,--yes, you might
take the rabbits; their cage is so heavy."
"Yes, do," said Leicester; "then I'll carry the bird-cage, and you girls
can manage the dog and the kitten."
So everything else was put into the dray, even the provisions they had
bought at the grocery shop, and the children watched with astonishment,
as Mr. Hickox started off, easily pushing the load along a winding path.
"He's the strongest man I ever saw," exclaimed Leicester; "and I'd like
to go along with him to see how he does it."
"No, you come with us," said Fairy, dancing around, and clasping her
brother's hand; "come on; now we're going up a million steps and then we
will come to our own Domain."
Climbing the steps was anything but a work of toil, for continually new
delights met their eyes, and they paused often to exclaim and comment.
About half-way up they found grandma and Tessie sitting on one of the
small landings, waiting for them.
"Now we'll go the rest of the way together," said Dorothy, "for we must
all see our Domain at the same time. Go as slowly as you like,
grandmother, we're in no hurry."