Dr. Menter made no reply to Rob’s last statement, but a few minutes
later, as he turned his horse into the driveway leading to a
comfortable-looking, old-fashioned, two-story house, he said:
“This is where the deacon lives. He is so sick I do not believe he will
care to see you, so you had better remain in my carriage until I come
out. I will say to him that you have come.”
Rob could do no better than to take up with this advice, though the
time hung heavy on his hands until the physician reappeared.
“I have spoken to the deacon about you, and he seems greatly concerned
over your welfare. I could not think of letting you see him in his
present state. But, as your situation is such that something has got to
be done at once, I will act for him for a few days, until we can see
how he gets along. Now say to me just what you have come here to say to
him.”
“I am sorry Deacon Cornhill is so sick,” said Rob. “Is there nothing I
can do for him?”
“You show a pretty unselfish spirit to think of some one else before
yourself, considering the hopeless situation you are in. I do not think
you can do anything for the deacon at present. Is there anything I can
do for you?”
“We need tools, sir, to begin work on the land, and we want to find
chances to work so we can earn money.”
“Now you talk business. In regard to the first matter, I shall take the
liberty to borrow of the deacon for you. In the second case, I have got
to do a little thinking. How many of you wish places, and what can you
do?”
“There is Larry Little; he’s eighteen and stout enough to do anything
he knows about. Then there are Tom and Jerry, younger than he is, but
they could do chores. Besides ’em, there is myself, who is willing to
try anything.”
“None of you know much about farm work. But I will see in a little
while. First I will look after those tools, and I will take them along
with you as far as I am going.”
Dr. Menter, who was considerable of a farmer himself, having spent his
boyhood on a farm, went into Deacon Cornhill’s tool house, soon coming
out with two shovels, two hoes, an ax and a pickax.
“These will be enough for you to begin with,” he said, with a smile, as
he placed them in his carriage.
As has been shown, there were two roads leading to Break o’ Day, and
as Dr. Menter had another patient to visit in the west part of the
town, he advised Rob to ride with him in that direction, and after
leaving him take what was called “The Flying Jump” road to Break o’
Day. On the way the physician explained to Rob considerable about
farming, and told him how to begin by spading up the ground ready for
planting.
“Select the level places between the ridges and the hollows where the
soil is richer and deeper. There is some good land on Break o’ Day, but
there is more that is poor, either sandy or rocky. Let me advise you
not to dig anywhere the grass won’t grow.”
So Rob went back to his humble home by the same road that ’Squire Hardy
and Sheriff Stanyan had taken in going to Break o’ Day. He found his
mother and friends anxiously awaiting his coming, excepting Chick and
Ruddy, who had not returned.
Rob gave as encouraging an account of his visit to the village as he
could, and as he displayed the tools he had brought with which to begin
there was a curious examination made and many utterances of surprise
which must have sounded ridiculous to the farming population of
Basinburg. But it must be remembered that none of the younger members
of the party had ever seen anything of the kind, or had the remotest
idea of the uses to which they could be applied. Even Rob, who had
listened attentively to what Dr. Menter had said, could not give any
very clear explanation.
He believed the best illustration he could give was to put them to use,
and he at once looked about for the most suitable place to begin his
farming.
“Come, Larry, here is a shovel for you. Tom and Jerry can each use a
hoe.”
“Oh, my! won’t that be fun?” cried the latter.
It was not surprising that the girls, and even Mrs. Willet and Aunt
Vinnie, came out to witness the “breaking of the sod” for the new life.
But strange tools in new hands become awkward, and at the very outset
Larry blundered and fell in a heap, amid the clapping of hands and
merry peals of laughter from his companions.
Picking himself up rather crestfallen, Larry went at his task more
judiciously than at first, so that in a few minutes he was doing nearly
as well as Rob.
But it was hard work for these green hands, and though Little Hickory
stuck to his task with commendable perseverance, Larry soon tired of
it. Tom and Jerry had gone off to chase a bird, and he could not see
why he should toil so while the others were enjoying themselves, so
he threw his shovel into the bushes and followed after his younger
companions.
Rob said nothing, keeping steadily at his work, soon turning over a
good square of sod.
Joe Willet, having seen where Larry had flung his shovel, went and got
the tool, and began herself to imitate Rob with a hearty good will.
“Stop, Joe,” said Rob, “this is no work for girls to do. There are
enough of us boys to do this.”
“I wish I was a boy, so I could,” she said. “A girl does not seem to
amount to much out here. I am afraid----”
“You’re afraid of nothing, Joe. There is enough for you to do in the
house.”
“I am afraid Larry does not like work so well as you do, Rob.”
“P’raps he’ll do better next time, Joe. I did not want to scold him the
first time. I don’t see where Chick and Ruddy are. I am more anxious
about ’em.”
This anxiety on the part of Rob increased as the afternoon wore away
without seeing the return of the two boys, and just as the sun was
sinking toward the tree-tops in the west, Rob shouldered his shovel and
started toward the coal camps with his companions, resolved to go in
search of the missing ones.
“You’ll have supper first,” said his mother. “It is all ready, and you
must be tired.”
Rob could not deny this, though he said nothing about his aches and
pains as he seated himself upon a rock to eat his plain supper of salt
pork and brown bread from a piece of hemlock bark that he had picked up
for a plate. Everything was in keeping with his forlorn condition, and
to add to its dreary aspect his mother said:
“I don’t know what we shall do to-morrow, Rob, as there is not enough
for all of us to live upon until the next day.”
“I shall----”
“Here comes some gemmens in a wagon!” cried Tony, running into the
place at that moment.
Rob looked out to see a horse and wagon, the latter containing three
men, drawn up in front of their home. That they boded him evil he was
aware from the fact that one of the trio was ’Squire Hardy.
“So this is where you have landed?” said the latter.
Rob made no reply, while he saw the other men get out of the wagon and
begin to drive up a stake in front of the coal camp, dealing lusty
blows with an ax as the piece of wood sank deep into the earth. When
this had become firmly set, they produced a sheet of paper which Rob
could see was covered with writing, and tacked it upon a strip of
board, that was in turn nailed to the upright.
“What does this mean?” demanded Rob.
“Read for yourself, you New York vagrant,” cried ’Squire Hardy, “and
see if you dare to defy the law any longer.”
“It is quite likely he cannot read,” said one of the other men, with a
look around the scene.
“Well, read it to him and his precious brood,” snapped the ’squire.