CHAPTER XI THE BLUE-COVERED BOOK
Several days later, one beautiful sunny morning, Dapple and Dolly weretrotting briskly along the Shore Road toward Digby. For more than twomiles this road winds along the shore of Digby Basin, formed by the Bayof Fundy waters flowing through a mile wide break in the North MountainRange.
"That," said Jack, pointing to the opening between the mountains, "isDigby Gap, or, as the natives call it, 'Digby Gut.' In olden days all thefishing boats used to stop there on their way home long enough for thefishermen to clean their fish, and throw all the 'guts' or insides intothe water."
"What a horrid name!" was Priscilla's comment.
"It's lovely here, though," observed Desire, gazing across the sparklingwater to the hazy blue sides of the two big mountains opposite, and backagain to the forested slopes beside the wagon.
"We must look out for the little shop the man told us about," remarkedPriscilla, to whom the scenery meant very little.
"Well, you watch for it, Prissy," directed Jack. Then, turning to Desire,"Didn't we get a royal welcome in Sissiboo?"
"Yes; in spite of their disapproval, our old friends were wonderful tous; between the sales we made, and their generous donations, we certainlyfared well."
"Oh, Jack, there's a bus!" cried Desire delightedly a few minutes later.A big blue monster bore down upon them, and they had a glimpse ofwell-dressed people through its windows; then it was gone in a cloud ofdust.
"Must be coming from the hotel," commented her brother. "I understandthere's a big one up here somewhere above the town."
"I'd love to ride in one of those," said Priscilla, gazing longingly downthe road after the now distant bus. "Wouldn't you, Desire?"
"Yes, I should. Perhaps some time we'll be able to, but not now."
They drove into the little town, and soon spied the shop of which theywere in search.
"You go in and give the lady the message, Desire," said Jack, pulling upthe team.
Desire was inclined to be rather too retiring with strangers, and herbrother thought she should begin to overcome her diffidence.
"Oh, Jack," she cried, running out again a couple of minutes later, afterdelivering her message. "Who do you suppose keeps the shop? The lady whohelped me find Rene on the steamer! It's the most interesting place. Docome in and see it. She says we can look around as much as we wish."
"I was going on for some more stock--we're all out of crackers and a fewother things--but you stay, if you wish; I'll come back for you."
"Don't you need me?" she asked doubtfully.
"No; so look at as many things as you can before I get back."
Desire, with a happy "Thanks a lot," ran back into the quaint littleshop, while Jack drove on, thinking how sweet she was and how little timeshe had for herself or her own interests.
The morning was not a busy one at the shop; so the proprietress, awell-groomed New England woman, was free to devote her time to Desire, towhom she had taken a fancy. Pleased to see that the girl was moreinterested in the pictures and books than in the foolish toys made toattract tourist trade, she took pains to call her attention to the bestthat the little store possessed.
"This is an interesting little account of the early history of thiscountry and some of its settlers," said Miss Robin, who was a teacher ofhistory in one of the Boston schools, and whose mind naturally centeredon her subject.
Desire took the small blue-bound book in her hands and carefully turnedits pages, reading bits here and there.
"Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed aloud.
"What is it?" inquired Miss Robin, looking up from a pile of picturepostcards she was putting in order.
"The story of our own ancestors is told here."
Miss Robin came to look over her shoulder and read:
"In the year 1744 when the question of Acadian loyalty to England resulted in the Expulsion, Jean Godet with Marie, his wife, and Desire, his little daughter, were driven as exiles from Wolfville to the States. They settled near Boston, and some years later Desire married one John Wistmore, a descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. When the Revolutionary War broke out, being loyal Royalists, they returned to Nova Scotia and took up farming in Wilmot, later removing to Sissiboo."
"I have heard my father tell that same story so many, many times," saidDesire, looking up at Miss Robin.
"They were really your ancestors, then?" asked that lady. "How veryinteresting."
"But this last part he never told us," continued the girl, indicating theclosing words of the article.
"The ruins of the old Godet house near Wolfville may still be seen; for the site was never occupied for any length of time after the family was deported."
"You must look it up if you ever go to Wolfville," said Miss Robin.
"Oh, yes, indeed. We expect to get up there some time before wintercomes, and I'll surely hunt for the place."
"Keep the little book," urged Miss Robin, when Desire, catching sight ofJack, laid the volume on the counter; "and if you come back before I gohome, stop and tell me what success you had."
"Maybe," began Desire, then stopped abruptly--she'd keep _that_ toherself; so she merely thanked Miss Robin warmly, and ran out to thewagon.
"I thought we'd have dinner at one of the little restaurants here," saidJack, after she had displayed her treasure, "and then push on."
From the counter of the lunchroom which they selected, they could see thelong government pier with the lighthouse at the end; and beside it wasmoored one of the steamers which cross the Bay of Fundy to St. John, NewBrunswick. Rene was greatly disappointed because they were not goingaboard.
"The child's passion for boats is rivaled only by his passion forIndians," observed Desire, as they left the lunchroom.
"He'll see plenty of the latter at Bear River."
Desire looked questioningly at her brother.
"That is," he replied, "if we get there in time for the Cherry Festival,day after tomorrow."
"Oh, Jack, can we?"
"Going to try hard to make it."
Clouds had been slowly gathering since noon, and about five o'clock greatdrops of rain hit the dusty road with little "plops."
"Big drops; won't last long," prophesied Desire; but Jack let down thecurtains at the side of the seat, and drew out a rubber blanket to spreadover their laps. Before they had covered two miles, the rain was comingdown in earnest, and Jack turned off the road into the pine woods.
"Wonder if we can keep dry here," he said, half to himself. "Can'tpossibly get to the next town tonight."
"We'll have supper right away before the rain begins to come through thetrees," decided Desire, jumping out.
The pine-covered ground was still dry, and it was very cosy under thethick boughs of the tall trees. The persistent patter of the rain and themurmuring of a brisk little breeze in the tree tops added to their senseof comfort and security.
"If it doesn't rain any harder than this, we should be able to managepretty well," said Desire encouragingly, as Jack peered anxiously skywardevery little while.
Conversation turned upon the book Miss Robin had given Desire, and thendrifted to Nova Scotian history.
"I'm awfully stupid; but it seems to me such a hopeless jumble," sighedDesire.
"Maybe I can straighten it out for you by taking bare facts, and notgoing into detail at all," said Jack. "Just think of it this way," hewent on. "About the year 1000 a man called Leif the Lucky came here fromIceland, found the country in the possession of the Micmac Indians, andleft it to them.
"John Cabot touched here in 1497, and claimed the land for England. In1606 Samuel de Champlain and some other Frenchman settled at AnnapolisRoyal, which they called Port Royal. A few years later the Englishdestroyed it, and some of the inhabitants fled to the shores of the Basinof Minas and built the village of Grand Pre."
"Oh, where Evangeline lived!" interrupted Priscilla.
"Yes, and w
here they all lived until 1747, that is, the French who weredriven out of Port Royal."
"And what made the English drive those people away from their homes?"inquired Priscilla. "I don't mean from Port Royal, but from Grand Pre,like Longfellow tells about in _Evangeline_?"
"They thought the French people were not loyal to the British government;for the country then belonged to England. To go back to our story, in1629 the King of Scotland gave the entire country to a friend of his, andthe name was changed from Acadia to Nova Scotia, which means NewScotland. From that time until 1710 the land was claimed by both Franceand England, and was in possession of first one and then the other.Finally Great Britain secured it for good. Is it any clearer now?"
"Oh, yes, lots; you make everything so plain, I wish I knew as much asyou do," sighed Desire admiringly.
"I hope some day you will know lots more," smiled Jack, adding, "I'mafraid we're in for a wetting. I have felt several splashes of rain. Thetrees are getting so heavy with water that it will shower down upon usbefore long."
"Then you simply can't sleep in the tent," said Desire decidedly.
"Nothing else for it; there's no room in the wagon."
"Let me think a minute," said Desire. "I have it! We'll push the trunkand box side by side and put Rene on them, at our feet; and you can sleepon the wagon seat. You'll have to double up, but it will be better thangetting so damp in the tent."
"We didn't count on a pour like this while we were on the road," saidJack. "Too bad we were not near enough to a town to get lodgings."
"But we could hardly afford that; and besides, this is going to be lotsof fun. Priscilla, you and Rene run up and down in that dry path overthere while we fix things," directed Desire.
"The boughs will be too wet to use for beds," said Jack, moving the trunkclose to the box at the very back of the wagon.
"We'll just spread the blankets on the floor, then," declared Desire,briskly.
"But you'll be wretchedly uncomfortable," objected her brother.
"Won't hurt us a bit once in a while. I'll hang this rubber blanket infront of the seat, and a sheet back of it; and with the side curtainsdown, and a blanket to spread over you, you'll be fairly well off, won'tyou?" she asked, working rapidly as she talked.
"I'll be fine. Don't bother about me."
When everything was ready, they called the two children and settled downfor the night.
"Don't be frightened if you hear a noise once in a while," said Jack, asthey settled down; "for I shall have to turn around occasionally tostretch my legs."
"Yes, poor boy; they are far too long for your bed tonight. I hope Rennywon't roll off the trunk; but if he does, he'll fall on top of us andwon't be hurt."
"Oh, let's go--to--sleep--" yawned Priscilla.
"An excellent idea," agreed Jack; and the little family lay quietlylistening to the drip of the rain until they fell asleep.
All night long Desire dreamed of papering the old Godet house, inside andout, with mysterious figures and letters, which fell off as fast as shepasted them onto it.
The sun was shining brightly as they drove down the hillside at BearRiver the second morning after, and into the ravine where dyked landsborder the river. Hundreds of cherry trees loaded with brilliant fruitwere on every side, and on the water was clustered the craft of those whowere to take part in the sports later in the day.
"What funny river banks," commented Priscilla.
"The ground is below the level of the river," explained Jack; "and thebanks have to be built up of interlaced tree trunks filled in with clayto keep the water from running over the land. They are called dykes."
"Indians!" cried Rene, full of excitement, pointing to a group nearby.
Already great numbers of them had come from a neighboring reservation forthe games. Under the heavily loaded trees, people from far and widewandered about, tasting first one variety of fruit and then another.Groups of tourists watched from the roadside, or took part in thefeasting.
Jack found a safe place for the wagon, and, after locking it, took hislittle family to obtain their share of the cherries which are free to allon that particular day in mid-July each year. Shortly before noon, theycarried their lunch to a shady slope from which they had a good view ofthe place where the sports were to be held. By two o'clock, the fun wasin full swing. All kinds of races, on both land and water; throwingcontests; log rolling tests; and games of skill or endurance. Anyonecould take part, and Desire urged Jack to enter some of them; but hepreferred to remain a spectator. He loved all kinds of sports, and wasperfectly fearless; but the chance of possible injury now, when he wasthe head of the family, kept him from taking part. The Indians were themost clever participants, and frequently won, much to Rene's delight.
"The youngster sure likes the Indians," observed a man who sat next toJack. "Used to be scared of 'em when I was a kid. You ought to take himto the St. Anne's celebration some time."
"What's that?" inquired Jack.
"Every year the Indians make a pilgrimage to the Island of the HolyFamily, round the 21st of July, and live up there in birch bark tepeesuntil after the feast, on the 26th."
"What do they do?" asked Desire, leaning forward to look at the narrator.
"Well, every morning they go to Mass and attend to all their religiousduties, and very often there are weddings and First Communions. Ifthere's been any quarreling or disputing during the year, the differencesare patched up. Then in the evenings they dance and play games."
"What kind of games?" asked Rene, who was eagerly listening to everyword.
"Oh, whinny, hatchet throwing, deer foot, wheel and stick, hunt thebutton--"
"Oh, I can play that," interrupted Rene, with just satisfaction.
"It's a sight worth going a distance to see," concluded the man.
"I imagine so," replied Jack; "but I'm afraid we won't get there thisyear. I have old Simon's traveling store this summer, and--"
"You have? Then you want to open it up when these games are over; for acrowd like this is almost always in need of some kind of supplies.Anyway, they're sure to buy something, whether they need it or not."
Jack acted on the suggestion, and made so many sales that when the peoplefinally drifted homeward it was too late to go on that night. They put upin a woods just outside of the town, and after supper Desire made adiscovery that did not altogether please her.
"Did you know that some Indians are camped a little farther down theroad?" she asked Jack.
"Yes. They may be on their way to the festival of St. Anne's that the manspoke of this afternoon. I'm sure they're quite harmless."
"Oh, I want to see them!" exclaimed Rene, starting up.
With a quick move, Jack caught the end of the child's blouse andprevented his departure.
"You've seen plenty of Indians today to last you for one while, youngman. Besides, it's your bedtime."
"No! No!" wailed Rene, twisting in his brother's grasp.
"He's tired," murmured Desire sympathetically.
"Can't act like this, even if he is," said Jack firmly. "Rene, behaveyourself or you'll have to be punished."
The tantrum showed no signs of abating; so Jack promptly picked him upand started for a nearby stream, much to his sister's distress; thoughshe never dreamed of interfering when Jack decided that disciplinarymeasures were necessary.
Upon reaching the brook, Jack held the boy securely and ducked him acouple of times. Since the purpose of the procedure was punishment, itwas rather disconcerting to have the child's tantrum cries changesuddenly into squeals of delight.
"Oh, Jack," he sputtered, "do it again. I _love_ the water."
Even the serious Jack, in spite of his stern resolves, was quite overcomeby the humor of the situation; so he decided to say no more aboutpunishment. However, when he got back to the wagon, he rubbed the littlefellow down and put him to bed, refusing Desire's assistance. He andDesire enjoyed a good laugh over the incident when the younger childrenwere safe in bed.
/> "Well, this time tomorrow night, I hope we'll be in Annapolis Royal," hesaid, shortly after; "and being a longish drive, I guess we'd better goto bed now."
That interesting old town was not to see them on the morrow, however.
Jack was the first to waken on the following morning, much later thanusual, and was surprised to find his tent mate gone. Peering out towardthe wagon, he saw Desire getting out of the back of it.
"Dissy," he called, using Rene's name for her.
"Yes? I was just going to waken you. I'm awfully sorry, but we oversleptthis morning--"
"Have you seen Rene?" he interrupted.
"No! Isn't he with you?"
Desire stood still, letting the pan which she had in her hand fall to theground.