CHAPTER IX IN CAMP
"Well, our first sale wasn't so bad," observed Desire, as they droveaway. "But wasn't she funny?"
"I thought you were going to disgrace us," said Jack, smiling. "If youcan't behave any better than that, I'll have to leave you beside the roadsomewhere and pick you up later."
"Oh--o--o!" shrieked Rene.
"What's the matter?" demanded Jack, turning to look at the small boybehind him.
"Don't want Dissy left anywhere! Want her with us!"
"Jack's only fooling, darling; don't cry," consoled Desire, reaching backover the seat to pet the little boy.
Peace and quiet having been restored, they jogged along the sunshinyroad, and soon were abreast of St. Mary's Bay, where flecks of white weredancing over the blue surface.
"White caps," observed Desire. "Fundy must be rough today."
"Those are gulls," corrected Jack, "at least so the Indians used tobelieve. The Spirit of the Sea was so fond of the birds that he caught alot one day and, with a long string, tied their legs together. He keepsthem down in his house under the water, and at times he lets the gullscome up to swim on the top of the water for air and exercise."
"Why don't they fly away then? _I_ would!" asserted Rene, big-eyed withinterest.
"Because the Spirit holds fast to the string, and when he thinks they'vebeen out long enough, he pulls them all down under the water again."
Between Saulnierville and Little Brook they made several stops andsubstantial sales. The picnic dinner which good Mrs. Riboux had insistedupon packing for them, they ate beside a shady stream in which manylittle fish darted about among the weeds. Rene insisted upon trying tocatch some with his hands, but succeeded only in getting his clothing sosplashed that Desire had to stand him out in the sun to dry before theycould continue on their way.
"There's Church Point," cried Desire, later in the afternoon, pointing tothe skyline ahead, where a tall spire topped with a cross rose proudlyagainst the blue.
"How happy the sailors must be when they first catch sight of thatpoint," mused Jack.
"Why?" asked Priscilla.
"Because the spire can be seen for many miles out at sea, and the sailorsuse it as a guide."
The shadows were getting long, and the air was much cooler by the timethey drove into the little town. On St. Mary's Bay several fishing boatshad already been anchored near the sands, and farther out on the gildedwater others were heading for the shore. Over the slight rise near thechurch they drove, and in and out among the ox teams and lines ofslow-moving cows.
"Everybody's goin' home but us," remarked Rene rather plaintively, makingthe tears spring to Desire's eyes, while the lines of Jack's mouth becameeven more stern.
"Silly!" observed Priscilla. "We _are_ home. Home's where Jack and Desireare."
Desire smiled up at Jack, and leaned back to squeeze her little sister'sarm.
"Shall we try to make our sales before supper, and then camp outside oftown?" asked Jack; "or shall we eat, and then sell afterwards."
"Sell first. Work before pleasure," Desire decided promptly.
At a house far beyond the church they came to a halt, and Desire leanedfrom the wagon to call to a small boy in blue overalls, who sat on thegate watching them--"Tell your mother that old Simon's wagon is here,please, and ask her if she wants anything."
Without a word the little fellow slid down and ran into the house. Almostimmediately a tall, loose-jointed man, whose resemblance to the child wasmarked, came out and crossed the yard.
"The missus is sick," he explained, "but I know what she wants. She'sbeen talkin' of nothin' else for days. Buttons, five yards of calico, apencil for the boy, and a few pounds of sugar. Got old Simon's route forgood?"
"I'm not sure. He's sick in Yarmouth now."
"So? That's too bad. Are you going on up the Bay?"
"Expect to," replied Jack, giving the man his purchases and counting outchange.
"When you get to Digby would you tell the lady in the knickknack storethat I'll sell her the pitcher?"
"Glad to, if you'll tell me how to find her."
"Her store is the first one of its kind that you'll pass. She catches allthe tourists by a window full of trash, and a sign 'Souvenir Shoppe' orsomething like that. She was out here a few weeks ago looking for stuff,and wanted that pitcher, but the wife didn't want to sell it then. Sinceshe's been sick, though, she's more concerned about money than about oldpitchers."
After several more stops, most of which resulted in sales, Jack pulledoff of the main road into a balsam grove, just before dusk.
"You children scamper around and find some dried wood for a fire," hedirected, swinging Rene down, and going to unharness the horses.
"Do you intend to build a fire in here, Jack?" asked Desire doubtfully.
"No, on the sand across the road. Take some bacon and whatever else youneed from the stock while I feed Dapple and Dolly."
By the time he had made several trips with great armfuls of grass whichhe had pulled for the animals, Desire had gathered together her supplies,and with the children's help made a fire on the beach and set out theirsupper. When Jack appeared, he took charge of the frying of the baconhimself.
"Isn't this _fun_?" demanded Priscilla every few minutes. "Just like apicnic; and lots nicer than eating in a house."
"Lots nicer," echoed Rene, adding, "Now tell me a story."
"Oliver Owl's mother had told him again and again that he must not goanywhere near the big cave where the wicked witch Gamona lived," beganJack slowly; "but Oliver was getting so big and strong that he thought heknew how to take care of himself. He had never seen the old woman, ofwhom all the forest folks spoke in whispers. So, early one evening, hiscuriosity got the better of him; and while his mother was making thebeds--"
"Jack!" interrupted Priscilla, patronizingly, "people don't make beds atnight!"
"The owls do," he replied gravely, "because they sleep in them all dayand go out only at night. Around the big home tree he flutteredcarelessly a while; then, suddenly, off like a shot toward a big pile ofrocks whose top he could just see. Not a soul did he meet when he reachedthem, not a sound did he hear except the murmuring of a little breeze inthe very top of the pines. So fast had he hurried that he was a verytired bird, and besides the aching of his wings he felt just a little bitdoubtful about what would happen to him when he got home. So he alightedon the very highest rock of the big pile to rest, and decided how hewould explain his absence to his mother. Hardly had he settled himselfcomfortably when a huge claw-like hand shot up from below him and grabbedhis feet--"
"Oh!" squealed Rene.
"With a loud squawk he flapped his wings, and, bending and twisting aswell as he could, managed to run his sharp beak into the fingers whichgrasped him. In the instant which was necessary for Gamona to get a freshgrip, Oliver struggled free; and you may believe that he lost no time inflying away from that dangerous spot. Instead of going right home,however, he went to see Glooscap, and tell him what had happened.
"'My eyes are so small, I can't see very well,' he complained, after hehad told the whole story.
"'I'll fix that,' replied Glooscap, stroking the bird's eyes until theybecame larger and larger and rounder and rounder. 'Now you'll be able tosee her wherever you are. Keep faithful watch of her, and notify all theother creatures at night when she is near.' So that is why the owl hassuch big eyes, and sits up in the trees crying 'Who-o-o!' all night long.
"And now you must go to bed."
Leaving Priscilla to clear up and keep an eye on Rene, Jack and Desirecrossed to the grove to get things in order for the night. The tent wassmall, and after several unsuccessful attempts they succeeded in gettingit up. Jack cut some balsam boughs for a mattress, and over them Desirespread blankets, placing a couple of cushions for pillows. The floor ofthe nearby wagon was fixed in like manner for the two girls. Rene andPriscilla went to bed as soon as their quarters wer
e ready for them, butJack and Desire, seated on a fallen log at the edge of the grove,lingered to watch the moon rising over the Bay and turning its smoothsurface to silver. Fireflies flashed in the long grass at the edge of thegrove, and deeper in the woods were mysterious little rustles andmurmurs.
"The old settlers," said Jack softly, "thought the fireflies were evilspirits, and used to set out pails of milk to appease them, and thus keepthemselves and their property from all harm."
"If they were as thick then as they are tonight," laughed Desire, "thinkhow many pails they must have had. You know so many things, Jack";adding, a moment later, something which had been on her mind all day.
"Do you suppose that man will ever come back?"
"You mean the one who disputed our rights?"
Desire nodded, burying her face on her brother's shoulder, much asPriscilla might have done.
"I hardly think so, dear," replied Jack, stroking her curls. "He waspretty well subdued."
"But he might try to get even with you some way," shuddered the girl.
"We'll keep a sharp lookout for him, but otherwise go on our way and trynot to worry about mere possibilities, little sister," decreed the boyfirmly.
"If we could only find out what the paper means," she observed a littlelater, her eyes on the shining waters of the Bay.
"What paper?" asked Jack suddenly, roused from serious thoughts of hisown.
"Why, the one _notre pere_ gave you; the mysterious one."
"We might stop in the center of each town, read it aloud, and ask theinhabitants to interpret it for us," Jack suggested. "Or you and I couldtake turns standing on top of the wagon and shouting it as we go along."
Desire laughed at his absurdities, as he intended she should.
"I don't care. I'm going to pretend that we're going to find out what itmeans before the summer is over."
"Pretend as much as you like, as long as you won't let yourself beovercome with disappointment if your day dream should turn out to be onlya nightmare."
A crash behind them made them spring to their feet in sudden fright, anda child's shrieks rang through the woods.