CHAPTER X--TRIALS OF A FARMER'S LIFE
Mr. Ames brought the chickens and hens early in the morning, and sointerested was Natalie in Janet's stock-investment that the vegetablegardens were quite forgotten for a few days. Sunday she had spent atcamp with the Girl Scouts; Monday she and Janet had gone to the Cornersand enlisted girls to join them in a new Patrol, and in the afternoonthey had picked cherries; then on Tuesday the chickens came, and somesort of a house had to be built for the pigs, as well as for the hens.So three days had passed by and she had not had time to inspect hergardens.
Farmer Ames acted huffy because the cherries had all been gathered whenhe drove up to the kitchen door in the morning. So he merely deliveredthe crate containing the hens and young chicks, and having handed Rachelthe basket of eggs for the setting hen, drove away again.
"Dear me! I wanted to ask him how big a pen to build for three pigs!"sighed Janet, when she heard he had gone.
"No 'count why he hes to tell yuh that! I rickon anyone like me, what'sborned and brought up on a farm in Norf Car'liny, kin help dat way,better'n an ole grumpy farmer in Noo York state," announced Rachel.
"All right, Rach, I'll be thankful of your advice," replied Janet,gazing down at the squirming pigs.
So Natalie and Janet occupied themselves most industriously in thebuilding of a pig-pen for the little porkers, and in mending the oldhen-house and chicken run. A separate coop was found where the settinghen might brood quietly on the eggs, and the young chicks were giventheir freedom of the place, because Rachel said they would grow muchfaster if they could run about and scratch.
But this advice had dire results, as Natalie learned, too late.
By sundown the pigs were nicely housed, and the old hens and roosterfound comfortable roosts in a remodelled hen-house. The young chicksclustered together in the chicken yard and were driven inside the houseby the persuasive "s-sh's" and waving hands of the concernedfarmerettes.
These important matters disposed of for the day and Rachel not havingannounced supper, Natalie said: "Come with me to see my garden. Ihaven't had a moment's time to visit it lately."
"I suppose the lettuce is large enough to pull, now," laughed Janetteasingly.
"No, but I shouldn't be surprised if the radishes that were transplantedfrom Ames's garden were big enough to use."
The two girls went arm-in-arm down the pathway and when they reached theold box hedge that divided the vegetable beds from the back lawns, theystood for a moment listening to the echo of merry laughter coming fromthe woodland down by the river.
Then Natalie came to the first garden bed.
"Oh, oh! Look,--Janet! What has happened to my beans?" cried sheshrilly, as she stood gazing in horror at what she saw.
Janet gazed, too. The tiny green things that had looked so fresh andpert a few days before were out of the ground in many places, and thesoil was unevenly scattered in small heaps. From this havoc, Nataliequickly looked over at the lettuce bed.
"Oh, oh! How dreadful! Look at that garden bed! Why, all the lettuce iscropped off close to the ground. _What_ could have done it, Janet?" hereyes filled with tears and her voice threatened an imminent howl.
"Goodness me, Nat! I don't know what has happened!" said Janet, deeplyconcerned for her friend.
The two then hastily visited the other beds, and found the radishes andpotato plants undisturbed, but the corn was dug up in spots and theremaining blades half-eaten.
Without a thought for the tender green still remaining, Natalie suddenlycollapsed upon the corn hills and gave vent to a heart-breaking cry.Once the flood-gates were down, she wept and wailed and would not becomforted. Finally Janet ran to the house and summoned relief.
Mrs. James and Rachel hurried after her to soothe the crying damsel inthe corn field; but Rachel understood what had taken place in thatgarden, even as she raced past the half-destroyed vegetable beds.
She knelt down beside Natalie and tried to pacify her by endearingterms, but the amateur farmer was too sorry for herself to pay anyattention to Rachel. All she could gasp forth was: "If I ever find outwho did this, I'll kill them!"
Rachel sent Mrs. James a knowing look, and nodded toward the barnyard.Thus the lady gathered that the hens and chicks had feasted on thetender greens and had dug up the soft rich soil in seeking forearthworms when they had been turned loose that day.
Darkness slowly crept up from the river banks and the four finallyturned to go in to supper. As they reached the box hedge, Rachelremembered the boiling potatoes that were almost cooked when she wassummoned hastily by Janet.
"Oh, laws! I betcher they am all black as cinders by this time!" criedshe, making a leap to escape over the hedge and reach the kitchen in ahurry.
A dense smoke was seen issuing from the open door of the kitchen, andRachel's three followers forgot their recent troubles in this newdisaster.
Just as they reached the steps of the back porch, Rachel rushed thesmoking pot out of the door and ran with it to the grass beside theboard-walk.
"Dere ain't no smell on eart' ner unner de eart' to beat dis smell o'burnin' pertaters!" growled Rachel angrily, as she planked the blackenedcooking pot down upon the ground.
"Oh my! The kitchen is full of smoke!" exclaimed Janet, who had pokedher head in at the open door.
"Did you'se 'speck it to be sweet an' free as hebben?" snapped Rachelscornfully.
Mrs. James said nothing but quickly drew the two girls aside to theother door to permit Rachel to calm her perturbed nerves. Then Natalieremembered her beloved garden.
"Jimmy, who could have been so mean as to do that?"
"Of course, I wasn't present, Natalie, dear. But I have heard that crowslove to dig up corn kernels in a newly-planted field, so that farmershave to use scarecrows to keep them off. Maybe some sort of a bird foundthe toothsome greens and called to all the family to hurry and feastwhile there was time."
Natalie pondered this idea for a time, but it never occurred to her tolay the trouble at the heels of the chickens. But she determined to loseno time in dressing up the most frightful scarecrow that wasconceivable.
After the unscorched remainder of the supper was served, Rachel came tothe dining-room to make a suggestion.
"Ef we-all git up earlier than us'al to-morrer mornin' we kin git alldem rooted-up plants back in the groun' afore sun-up. Mebbe it will rainto-morrer, then no harm'll come of diggin' up all dem roots."
The mere possibility of rain made Natalie jump up from the table and,quickly excusing herself, run out on the porch to study the heavens.
"Not a star out, and the sky looks awfully cloudy," cried she hopefully,as she returned.
"Then we'll all get up at dawn and begin work in making amends in thegarden," said Mrs. James consolingly.
The little plants were replanted early in the morning and certain spotswhere the soil had been scratched away were smoothed out again, so thatonly a close observer would have seen that there were places here andthere where no vegetables grew.
About seven o'clock a fine drizzle began, and Natalie welcomed it withsparkling eyes. "_Now_ the roots can have time to get freshened againbefore a hot sun comes to dry things up."
A letter came that morning telling Natalie that Norma, Frances, andBelle would soon be ready to leave the city. By counting from the dateof the letter, it was found that they would be at Greenville that veryday on the noon train. Probably the letter had been delayed in coming,or had been overlooked in some way.
"We had better send word to Amity, by Mr. Ames, that he is to meet thetrain they come on," suggested Mrs. James.
But the girls watched for Mr. Ames in vain that morning, and noon hourcame and still no word had been sent to Amity. Janet was out feeding thepigs when she heard a shout from the road. She looked up wonderingly andsaw the three girls tramping along in the rain and mud, trying to managesuit-cases and umbrellas at the same time, as they jumped puddles oravoided a stretch of mud.
She ran to the house and called Natalie.
In another moment, both girlswere out on the side-piazza waiting to take the luggage from thebespattered girls.
"My goodness me! Why don't you move nearer the railroad station, Nat?"complained Norma.
"That horrid hackman wouldn't give us a lift, although he was sitting atTompkins' store toasting his feet at a stove," added Belle, angrily.
"At a stove! In summer?" cried Natalie, wonderingly.
"Yes, but there was no fire in the thing. He was tilted back in a woodenchair telling stories to some farmers, and his old horse was standingout in the rain, patiently waiting for a bag of oats," said Frances.
Mrs. James joined the group now, and overheard the last words ofcomplaint. "I don't see why he could not drive you here, as long as hewas not engaged."
"That's exactly what Belle asked him, but he said: 'Can't you see I _am_engaged? I must not interrupt this talk on polerticks. It's mos' votin'time and we-all has to get facks afore we cast a ballot,'" laughed Normaimitating Amity.
"Did you entice him with extra pay?" asked Janet laughingly.
"What was the good? He just ignored us, so we had to walk the rest ofthe way here," Frances said. "But I made up my mind to one thing: Ifthat is the way the only cab-man of Greenville treats his trade, I'llcut him out of it all, if I can manage to have _my_ way."
They were all in the living-room now, and had removed muddy overshoesand wet coats and hats. Rachel was hastily brewing some hot tea to makeeveryone feel more cheerful, so the girls sat and talked.
Natalie instantly asked Frances what she meant.
"Well, Daddy and mother are going out to Colorado for the summer, andthe machine will be put up in a garage, or I will have it out here touse. Now I've been thinking over all Nat said about each one of usearning some money this summer, and I couldn't think of a single thing Icould do. But that cranky old hackman gave me a cue: I'll use the carout here for the people who wish to travel back and forth, or take adrive to certain places. I ought to be able to save quite a sum beforefall," explained Frances eagerly.
"Frans, that will be fine! We will be your best customers," laughedJanet, while the other girls all approved the plan.
"That seems like Frances' golden opportunity, but Norma and I haven'tfound a thing to do, yet," added Belle.
"You will, never fear. Janet found her vocation the first day she washere," laughed Natalie.
Then Janet had to tell about her stock-raising, and her friends laughedheartily when they heard about the first night the piggies arrived attheir new home.
"The chickens are doing fine! I had to keep them shut up in the yardto-day to get them thoroughly acquainted with their surroundings, sothey won't run away," said Janet, but she did not say that they werekept locked up for fear they might wander over to the garden again andcreate more trouble.
"I should think you would have a cow and sell milk," suggested Bellelaughingly.
"Cows cost a lot of money. I priced one of Ames's and when I heard thesum, I lost interest in milk," replied Janet, causing the girls to laughat her explanation.
"But I am going to buy some ducks as soon as my new allowance is due.There is plenty of water for them to swim in and ducks look so rural,don't you know," added she.
"But they are difficult to raise, Janet," said Mrs. James.
"Why? If you let them swim about and give them enough feed, what morecan they want?"
"I don't know, but they take certain spells of sickness quicker than anyother fowl and, in a day or two, the whole flock droops and dies off.Geese are much easier to rear and bring better prices in the market,too."
"Oh, then I'll have geese. But I've heard they chase one, if they don'tlike you," said Janet.
"They wouldn't chase you if you fed them; and should they take it intotheir geese-heads to run anyone else out of the yard, it will be awarning for others to keep away."
The drizzle stopped after luncheon, so that the girls put on raincoatsand oil-skin caps and started to visit the Scout camp. On the way, theyvisited Natalie's garden and extolled her work and patience that hadbrought forth such results.
Natalie beamed like a full moon at the deserved praise and explained howwonderful the vegetables were before the dastardly birds dug everythingup.
"Yes, Nat, I know," remarked Belle. "It's almost like the wonderful fishone just missed catching, isn't it?"
Everyone laughed at this, even Natalie joining in at her own expense."Well, I don't care! They _would_ have been much better if they had notbeen interfered with," said she.
After leaving the garden, Natalie opened the subject of the Scout Patrolthat would be an offshoot of Miss Mason's first Patrol. This would giveboth Patrols the opportunity to launch the Troop.
"Fine! How soon can we begin?" said Belle.
"Well talk it over with Miss Mason this afternoon. I haven't had time,yet, to tell her about the Greenville girls who agreed to join us, asJanet and I have had _so_ much to do since then," explained Natalie.
The girls were now near enough to the woodland to hear the sound ofsinging. Mrs. James held up a hand for silence and they stood andlistened. It sounded very wonderful from the hillside where they were tohear the blending of soprano and alto voices in the national anthem "OurAmerica." There was a martial impetus in the singing that spoke well forthe patriotism of the Girl Scouts.
"What does Miss Mason call her Patrol, Nat?" asked Norma, as theyresumed their way to the river.
"Now that you speak of it, Norma, I must confess that I never asked.Isn't it funny that I never thought of it?" said Natalie.
"But we will ask now, and find out. Of course we will have to use thesame name if Miss Mason has already chosen one for a Troop," said Janet.
The visitors reached the camp site and found the Scouts holding acouncil meeting. They had just finished the patriotic song and MissMason was opening the meeting by an address. The unexpected guests wereinvited to sit down on a huge log and hear the Leader's speech.
"The members of this Patrol know the reason for this council, but I willexplain to the newcomers, too," said Miss Mason, turning to Mrs. Jamesand the girls.
"We have decided to send to Headquarters in New York to ask to beenrolled as a Troop, now that we have had more than a year's experiencewith the organization. Because you girls wish to start another Patroland unite with our Troop, we think it urgent to be registered andchartered by the National Headquarters, and be able to own a flag andchoose a title and crest for our use."
The visiting girls exchanged glances with each other, as the questionjust asked Natalie was about to be answered now. Miss Mason did not seetheir looks and proceeded with her explanation.
"We chose a name when first we started our Patrol but we have neverregistered it, and there was a question whether we would care to changeit after a time. We called ourselves the 'Solomon's Seal Patrol' ashaving so much meaning to the name. We think that the reflected glory ofSolomon's wisdom is better than none. So we have decided, now, tochristen our Troop by that name. We will vote on this later. At presentI wish to mention a few other points.
"I am now about to speak of a new Patrol, or new members, so it isfortunate that our visitors arrived in time to hear all I have to say.
"I suppose every girl present has a manual: 'Scouting for Girls'?"Everyone nodded in the affirmative, and Miss Mason continued:
"Then you will read on page 44, that every girl who wishes to enroll asa Scout must be at least ten years old and must have attended meetingsfor a month, during which time she will have passed her Tenderfoot Test.During the first month she is known as a Candidate. When she knows themeaning of the Promise and the Laws, and is sure she understands themeaning of the oath she is about to take, and comprehends the meaning of'Honor,' she is eligible to be a Tenderfoot.
"My Girl Scouts passed the Tenderfoot class last year, and then took theSecond Class Test, which was also passed successfully by them. We areall ready to pass the First Class Scout Test, except that each girl mustpresent a Tenderfoot who has been traine
d by the candidate. This is ouropportunity, as you girls all wish to be Scouts, and my girls can trainyou, thus giving them the privilege of being First Class Scouts.
"I was going to speak of other things, but since our visitors' arrival,I wish Mrs. James to tell us how many girls she knows on whom we cancount for the new Patrol." Miss Mason turned to Mrs. James and waited.
"Natalie knows more about the matter than I, Miss Mason, as she andJanet went about the Corners securing the candidates. Let her tell usabout it," replied Mrs. James.
Natalie was called upon to address the audience and so she got up andspoke. "Janet and I called on Nancy Sherman and Hester Tompkins andsecured their promise to join our Patrol as soon as we were ready forthem. Then we went to Dorothy Ames's house and got her interested. Withthese girls"--Natalie waved her hand at the four girls sitting on thelog,--"we will have eight applicants. Janet has a younger sister Helene,who is not twelve yet, so we are not sure whether we want her to belongto our Patrol. All of us girls are over twelve and it is more fun whengirls are nearer an age. I've been thinking that Helene might start aBrownie Troop, a younger Patrol than ours. We might allow them to joinus, later on."
As Natalie sat down, the girls of Solomon's Seal Patrol showed theirdelight at the progress made in the enlisting, and Miss Mason commendedthe two who had visited the girls of Four Corners and had interestedthem in the proposed plan.
"Mrs. James, have you thought of a Leader and Corporal for Natalie's newPatrol?" asked Miss Mason.
"I fear I am not well enough versed in scouting to take such aresponsibility upon myself. I would prefer having you do it," respondedMrs. James.
"I'd rather not be any officer, Miss Mason," exclaimed Natalie, "becausethey always have to work while the others have a good time. I'll just bean every-day Scout."
The girls laughed, as there was more reason than rhyme in the statement.But Miss Mason said: "There's always one girl in a group who has theknack of directing her companions. Such a girl ought to be an officer."
"Then, for goodness' sake, choose Janet for our manager," exclaimedNatalie. "She always runs us and everything concerned with us."
The Scouts laughed, and Miss Mason nodded her head. "I always thought asmuch, but you will confess, Natalie, that she makes a pretty goodgeneral, eh?"
Janet blushed with pleasure at the teacher's praise, and Natalie smiled:"Oh, _pretty_ good!" Then she grinned at her friend.
"Janet, will you act as Patrol Leader for your new Scouts?" asked MissMason, turning again to Janet.
"I will, if Natalie will be my Corporal," returned Janet.
"Seeing that there are only two members in our Patrol as yet, I can'tsee how I can get out of being either one or the other," laughedNatalie.
"Oh, but we will have more members shortly, and this office of Corporalmust be considered as binding until a new election," explained Janet.
"Well then, Jan, if you can bear up under the arduous duties of a PatrolLeader, I reckon I can survive the work of acting as your Corporal,"retorted Natalie.
"All right. Then we'll enroll our Tenderfoot Scouts in a Patrol beforethe next official meeting here, and begin training them in the path thatthey should follow," agreed irrepressible Janet.
After this, many subjects that interest Girl Scouts were taken up anddiscussed, and the girls from Green Hill Farmhouse were more deeplyimpressed with the wonders of scouting than they had dreamed possible.Each girl determined to do everything possible to learn as much thatsummer as those Girl Scouts of Solomon's Seal knew.