CHAPTER XIV
UNCLE RUFUS' STORY OF THE CHRISTMAS GOOSE
"Trix is going to stay all night with Carrie. If we go back she willonly laugh at us," Ruth Kenway said, decidedly.
"We-ell," sighed Agnes. "I don't want to give that mean thing a chanceto laugh. We can't really get lost out here, can we, Neale?"
"I don't see how we can," said Neale, slowly. "I'm game to go ahead ifyou girls are."
"It looks to me just as bad to go back," Ruth observed.
"Come on!" cried Agnes, and started forward again through the snow.
And, really, they might just as well keep on as to go back. They must behalf way to the edge of Milton by this time, all three were sure.
The "swish, swish, swish" of the slanting snow was all they heard savetheir own voices. The falling particles deadened all sound, and theymight have been alone in a wilderness as far as the presence of otherhuman beings was made known to them.
"Say!" grumbled Neale, "she said there was a brook here somewhere--atthe bottom of a hollow."
"Well, we've been going down hill for some time," Ruth remarked. "Itmust be near by now."
"Is--isn't there a--a bridge over it?" quavered Agnes.
"A culvert that we can walk over," said Neale. "Let me go ahead. Don'tyou girls come too close behind me."
"But, goodness, Neale!" cried Agnes. "We mustn't lose sight of you."
"I'm not going to run away from you."
"But you're the last boy on earth--as far as we can see," chuckledAgnes. "You have suddenly become very precious."
Neale grinned. "Get you once to the old Corner House and neither of youwould care if you didn't ever see a boy again," he said.
He had not gone on five yards when the girls, a few paces behind, heardhim suddenly shout. Then followed a great splashing and flounderingabout.
"Oh! oh! Neale!" shrieked Agnes. "Have you gone under?"
"No! But I've gone through," growled the boy. "I've busted through athin piece of ice. Here's the brook all right; you girls stay where youare. I can see the culvert."
He came back to them, sopping wet to his knees. In a few moments thelower part of his limbs and his feet were encased in ice.
"You'll get your death of cold, Neale," cried Ruth, worriedly.
"No, I won't, Ruth. Not if I keep moving. And that's what we'd allbetter do. Come on," the boy said. "I know the way after we cross thisbrook. There is an unfinished street leads right into town. Comes outthere by your store building--where those Italian kids live."
"Oh! If Mrs. Kranz should be up," gasped Agnes, "she'd take us in andlet you dry your feet, Neale."
"We'll get her up," declared Ruth. "She's as good-hearted as she can be,and she won't mind."
"But it's midnight," chattered Neale, beginning to feel the chill.
They hurried over the culvert and along the rough street. Far aheadthere was an arc light burning on the corner of Meadow Street. But not asoul was astir in the neighborhood as the trio came nearer to the Germanwoman's grocery store, and the corner where Joe Maroni, the father ofMaria, had his vegetable and fruit stand.
The Italians were all abed in their miserable quarters below the streetlevel; but there was a lamp alight behind the shade of Mrs. Kranz'ssitting room. Agnes struggled ahead through the drifts and the fallingsnow, and tapped at the window.
There were startled voices at once behind the blind. The window had anumber of iron bars before it and was supposed to be burglar-proof.Agnes tapped again, and then the shade moved slightly.
"Go avay! Dere iss noddings for you here yedt!" exclaimed Mrs. Kranz,threateningly. "Go avay, or I vill de berlice call."
They saw her silhouette on the blind. But there was another shadow, too,and when this passed directly between the lamp and the window, the girlssaw that it was Maria Maroni. Maria often helped Mrs. Kranz about thehouse, and sometimes remained with her all night.
"Oh, Maria! Maria Maroni!" shrieked Agnes, knocking on the pane again."Let us in--_do_!"
The Italian girl flew to the window and ran up the shade, despite theexpostulations of Mrs. Kranz, who believed that the party outside weretroublesome young folk of the neighborhood.
But when she knew who they were--and Maria identified themimmediately--the good lady lumbered to the side door of the storeherself, and opened it wide to welcome Ruth and Agnes, with their boyfriend.
"Coom in! Coom in by mine fire," she cried. "Ach! der poor kinder oudtin dis vedder yedt. Idt iss your deaths mit cold you vould catch--no?"
Ruth explained to the big-hearted German widow how they came to bestruggling in the storm at such an hour.
"Undt dot boy iss vet? Ach! Ledt him his feet dake off qvick! Maria!make de chocolate hot. Undt de poy--ach! I haf somedings py mine closetin, for _him_."
She bustled away to reappear in a moment with a tiny glass of somethingthat almost strangled Neale when he drank it, but, as he had to admit,"it warmed 'way down to the ends of his toes!"
"Oh, this is _fine_!" Agnes declared, ten minutes later, when she wassipping her hot chocolate. "I _love_ the snow--and this was almost likegetting lost in a blizzard."
Mrs. Kranz shook her head. "Say nodt so--say nodt so," she rumbled. "Disiss pad yedt for de poor folk. Yah! idt vill make de coal go oop inbrice."
"Yes," said Maria, softly. "My papa says he will have to charge twelvecents a pail for coal to-morrow, instead of ten. He has to pay more."
"I never thought of _that_ side of it," confessed Agnes, slowly. "Isuppose a snow storm like this _will_ make it hard for poor people."
"Undt dere iss blenty poor folk all about us," said Mrs. Kranz, shakingher head. "Lucky you are, dot you know noddings about idt."
"Why shouldn't we know something about it?" demanded Ruth, quickly. "Doyou mean there will be much suffering among _our_ tenants because ofthis storm, Mrs. Kranz?"
"Gott sie dank! nodt for _me_," said the large lady, shaking her head."Undt not for Maria's fadder. Joe Maroni iss doin' vell. But many arenodt so--no. Undt der kinder----"
"Let's give them all a Christmas," exclaimed Ruth, having a suddenbright, as well as kind, thought. "I'll ask Mr. Howbridge. You shalltell us of those most in need, Mrs. Kranz--you and Maria."
"Vell dem poor Goronofskys iss de vorst," declared the grocery-storewoman, shaking her head.
Ruth and Agnes remembered the reported riches in Sadie Goronofsky'sbank, but although they looked at each other, they said nothing aboutit.
"Sadie has an awful hard time," said Maria.
"De sthep-mudder does nodt treat her very kindly----Oh, I know! She hasso many kinder of her own. Sadie vork all de time ven she iss de schooloudt."
They discussed the other needy neighbors for half an hour longer. ThenNeale put on his dried shoes and stockings, tied his trouser-legs aroundhis ankles, and announced himself ready to go. The girls were wellprotected to their knees by leggings, so they refused to remain for thenight at Mrs. Kranz's home.
They set out bravely to finish their journey to the old Corner House.Some of the drifts were waist deep and the wind had begun to blow. "My!but I'm glad we're not over on those flats now," said Agnes.
It was almost one o'clock when they struggled through the last drift andreached the back door of the old Corner House. Uncle Rufus, his feet onthe stove-hearth, was sleeping in his old armchair, waiting up for them.
"Oh, Uncle Rufus! you ought to be abed," cried Ruth.
"You've lost your beauty sleep, Uncle Rufus," added Agnes.
"Sho', chillen, dis ain't nottin' fo' ol' Unc' Rufus. He sit up many anight afore dis. An' somebody has ter watch de Christmas goose."
"Oh! The Christmas goose?" cried Agnes. "Has it come?"
"You wanter see him, chillen?" asked the old colored man, shuffling tothe door. "Looker yere."
They followed him to the woodshed door. There, roosting on one leg andblinking at them in the lamplight, was a huge gray goose. It hissedsoftly at them, objecting to their presence, and they went back in
to thewarm kitchen.
"Why does it stand that way--on one leg--Uncle Rufus?" asked Agnes.
"Perhaps it's resting the other foot," Ruth said, laughing.
"Maybe it has only one leg," Neale observed.
At that Uncle Rufus began chuckling enormously to himself. His eyesrolled, and his cheeks "blew out," and he showed himself to be very"tickled."
The door latch clicked and here appeared Tess and Dot in their warmrobes and slippers. They had managed to wake up when the big girls andNeale came in, and had now stolen down to hear about the party.
Mrs. MacCall had left a nice little lunch, and a pot of cocoa to warmthem up. The girls gathered their chairs in a half circle about thefront of the kitchen range, with Neale, and while Uncle Rufus got therefreshments ready, Ruth and Agnes told their sisters something aboutthe barn dance.
But Neale had his eye on the old colored man. "What's the matter,Uncle?" he asked. "What's amusing you so much?"
"I done been t'inkin' ob 'way back dar befo' de wah--yas-sir. I donebeen t'inkin' ob das Christmas goose--he! he! he! das de funniestt'ing----"
"Oh, tell us about it, Uncle Rufus!" cried Ruth.
"Do tell us," added Agnes, "for we're not a bit sleepy yet."
"Make room for Uncle Rufus' armchair," commanded Ruth. "Come, UncleRufus: we're ready."
Nothing loath the old fellow settled into his creaking chair and lookedinto the glowing coals behind the grated fire-box door.
"Disher happen' befo' de wah," he said, slowly. "I warn't mo' dan apickerninny--jes' knee-high to a mus'rat, as yo' might say. But I kinmember ol' Mars' Colby's plantation de bery yeah befo' de wah.
"Well, chillen, as I was sayin', disher Christmas I kin 'member lak' itwas yestidy. My ol' mammy was de sho' 'nuff cook at de big house, an'Mars' Colby t'ought a heap ob her. But she done tuk down wid de mis'ryin her back jes' two days fore Christmas--an' de big house full obcomp'ny!
"Sech a gwine 'bout yuh nebber _did_ see, w'en mammy say she couldn'tcook de w'ite folkses' dinner. Dere was a no-'count yaller gal, SallyAlley dey call her, wot he'ped erbout de breakfas' an' sech; but shewarn't a sho' 'nuff cook--naw'm!
"She 'lowed she was. She was de beatenes' gal for t'inkin' she knowedeberyt'ing. But, glo-_ree_! dar wasn't nobody on dat plantation wotcould cook er goose tuh suit Mars' Colby lak' my ol' mammy.
"And de goose dey'd picked out fo' dat Christmas dinner sho' was a noblebird--ya-as'm! Dere was an army ob geese aroun' de pond, but de onedey'd shet up fo' two weeks, an' fed soft fodder to wid er spoon, was denoblest ob de ban'," said Uncle Rufus, unctuously.
"Well, dar warn't time tuh send on to Richmon' fo' a sho' 'nuff cook,an' de dinnah pahty was gaddered togedder. So Mars' Colby had ter letdat uppity yaller gal go ahead an' do her worstest.
"She sho' done it," said Uncle Rufus, shaking his head. "Dar nebber wassech anudder dinner sarbed on de Colby table befo' dat time, nor, since.
"My mammy, a-layin' on her back in de quahtahs, an' groanin', sent me upto de big house kitchen tuh watch. I was big 'nuff to he'p mammy, and itwas in dat kitchen I begin ter l'arn ter be a house sarbent.
"Well, chillen, I kep' my two eyes open, an' I sabed de sauce fromburnin', an' de roun' 'taters from bilin' over, an' de onions fromsco'chin' an' de sweet-er-taters f'om bein' charcoal on one side an'baked raw on de odder. Glo-_ree_! dat was one 'citin' day in datkitchen.
"But I couldn't sabe de goose from bein' sp'ilt. Dat was beyon' mypowah. An' it happen disher way:
"De yaller gal git de goose all stuffed an' fixed propah, fo' she doneuse my mammy's resate fo' stuffin'. But de no-'count critter set itright down in de roastin' pan on de flo' by de po'ch door. Eroun' comesnuffin' a lean houn' dawg, one ob de re'l ol' 'nebber-git enuff' breed.He's empty as er holler stump--er, he! he! he!" chuckled Uncle Rufus."Glo-_ree_! dar allus was a slather of sech houn's aroun' datplantation, fo' Mars' Colby was a fox huntah.
"Dat dawg git his eye on dat goose for jes' a secon'--an' de nex' secon'he grab hit by de laig!
"Lawsy me! My soul an' body!" chortled Uncle Rufus, rocking himself toand fro in his chair in an ecstasy of enjoyment. "How dem niggers didsqueal! Dar was more'n 'nuff boys an' gals 'roun' undah foot at dattime, but none ob dem git near de fracas but Unc' Rufus--naw'm!"
"My goodness! the dog didn't get away with the goose, did he, UncleRufus?" asked Ruth.
"I's a-comin' tuh dat--I's a-comin' tuh dat," repeated the old man. "Iseen de goose gwine out de do', an' I grab hit--I sho' did! I grab it byde two wingses, an' I hang on liker chigger. De odder pickaninnies jes'a jumpin' eroun' an er-hollerin'. But Unc' Rufus knowed better'n _dat_.
"Dat houn' dawg, he pull, an' I pull, an' it sho' a wondah we didn' pulldat bird all apaht betwixt us. But erbout de secon' wrench dat hongrybeast gib, he pull de laig clean off'n dat ol' goose!
"Glo-_ree_!" chuckled Uncle Rufus, rolling his eyes and weaving back andforth on his chair, in full enjoyment of his own story. "Glo-_ree_! Datis a 'casion I ain't nebber lak'ly tuh fo'git. Dar I was on my back onde kitchen flo', wid de goose on top ob me, w'ile de houn'-dawg beat iterway from dar er mile-er-minit--ya-as'm!
"Dat yaller gal jerked dat goose out'n my arms an' put hit back in depan, an clapped de pan inter de oven. 'Wedder hit's got one laig, ortwo,' says she, 'dat's de onliest one de w'ite folkses has got fo' dey'sdinner."
"An dat was true 'nuff--true 'nuff," said Uncle Rufus. "But I begin tuhwondah wot Mars' Colby say 'bout dat los' laig? He was right quick widhes temper, an' w'en hes mad was up----Glo-_ree_! he made de quahtahs_hot_! I wondah wot he do to dat yaller gal w'en dat raggedty goose comeon de table.
"It done got cooked to a tu'n--ya-as! I nebber see a browner, nor aplumper goose. An' w'en dat Sally Alley done lay him on hes side, wid delos' laig _down_, hit was jes' a pitcher--jes' a pitcher!" declaredUncle Rufus, reminiscent yet of the long past feast-day.
"Wal, dar warn't ne'der ob de waitresses willin' tuh tak' dat goose inan' put it down befo' Mars' Colby--naw'm! So dat yaller gal had to puton a clean han'kercher an' ap'on, an' do it her own se'f. I was jes'leetle 'nuff so I crope th'u de do' an' hides behin' de co'nah ob desidebo'd.
"I was moughty cur'ous," confessed Uncle Rufus. "I wanted tuh know jes'wot Mars' Colby say w'en he fin' dat goose ain' got but one laig onhim."
"And what did he say, Uncle Rufus?" asked Agnes, breathless withinterest like the other listeners.
"Das is wot I is a-comin' to. You be patient, chile," chuckled UncleRufus.
"Dar was de long table, all set wid shinin' silber, an' glistenin' cutglass, an' de be-you-ti-ful ol' crockery dat Madam Colby--das Mars'Colby's gre't-gran-mammy--brought f'om Englan'. Dar was ten platesbeside de famb'ly.
"De waitresses am busy, a-flyin' eroun' wid de side dishes, an' Mis'Colby, she serbs at her side ob de table, w'en Mars' Colby, he get uptuh carve.
"'Wot paht ob de goose is yo' mos' fon' of, Miss Lee?' he say to deyoung lady on hes right han', monst'ous perlite lak.
"'I'd lak' a slice ob de laig, Cunnel,' she say; 't'ank yo'.'"
Uncle Rufus was surely enjoying himself. He was imitating "the quality"with great gusto. His eyes rolled, his sides shook, and his brown facewas all one huge smile.
"De bery nex' lady he ax dat same question to, mak' de same reply," wenton Uncle Rufus, "an' Mars' Colby done cut all de laig meat erway on datside. Den it come ergin. Somebody else want er piece ob de secon' j'int.
"Mars' Colby stick his fo'k in de goose an' heave him over in deplattah. Glo-_ree_! dar de under side ob dat goose were all nice an'brown; but dar warn't no sign ob a laig erpon hit!
"'Wha' dis? Wha' dis?' Mars' Colby cry. 'Who been a-tamperin' wid disgoose? Sen' dat no-'count Sally Alley in yeah dis minute!' he say to oneob de waitresses.
"Glo-_ree_! how scar't we all was. My knees shak' tergedder, an' I bitmy tongue tryin' ter hol' my jaws shet. W'en Mars' Colby done letloose----well!" and Uncle Rufus sighed.
"Den dey come back wid Sally Alley. If eber dar was a scar't nigger ondat pla
ntation, it was dat same yaller gal. An' she warn't saddle colorno mo'; she was grayer in de face dan an ol' rat.
"Dey stan' her up befo' Mars' Colby, an' hes eyes look lak' dey wasred--ya-as'm! 'Sally Alley,' he roar at her, 'whar de odder laig ob disgoose?'
"Sally Alley shake like a willer by de ribber, an' she blurt out: 'Mars'Colby! sho' 'nuff dar warn't no odder laig _on_ dat goose.'
"'Wha' dat?' say he, moughty savage. 'On'y _one_ laig on dis goose?'
"'Ya-as, suh--sho' 'nuff. Das de onliest laig it had,' says she.
"'What do yo' mean?' Mars' Colby cry. 'Yo' tell me my goose ain' hab butone laig?'
"'Ya-as, suh. Das hit. On'y one laig,' says dat scar't yaller gal, an'ter clinch it she added, '_All_ yo' geese dat a-ways, Mars' Colby. Deyall ain' got but one laig.'"
"Oh!" squealed Dot.
"Was it sure enough _so_, Uncle Rufus?" asked Tess, in awe.
"Yo' wait! yo' wait, chillen! I'se gittin' tuh dat," declared the oldman, chuckling. "Co'se dat Sally Alley say dat, hysterical lak'. She wasdat scar't. Mars' Colby scowl at her mo' awful.
"'I mak' yo' prove dat to me atter dinner,' he say, savage as he kin be.'Yo'll tak' us all out dar an' show us my one-laiged geese. An' if it_ain't_ so, I'll send yo' to de fiel' oberseer.'
"De fiel' oberseer do de whippin' on dat plantation," whispered UncleRufus, "an' Sally Alley knowed wot dat meant."
"Oh, dear me!" cried tender-hearted Tess. "They didn't re'lly _beat_her?"
"Don't try to get ahead of the story, Tess," said Agnes, but rathershakingly. "We'll all hear it together."
"Das it," said Uncle Rufus. "Jes' gib Unc' Rufus time an' he'll tell itall. Dat yaller gal sho' was in a fix. She don' know w'ich way to tu'n.
"Das dinner was a-gettin' nearer an' nearer to de en'. Mars' Colby dolak' he say den. He come out an' mak' Sally Alley show de one-laigedgeese.
"'I has a po'erful min',' dat Sally gal say, 'ter go down dar an' choper laig off'n ebery goose in de yard.'
"But she didn't hab no min' to do dat," pursued Uncle Rufus. "Naw'm. Shedidn't hab no min' for nottin', she was dat flabbergastuated.
"She t'ink she run erway; but she wouldn't git far befo' Mars' Colby beatter her wid de houn's. Dar ain't no place to run to, an' she ain't gotno mammy, so she run tuh mine," said Uncle Rufus, shaking his head. "An'my mammy was a wise ol' woman. She done been bawn in de Colby famb'ly,an' she know Mars' Colby better dan he know he'self. Fiery as he was,she know dat if yo' kin mak' him laff, he'd fo'give a nigger 'mostanyt'ing.
"So my ol' mammy tol' Sally Alley wot tuh say an' do. Sally wipe hereyes an' mak' herse'f neat erg'in, an' wa'k up ter de big house brave asa lion--in de seemin'--jes' as de gran' folkses comes out upon de lawn.
"'Here, yo',' 'sclaim Mars' Colby, we'n he see her. 'Yo' come an' showme all dem one-laiged geese.'
"'Ya-as, Mars',' says Sally Alley, an' she haid right off fo' de goosepon'. Dar was de whole flock roostin' erlong de aidge ob de pon'--an'all wid one foot drawed up in deir fedders lak' dat goose roostin' outdar in dat woodshed dis bressed minute!
"'Wot I tell yo'? Wot I tell yo', Mars' Colby?' cry Sally Alley. 'Ain'tall dem gooses got one laig lak' I tol' yo'?'
"But Mars' stride right ober to de fence an' clap hes han's. Ebery oneo' dem geese puts down hes foot an' tu'ns to look at him.
"'Das ain' no fair! das ain' no fair, Mars' Colby!' squeals dat yallergal, all 'cited up. '_Yo' didn't clap yo' han's at dat goose on detable!_'--er, he! he! he!" And so Uncle Rufus finished the story of theChristmas goose.
Ruth started the younger ones to bed immediately; but Tess called downfrom the stair:
"Uncle Rufus! He _didn't_ make her go see the field overseer, did he?"
"Sho'ly not, chile. Dat wasn' Cunnel Mark Colby's way. My ol' mammyknowed wot would han'le him. He done give one big laff, an' sent SallyAlley off to Aunt Jinny, de housekeeper, tuh cut her off a new kalikerdress pattern. But dem quality folkses sho' was tickled erbout datone-laiged goose."