CHAPTER V
THE MAMIE MEAD
As the man of the family and courier of the expedition, Leicester hadassumed an air of importance, and looked after the baggage checks,tickets and time-tables with an effect of official guardianship.
"Why, it's a steamboat!" exclaimed Fairy, as a diminutive steamer camepuffing up to the dock. "I thought it would be a canal-boat."
"People don't travel to a Domain in a canal-boat, my child," saidLeicester, instructively.
"But you said we'd go on the canal," insisted Fairy; "and I want to seewhat a canal is like. There is one in my geography----"
"Skip aboard, kidlums, and you'll soon see what a canal is like," saidLeicester, who was marshaling his party over the gangplank.
The _Mamie Mead_ was the very smallest steamboat the children had everseen, and it seemed like playing house to establish themselves on itstiny deck. Dare seemed to find it inadequate to his ideas of proportion,and he stalked around, knocking over chairs and camp-stools with a fineair of indifference.
Grandma Dorrance, who by this time was rather tired by the journey, wasmade as comfortable as possible, and then the children prepared to enjoythe excitements of their first trip on a canal.
The smoothness of the water amazed them all, and they wondered why itwasn't more like a river.
The locks, especially, aroused awe and admiration.
By the time they went through the first gate they had made theacquaintance of the captain, and could watch the performance moreintelligently. It seemed nothing short of magic to watch the great gatesslowly close, and then to feel their own boat rising slowly butsteadily, as the water rushed in from the upper sluice.
"It's just like Noah and the Ark," exclaimed Fairy, "when the floodsmade them go up and up."
"It's exactly like that," agreed Dorothy, as the waters kept rising;"and we've nearly as many animals on board as he had."
All too soon they had risen to the level of the lake, and another pairof great gates swung open to let them through.
"Are we going to stay on top?" asked Fairy; "or must we go down again?"
"You'll stay on top this time, little missie," said good-natured oldCaptain Kane, smiling at Fairy. "This boat ain't no submarine to divedown into the lake."
"But you dived up into the lake," insisted Fairy.
"That was the only way to get here, miss. But any day you would like togo back and dive down, here's the man that will take you. The _MamieMead_ is always glad of passengers. She don't get none too manynowadays."
"Why doesn't she?" asked Leicester, with interest.
"Well, you see, sir, since the hotel's been empty, they ain't no callfor _Mamie_ much. So whenever you kids wants a free ride, just comedown to the dock and wave something. If so be's I'm goin' by, I'll stopand take you on. Is the place you're goin' near the hotel?"
"Near the hotel!" cried Dorothy; "why we're going _to_ the hotel."
"You can't. 'Tain't open."
"I know it," said Dorothy; "but it will be when we get there. We haveall the keys."
"For the land's sake! And what are you goin' to do there?"
"We're going to live there," exclaimed Leicester; "we own theplace,--that is, my grandmother does."
"Own it? Own the Dorrance place?"
"Yes; we're all Dorrances."
"For the land's sake! Well, when you want to go down to the station foranything, this here boat's at your service,--that is, if I'm up thisway."
"Do you come up this way often?" asked Dorothy, who appreciated thepossible value of this offer.
"I allus comes once a week, miss. I goes over to Dolan's Point everySaturday. Will you be here till Saturday?"
"Saturday! Why we're going to stay all summer."
"Beggin' your pardon, miss, but I don't think as how you will. Just thefew of you shakin' around in that big hotel! It's ridikilus!"
"Ridiculous or not, we're going to do it," said Leicester, stoutly; "butwe thank you for your offer, Captain Kane, and very likely we'll be gladto accept it."
"Well, there's your home," said Captain Kane, as a large white buildingbegan to be visible through the trees.
Without a word, the Dorrance children looked in the direction thecaptain indicated.
High up on the sloping shore of the lake, they saw a great house whichseemed to be an interminable length of tall, white columns supportingtiers of verandas.
"Oh!" exclaimed Dorothy, "that can't be it! that great, big place!"
"It looks like the Pantheon," said Lilian.
"You mean the Parthenon," said Leicester; "but I never can tell themapart, myself. Anyway, if that's the Dorrance Domain, it's all right!What do you think, Fairy?"
Fairy looked at the big hotel, and then said thoughtfully, "I guesswe'll have room enough."
"I guess we will," cried Dorothy, laughing; and then they all ran toGrandma Dorrance, to show her the wonderful sight.
The good lady was also astounded at the enormous size of the hotel, andgreatly impressed with the beauty of the scene. It was about threeo'clock, on a lovely May afternoon, and the hotel, which faced the west,gleamed among trees which shaded from the palest spring tints to thedark evergreens. It was at the top of a high slope, but behind it was abackground of other hills, and in the distance, mountains.
"_Aren't_ you glad we came? Oh, grannymother, _aren't_ you glad wecame?" cried Dorothy, clasping her hands in ecstasy.
"Indeed I am, dear; but I had no idea it was such an immense house. Howcan we take care of it?"
"That question will come later," said Leicester; "the thing is now, howshall we get to it. How _do_ people get to it, Captain Kane?"
"Steps," answered the captain, laconically.
"Up from the dock?"
"Yep; a hundred and forty of 'em."
"Oh, how can grandmother climb all those?"
"Settin'-places all the way along," suggested the captain, cheerfully.
"Oh, you mean landing-places on the stair-way?"
"Yep; so folks can rest. I guess your grandma'll get up all right; butwhat about all your trunks and things?"
"Why I don't know," said Leicester, suddenly losing his air of capableimportance.
"Well, there's old Hickox; you might get him."
"Where can we find Mr. Hickox?"
"He's most generally settin' around the dock. Favorite restin'-place ofhis. Think I can see him there now."
After a few moments more the _Mamie Mead_ bumped against the dock.
"Our own dock!" cried Dorothy; "oh, isn't it gorgeous!"
Probably such an excited crowd had never before landed from the _MamieMead_. The children all talked at once; Grandma Dorrance seemedrejuvenated by the happy occasion; Tessie was speechless with delight;Dare gave short, sharp barks expressive of deep satisfaction and thecanary bird burst into his most jubilant song. Doubtless the kitten waspurring contentedly, if not audibly.
The trunks and other luggage were put out on the dock, and Mr. Hickoxsauntered up and viewed them with an air of great interest.
"I guess this is where I come in handy," he said, with a broad smile anda deferential bob of his head that somehow seemed to serve as a generalintroduction all around.
Mr. Hickox was a strange looking man. He was very tall, indeed, by farthe tallest man the children had ever seen; and he was also very thin.Or perhaps _lean_ is a more expressive word to describe Mr. Hickox, forhe gave no impression of ill-health, or emaciation, but rather theleanness of muscular strength. His brown hair and side-whiskers weretouched with gray, and his tanned face was wrinkled, but he did not seemlike an old man. His blue eyes twinkled with good-humor, and his voicewas delightfully kind.
Instinctively the Dorrance children felt that they had found a friend inthis strange man, and they were grateful.
"Could you tell us, sir," said Leicester, "how we are going to get thesetrunks and things up to the hotel?"
"Well, yes, I can tell you that. I'm going to lug them up myself."
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sp; "What, carry them?" said Leicester, in surprise.
"Well, no; not carry them,--not exactly carry them. You see I've got alittle contraption of my own; a sort of cart or dray, and I'll just putall that duffle of yours into it, and it'll be up to the top beforeyou're there yourselves."
"You don't drag it up the stairs!"
"No, I go up the back way,--a roundabout, winding path of my own. Butdon't you worry,--don't worry,--Hickox'll look after things. It'll beall right."
Although Mr. Hickox spoke in short staccato jerks, his remarks seemed tocarry authority; and nodding his head in a manner peculiar to himself,he went off after his cart.
"He's all right, he is," declared Captain Kane; "but his old woman, sheisn't so right. But never mind 'bout that. You'll see old Mrs. Hickoxsooner or later and then you can size her up for yourself. Well, me and_Mamie_ must be gettin' along. You all jest stay here till Hickox comesback, and he'll get you up the hill all right."
As Captain Kane went away the children could hear him chuckling tohimself, and murmuring, "Goin' to live in the hotel! well, well!"
As Grandma Dorrance would want frequent rests by the way, Dorothyproposed that she should start on up the steps with Tessie, while therest waited for Mr. Hickox.
That long specimen of humanity soon came briskly along, trundling aqueer sort of push-cart, which it was quite evident was of homemanufacture.
"I made it myself," he declared, pointing with pride to the ungainlyvehicle. "I was surprised that I could do it," he added modestly; "Mrs.Hickox, she was surprised, too. But she generally is surprised. Youdon't know my wife, do you?"
"No," said Dorothy, politely; "we haven't that pleasure."
"H'm," said Mr. Hickox, rubbing down his side-whiskers; "she's a nicewoman,--a very nice woman, but you must take her easy. Yes, when youmeet her, you must certainly take her easy. She doesn't like to besurprised."
"Do you think she will be surprised at us?" asked Lilian, who was wellaware that many people thought the Dorrances surprising.
"Yes; I think she will. I certainly think she will. Why, to tell thetruth, I'm some surprised at you myself,--and I ain't half so easysurprised as Mrs. Hickox."
As he talked, Mr. Hickox was bundling the luggage into his cart. Hepicked up trunks and boxes as if they weighed next to nothing, anddeposited them neatly and compactly in his queer vehicle.
"Any of the live stock to go?" he inquired.
"No," said Dorothy, "we'll take the animals; unless,--yes, you mighttake the rabbits; their cage is so heavy."
"Yes, do," said Leicester; "then I'll carry the bird-cage, and you girlscan manage the dog and the kitten."
So everything else was put into the dray, even the provisions they hadbought at the grocery shop, and the children watched with astonishment,as Mr. Hickox started off, easily pushing the load along a winding path.
"He's the strongest man I ever saw," exclaimed Leicester; "and I'd liketo go along with him to see how he does it."
"No, you come with us," said Fairy, dancing around, and clasping herbrother's hand; "come on; now we're going up a million steps and then wewill come to our own Domain."
Climbing the steps was anything but a work of toil, for continually newdelights met their eyes, and they paused often to exclaim and comment.
About half-way up they found grandma and Tessie sitting on one of thesmall landings, waiting for them.
"Now we'll go the rest of the way together," said Dorothy, "for we mustall see our Domain at the same time. Go as slowly as you like,grandmother, we're in no hurry."