CHAPTER XII
RALPH THE RANGER
One thing was certain. There was no chance of obtaining the clothes atpresent. Probably his best course would be to wait till night, andthen come back to the house on the chance of gaining Mrs. Bickford'sattention. In the meantime, probably, the best thing to be done was toconceal himself temporarily in a belt of woods lying about a mile backof Abner Holden's house.
As soon as his breath was recovered, Herbert got up, and headed forthese woods. A few minutes found him in the midst of them. He made hisway with some difficulty through the underbrush, parting the thick stemswith his hands, until he reached a comparatively open space of perhapsan acre in extent. In the midst of this space a rude hut was visible,constructed of logs, and covered with the branches of trees. In frontof it, sitting on the stump of a tree, which perhaps had been sparedfor that purpose, sat a tall man, with very brown complexion, clad ina rough hunting suit. His form, though spare, was tough and sinewy, andthe muscles of his bare arms seemed like whipcords. A short, black pipewas in his mouth. The only covering of his head was the rough, grizzledhair, which looked as if for months it had never felt the touch of acomb or brush.
Herbert, though he had never before seen this singular being, recognizedhim at once as Ralph the Ranger, as he was properly called in thevillage. For years he had lived a hermit-like existence in the forest,supporting himself mainly by his rifle. This was not difficult, for hiswants were few and simple. What cause led him to shun the habitations ofhis kind, and make his dwelling in the woods, no one knew, and perhapsno one ever would know, for of himself he was silent, and it was noteasy to draw him out.
He looked up as he heard Herbert's step, and said, abruptly: "Well, boy,what do you want?"
His manner was rough, but our hero was not afraid. He answered frankly,"I am hiding."
"Hiding? Who from?"
"From Abner Holden."
"Humph! Why should you hide from him? What has he to do with you?"
"I am bound to him, and he is angry with me because he thinks Iinterfered in a trade of his. He wanted to beat me, so I ran away."
"Good!" said Ralph, approvingly. "Tell me about it."
Herbert drew near, and told his story.
Ralph listened attentively.
"Boy," said he, "I think you are honest. There are not many that can besaid of. As for Abner Holden, I know him. He's a mean skinflint. Pah!"and he spit, contemptuously. "You'd better not go back to him."
"I don't mean to," said Herbert, promptly.
"What are your plans? Have you formed any?"
"I want to go to New York."
"To New York," repeated Ralph, thoughtfully. "You wish to get into thecrowd, while I seek to avoid it. But it is natural to youth. At yourage, it was so with me. I hope, my boy, the time will not come when you,like me, will wish to shun the sight of men."
Herbert listened in sympathy, not unmingled with surprise, to the speechof this man, which was quite superior to what might have been expectedfrom one of his appearance.
"When do you wish to start?" asked Ralph, after a pause.
"First, I want to get my clothes."
"Where are they?"
"In my room, at Mr. Holden's house."
"How do you expect to get them?"
"Mrs. Bickford, the housekeeper, is a friend of mine. I thought I mightgo there to-night, and attract her attention without rousing Mr. Holden.She would get them for me."
"Good! I will go with you."
"Will you?" asked Herbert, gladly.
He had felt a little doubt as to the result of his expedition, as, ifMr. Holden should be awake and start in pursuit, he would stand a goodchance of being captured, which, above all things, he most dreaded. Butwith so able an auxiliary as Ralph, he knew he could bid easy defianceto Abner, however much the latter might desire to molest him.
"Yes, I will stand by you, and you shall share my cabin with me as longas you like. You are not afraid of me?"
"No," said Herbert, quickly.
Ralph looked kindly at him.
"Some of the children run from me," he said. "It is not strange,perhaps, for I look savage, I suppose, but you do well to trust me. Iwill be your friend, and that is something I have not said to any livingbeing for years. I like your face. It is brave and true."
"Thank you for your favorable opinion, Mr.--" Here Herbert paused inuncertainty, for he had never heard Ralph's surname.
"Call me Ralph. I have done with the title of civilization. Call meRalph. That will suit me best."
"Thank you for your kindness, then, Ralph."
"What is your name?"
"Herbert--Herbert Mason."
"Then, Herbert, I think you must be hungry. Have you eaten your dinner?"
"No," said Herbert.
"Then you shall share mine. My food is of the plainest, but such as itis, you are welcome. Come in."
Herbert entered the cabin. The only table was a plank supported at eachend by a barrel. From a box in the corner Ralph drew out some corn-breadand some cold meat. He took a tin measure, and, going out of the cabin,filled it with water from a brook near by. This he placed on the rudetable.
"All is ready," he said. "Take and eat, if my food is not too rude."
Herbert did eat, and with appetite. He was a growing boy, whose appetiteseldom failed him, and he had been working hard since breakfast, whichhe had taken at six, while it was now one o'clock. No wonder he washungry.
Ralph looked on with approval.
"You are the first that has shared my meal for many a long day," hesaid. "Day after day, and year after year, I have broken my fastalone, but it seems pleasant, after all," he said, musingly. "Men aretreacherous and deceitful, but you," he said, resting his glance on thefrank, ingenuous face of his youthful guest, "you must be honest andtrue, or I am greatly deceived."
"I hope you will find me so," said Herbert, interested more and more inthe rough-looking recluse, about whose life he suspected there must besome sad secret, of which the world knew nothing.
After dispatching the meal provided by his hospitable entertainer,Herbert sat down on the grass just outside the cabin, and watched lazilythe smoke which issued from Ralph's pipe, as it rose in many a fantasticcurl.
"How long have you lived here, Ralph?" asked our hero at length.
"Ten years," said the recluse, removing his pipe from his lips.
"It is a long time."
"Yes, boy, a long time in the life of one as young as you, but to meit seems but yesterday that I built this cabin and established myselfhere."
"Are you not often lonely?"
"Lonely? Yes, but not more so than I should be in the haunts of men. Ihave company, too. There are the squirrels that leap from bough to boughof the tall trees. Then there are the birds that wake me with theirsinging. They are company for me. They are better company than men.They, at least, will not deceive me."
He paused, and bent his eyes upon the ground. He was thinking, not ofthe boy beside him, but of some time in the past, and the recollectionapparently was not pleasant.
The afternoon wore away at length, and the shadows deepened in thewoods. Herbert wandered about, and succeeded in gathering some nuts,which he carried to Ralph's cabin. When eight o'clock came, the Rangersaid: "You had better lie down and rest, my boy; I will wake you up attwelve, and we will go together to Holden's place, and see if we can getyour clothes."
To this proposal Herbert willingly assented, as he began to feel tired.
He slept, he knew not how long, when he was gently shaken by Ralph.
"Where am I?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
The sight of the Ranger bending over him soon brought back therecollection of his position, and he sprang up promptly. Ralph showedhim an easier way out of the woods than that by which he had entered,and less embarrassed by the growth of underbrush.
In half an hour they were standing by Abner Holden's house. It wasperfectly dark, the inmates probably being fast asleep.
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"I know where the housekeeper sleeps," said Herbert. "I'll throw up apebble at her window, and perhaps it will wake her up."
He did as proposed. Mrs. Bickford, who was a light sleeper, heard, andwent to the window.
"Who's there?" she asked.
"It is I, Mrs. Bickford," said Herbert.
"What, Herbert? Shall I let you in?"
"No; I don't want to come in. All I want is my clothes. They are up inmy trunk."
"I'll go up and get them for you."
She went upstairs and quickly returned with the clothes, which she letdown from the window.
"Are you hungry, Herbert?" she asked. "Let me bring you something toeat."
"No, thank you, Mrs. Bickford; I am stopping with Ralph the Ranger. Hehas kindly given me all the food I want."
"What are you going to do? Are you going to stop with him?"
"No, I am going East in a day or two. I am going to New York. I willwrite to you from there."
"I am sorry to have you go, Herbert. I wish things could have beenpleasanter, so that you might have stayed. But I think I hear Mr. Holdenstirring. Good-by, and may God be with you!"
She closed the window hastily, and Herbert, not wishing to get intoa collision with Abner Holden, who he suspected might have heardsomething, withdrew swiftly. Ralph, who was standing near by, joinedhim, and both together went back to the woods.