CHAPTER XVII
THE CABIN ON THE MOUNTAIN
Yes, it was a man digging in the ground. The quivering, yellowish glarefrom a torch that had been stuck in the ground by his side--as itflickered and flared, sometimes almost extinguished by the night air,and then suddenly blazing to a vivid flame--silhouetted his form insharp outline against the high rock by which he was standing.
As the girl's eyes dilated in puzzled wonder as to who the man was, andwhy he was digging in the woods at this hour of the night, a queer, oddquiver, or twitching of his head at times, as he bent over the spade,aroused within her a vague consciousness that she had seen some onebefore who had that same peculiar motion.
Tige, the little yellow dog crouching at their feet, at this moment gavea low growl, a warning that he might betray their presence. Nathalie,quickly pushing Jean from her lap, grabbed the dog, and snuggled himclose to smother the growl, afraid that the man would discover that hehad been seen. Assailed by a nameless fear, she seized Jean's hand andpushed on up the incline, stepping cautiously, almost noiselessly, onthe fallen leaves and stones, ever and anon glancing back, as if fearfulthat the man would pursue them.
Recalled to herself at Jean's wide, frightened eyes, and the tremor ofhis slight form, she whispered with assumed courage, "Oh, I guess theman is only burying some dead animal, or something of that kind up herein the woods." Nevertheless she was almost as frightened as the child,and was devoutly thankful when they reached a little clearing nearer thetop, where the moon shone down with the brightness of day.
Yes, it would be about here that Sheila would come, for it was not farfrom the jutting rock where they had seen such beautiful views thatmorning. With keen eyes the girl peered around, but only craggy rocks,scrubby bushes, tree-stumps--weird black objects in the moonlight--hereand there, backed by a forest of heavily-branched trees met her gaze.Oh! what was that tiny glimmer of light over by the tree yonder? Was ita light held by the man who had been digging, and who was perhapswatching them from behind the tree?
Nathalie's heart gave a wild leap, again shaken by that nameless fear,and then, to her intense relief, she saw that the light came from thelittle log cabin the children had found that morning in prowling aboutthe clearing. Yes, some one must live there. But suppose it should bethe man they had seen? Ah, they would hurry on, and gripping Jean's handin a closer pressure, she started forward. But no; Jean stoodobstinately still, with low-bent head, as if listening.
What was it? Oh, it was a noise,--a low sound like a moan. Could it beSheila? Was she lying somewhere there in the woods? Why, it sounded asif it came from the little cabin! Nathalie's head went up as she peeredresolutely through the gloom. No, she would not allow her foolish fearto master her. She would go forward and see what it was--perhaps. Amoment or so later the girl, still frenziedly clinging to the littleboy's hand, her heart leaping with anxious agitation and nervous fear,tapped loudly on one of the log posts of the open doorway, which washung with what appeared to be a large dark-colored shawl that waveddismally in the wind. Almost immediately, in answer to her rap, theshawl was pushed hastily aside and a man stood in the doorway.
From the weird red gleam of a lantern that hung from the center of thecabin, Nathalie perceived that the man was young, with a strange palloron his lean, brown face, which was lighted by large, densely black eyes,that were peering down at her from beneath a tangle of soft, wavy blackhair.
Inwardly quaking, but determined not to show her fear, Nathalieinquired, "Have you seen anything of a little girl about?" Withoutanswering, the man turned and was pointing towards a log couch built upagainst the wall, spread with an old army-coat. Nathalie gave a hurriedglance, and then made a wild rush forward, for the little form lying sostrangely still on the coat was Sheila!
But the man's hand stayed her as he said in a low, but pleasant-soundingvoice, "Sh-sh! I would not awaken her. Poor little thing, she criedherself to sleep." He then briefly explained how he had been awakened bythe low whimpering of a child, and, on going out to the clearing, hadfound her sitting on a rock, crying piteously for the fairies to comeand get her. He was moved to question her, and then, by a littlecoaxing, and the explanation that the fairies had all gone back tofairyland, as it was long after midnight, he had coaxed the child intothe cabin, and finally she had fallen asleep. As Nathalie bent over herin anxious solicitude she saw the undried tears still on her lashes,while low, whimpering moans--the sounds that had arrested herattention--came at intervals from between the soft, red lips.
As the girl pondered as to how she was to get Sheila home, Danny'spoliceman's whistle, as he called it, followed by Janet's shrill"hoo-hooing," announced that the rest of the party of searchers hadarrived. In a short space they were all in the little cabin, animatedlydiscussing how to carry the little girl down the mountain. Danny,meanwhile, had hastened to the couch and was down on his knees, softlykissing the little hand thrown over the side, in the abandon of sleep,while the young man stood at one side, quietly watching the littlegroup.
It was soon decided, at his suggestion, that they leave the little girlthere in the cabin with Danny until morning, when there would be morelight to get her down the mountain. This difficulty settled, withrelieved hearts they were about to set forth on their return journeydown the trail, when Nathalie, whose eyes had been wandering about therustic hut, cried, "But do you live here all alone up on this mountain?"
The young man's eyes lighted. "Why, yes, I live alone up here. It is notmuch of a summer-resort," he said, with a rarely winning smile. "Stillit answers my purpose, for I am guaranteed plenty of pure air. I am anEnglish soldier," he volunteered somewhat slowly, "and have recentlycome over here from England. I was wounded,--" he glanced down at hisarm with its gloved hand, and which Janet had been eying rather sharply,for it hung down in a strangely stiff way,--"and I thought the mountainswould benefit me. But I am very glad I found the child," he broke offabruptly, as if he had been revealing something he did not care to talkabout. "I hope she will be none the worse for her adventure," hecontinued kindly, "even if she failed to find the fairies." Nathalie hadexplained how the child had come to wander away.
Nathalie bent over in anxious solicitude.--_Page 259._]
Early the next morning Danny and Sheila appeared, the little girl nowquite wide-awake, but she grew very shamefaced when Mrs. Page scoldedher gently for giving them such a fright, dwelling upon the deep anxietyshe had caused Miss Natty, when she had been so good to her, too. Thetears came into the brown eyes at this rebuke, and, impulsively runningto the girl, she protested with a stifled sob that she would not runafter any more fairies.
Of course Nathalie had to kiss the woeful little damsel, but perceivingthat the auspicious moment had arrived to impress her with a fact thatshe should know, she took her out on the porch, and then gravely andcarefully made clear to the little mind that there were no fairies, butjust beautiful fancies that existed in the brains of people, who putthem in stories so as to make them interesting to children.
But Danny, apparently greatly distressed, now drew Nathalie to one side,and confided to her that he believed that the young man must be hungryand very poor, for there seemed to be no food in the cabin. And he hadheard him mutter,--when he thought the boy was asleep,--as he countedsome loose change he had taken from his pocket and thrown on the table,"Well, that won't get much food." And then he had sat very quiet for along time, as if thinking.
Nathalie immediately rushed to impart this news to her mother, with theresult that, a half-hour later, Danny and Tony, each with a basketfilled with food, started up the mountain-trail. In his pocket Dannycarried a note written by Mrs. Page, in which she not only thanked theyoung man again for his kindness to Sheila, but made it clear that thefood came from the child, a thank offering to him, and that she hoped hewould find it acceptable, as she knew that it must be a difficult matterto obtain much food up there on the mountain top.
Some time later the two bo
ys returned in a state of great excitement.They claimed that they had found the young man asleep on the couch, andalthough they had tried to awaken him, and had "hollered and holleredright into his ear," as Danny expressed it, he had not even stirred. Thefaces of the listeners grew grave as they heard this, and Janet, with asudden sharp exclamation, turned and rushed up-stairs, to reappear in amoment with a medicine-case and her hat. Her training as a districtnurse was now to be put to a real test. "I just believe that boy hasbeen starved to death," she ejaculated, her blue eyes luminous withsympathy, "for I could see by the look of him last night that he was ina bad way."
Of course Nathalie would not let Janet go alone, and so the two girlsand the boys again hurried up the mountain to the cabin, where theyfound the young man not dead, as Nathalie had vaguely feared, but in astate of unconsciousness. Under Janet's able ministrations he wasfinally brought to, and after Nathalie had warmed some broth--Danny hadmade a fire in the open--it was gently fed to him by Janet. As Nathaliewatched her, she opened her eyes in amazement at the girl's deftness andgentleness in handling her charge, for this indeed was a new phase ofher cousin's character.
Won by the girls' sympathy and interest, Philip de Brie--as that provedto be the young man's name--said he had been wounded at the battle ofLoos, and then wounded again and taken a prisoner at the battle of theSomme. After many months, under most harrowing circumstances, he hadmade his escape, and finally reached England, only to find that hismother had died in the meantime. "As I was alone," there was aperceptible quiver in his voice,--"my father had died when I was alad,--I decided to come over here.
"My father was an American," he continued. "I was born in America, and,as I knew that I had a grandmother living here, now my only relative, Ifelt that I wanted to see her. But I found that she, too, had died," theyoung man's eyes saddened, "and, well, once up on these grand oldmountains, somehow I wanted to stay, they seemed so restful after thenerve-shocked life of a battle-field and my prison experience. I foundthis old shack up here one day in wandering about, and, after findingits owner, hired it for the summer. You see, my arm was bayoneted by aGerman," his mouth set in a hard line, "and was never properly treatedin the German camp. Sometimes I fear I will lose it altogether. But youhave been very kind to me--I shall get along now." He attempted to rise,but Janet, forcing him back, insisted upon ripping open the sleevecovering the bayoneted arm, notwithstanding his protests, and here shefound a condition that made her eyes grow very grave.
After cleaning the wound and applying what remedies she had on hand, sherebandaged the arm, which made the patient feel much better, heaffirmed. After giving him a soothing draught, and fixing him ascomfortably as she could with the meager bed-clothing in the cabin, sohe could sleep, she and Nathalie withdrew outside.
Under the trees the two girls sat and discussed the situation with muchperplexity, for Janet maintained that it was a serious case,--that theyoung man's temperature was not only rising, but that his arm needed asurgeon's care. But what were they to do? And the girls' eyes grewtragically grave as they realized that the young man was an object ofmuch solicitude, alone and ill in a strange country, and evidentlywithout any means.
It was finally decided that they take turns in caring for him, with thehelp of Danny, who was not only sympathetically interested, but who wasquite a handy man in many ways. He said he had learned to care forSheila, and for the old woman whom he called his nurse, who had caredfor them, and who was not only very aged, but miserably ill for sometime before she died.
But the next morning, unfortunately,--Janet and Danny had remainedduring the night,--the patient's condition was worse and Janet, withtears in her eyes, besought Nathalie to go to the village and see if shecould get help.
As the girl hurried down the trail her mind was active. Oh, she did hateto make the young man a public charge, as he looked so refined, and hadsuch a noble, winning way with him. And he was a soldier, too; yes, a"Son of Liberty," as she confided to Tony, who was by her side. For hadhe not been fighting in France to give liberty to the world? "Why, thereisn't anything too good for him," lamented the girl, "and yet there heis up there alone, perhaps at the point of death for want of propercare." And yet where was she to get the money to call a physician, andwhere could she find one, were perplexing questions.
As these thoughts ran rapidly through the girl's brain, sometimes spokenaloud in her stress, inspired perhaps by Tony's unspoken sympathy, as hegently patted her hand, she caught her breath quickly, and a brightflash illumined her eyes.
"Yes, I will do it," she muttered aloud, absent-mindedly returning theboy's caresses. "I will take the money. I was saving it. O dear!"Nathalie almost wailed, "shall I ever be able to save even a _sou_towards going to college? Well, it can't be helped. I'll just have totake it and see if I can't get some one to tell me where I can get aphysician."
Hurrying into the house, Nathalie informed her mother as to thepatient's condition, and then told that she intended taking the moneyshe had saved and call a doctor. Mrs. Page kissed the girl softly withtroubled eyes, saying gently, "Never mind, Nathalie, you are investingyour money at a greater per cent of interest in giving it to thisunknown stranger, than if you used it for yourself. And then, who knows,dear? Something may turn up some day----"
"Oh no," cried Blue Robin in a discouraged voice, "_nothing_ will everturn up." And then, with a feeble smile, she cried, "But, as you oftensay, mumsie, things are foreordained, and so perhaps it wouldn't be formy good to have my wish. And then, anyway, I shall have thesatisfaction," the brown eyes were sparkling again, "of knowing that the'drop in the bucket,' is going to do some good to some one."
After finding Sam, who was rarely ill and could give her no informationas to where to get a physician unless it was at Littleton, she startedfor the village. As she passed the little red house she ran in for amoment to tell Mrs. Carney about the man in the cabin, as she had becomemuch interested in the young man's story. The queer old lady and thegirl had become very good friends since that visit with the children,for Nathalie had learned that the sometimes sharp gray eyes covered akindly nature, notwithstanding the old lady's brusque, queer ways.
"Yes, it just breaks my heart to take my college money," she dolefullyconfided. Then, half-ashamed of her repining, she tried to explain howcollege had been the dream of her life, and how many times she had beendisappointed. A kindly gleam in Mrs. Carney's eyes, however, assured herthat the old lady understood how she felt, and after a hurried good-byshe was on her way to the post-office.
Nathalie feared she was going to get no more information here than whatSam had imparted, when suddenly a lady, who had been standing near, andwho had been interested in her story, informed her that there was afamous surgeon from New York up at the Sunset Hill House, and thatpossibly she could get him.
Thanking her warmly, the girl hurried up the board walk to thehotel,--the children tagging on behind her,--feeling extremely nervousas she realized her boldness in asking a big physician, who had probablycome to the mountains for a rest, to be bothered with a poor patient.And then, too, who knew what terribly high prices he might ask for hisservices? Nathalie began to feel that her "drop in the bucket" might notprove of any help after all.
But, bracing to the ordeal, she told the children to wait at the littleObservation Tower, as she called it, in front of the hotel, and hurriedto the office. She had just nervously cleared her throat to question theclerk when the sudden cry, "Oh, Nathalie! Nathalie! where did you comefrom?" caused her to swing about. The next moment Nita Van Vorst had herarms about her, and was hugging and kissing her excitedly, while hermother stood by with pleased, shining eyes.
After a hearty greeting from Mrs. Van Vorst, Nathalie cried laughingly,although the sudden revulsion from nervous anxiety had brought tears toher eyes, "Oh, where did you come from, and when did you get here?"
"We arrived last night," replied Nita, bubbling over with delight atbeing with her friend again. "Our coming here is a surprise _for you_,and we
were just going to see if we could get some information as towhere Seven Pillars was, so as to motor there."
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you, and now you can see my boys!" And then,after Mrs. Van Vorst had led them into one of the little side-roomsopening from the long hall, where they could converse without beingheard, she told all about her boys,--Sheila, the boy-girl, as she calledher, the good times they were all having, and about the young man whowas lying so ill up on the mountain, and what had brought her to thehotel. "I am so nervous," sighed the girl, as she finished her story,"for I don't know this big man, and I dread to speak with him, for fearhe will be brusque and sharp with me, but _something_ must be done forthat poor soldier boy."
"Excuse me a moment," exclaimed Mrs. Van Vorst after she had conversed awhile; "I want to go and see if I have any mail." But, to Nathalie'ssurprise, she did not go in the direction of the desk, but hurried aftera tall, rather stout gentleman who at that moment passed through thehall.
But the little incident was forgotten, as Nathalie and Nita had so muchto say to one another that they both talked at once, as if their tongueswere hung in the middle. Nita insisted that her friend would have toremain to dinner with her, as she had so much news to tell, especiallyabout the Liberty Girls, that it would take hours to tell it.
In the midst of these many bits of enjoyed information, Nita's motherreturned, and Nathalie in a moment was dazedly bowing to the tallgentleman, whom her friend presented as Dr. Gilmour. "He is the surgeon,Nathalie," she added smilingly, "whom you came after. As he is a veryold friend of mine, and a good American to boot," she nodded at thegentleman, "he has consented to go with you up the mountain to see yourSon of Liberty, as you call him."
"Oh, I am so glad! I am so glad!" burst from the girl with ajoy-thrilled voice. "And, oh, I thank you so much; it is so kind ofyou," she added with misty eyes, turning impulsively towards thephysician.
But the big man, with an amused smile in his keen gray eyes, patted heron the shoulder as he said, "My little lady, I think that every trueAmerican should stand ready to do anything to help any man, or boy, whohas been brave enough to face those fiendish Huns."
"Oh, I think so, too," cried the relieved girl, a wave of color flushingher cheeks, "and I think it must have been that thought that gave me thecourage to come and ask you."
"Oh, isn't it just dandy!" enthused Nita, as Dr. Gilmour hurried away toget his little black case, while Nathalie led her friend down the stepsof the veranda to where three little figures sat patiently waiting forher on the tower-steps.
But the girl's eyes widened as she suddenly perceived that they were notalone, for a brown-clad figure with soldierly bearing, but with agolf-bag slung over his shoulder, with one foot on the steps, wasbending down and talking to the children. And then a sudden thrillstirred her as she recognized the soldier lad who had helped her downthe foot-bridge that day at the Flume, and who had so kindly taken Jeanto see the cascade.
As Nathalie reached the children, she became embarrassed, as shesuddenly realized that she did not know the name of the young soldier.But her embarrassment was momentary, as Nita called out merrily, "Hello,Van. Is _that_ what you are doing, making love to the kiddies? I thoughtyou were going to play golf."
"That was my intention," replied the boy, straightening up and liftinghis hat, and then his dark blue eyes brightened quickly, as he perceivedNita's companion.
Nathalie was now introduced to Mr. Van Darrell, the son of a friend ofNita's mother, and then the little group were chatting merrily as theywaited for Dr. Gilmour, and Mrs. Van Vorst, who had gone to order thecar to take them to the foot of the Trail that led to the top of GarnetMountain.
All at once young Darrell turned towards Nathalie as he said, "But, MissPage, have we not met before? Were you not one of the girls at CampMills one day last month, who asked a party of us if we did not wantsome cherries? And then, if I remember rightly, we all helped you togather up the fruit after you had knocked the basket from the car."
"Oh, yes, I remember you," dimpled Nathalie. "No, not when I met youthat day at the Flume, although your face haunted me as being familiar,but it all came to me on the ride home."
"But I knew you right away," said the boy half shyly, "although I didnot like to make myself known, for, of course, I did not even know yourname."
"Or I yours," laughed Nathalie. And then, with her mind filled withthoughts of the young English soldier, she told his story to Mr.Darrell, who immediately became so interested in Tommy Atkins, as hecalled him, that he begged Nathalie to let him go with her, quiteassured, he declared, that he could be of some assistance to him.
Before the girl could reply a new voice suddenly shrilled, "Oh,Nathalie, how do you do? Did you come up here to call on us?"
The girl, thus addressed, stared with some bewilderment, to see her twoNew York schoolmates hurrying towards her. They looked very fetching intheir modish golf-costumes, with their bags slung carelessly over theirshoulders, as each one seized her hand and shook it cordially, whilesmiling down upon her in a most friendly and chummy way.
For a full second the girl simply stared, dazed and confused, as itsuddenly flashed into her consciousness that the last time she had metthese girls they had snubbed her, deliberately turning their backs uponher, when she greeted them, the day she had come to the hotel to leavethe sweet peas. Ah, a sudden red leaped into Nathalie's cheeks, her eyesflamed angrily, and she was about to return their snub by turning herback upon them, for she had intuitively divined that they were nice toher because they wanted to be introduced to her friends. Yes, theywanted to know the soldier-boy.
But something deep within the girl, her finer nature, whispered, "Nevermind, ignore their slight, and show that you are above them by actingthe lady." With simple dignity the girl coolly returned their effusivegreeting, and then, with cold formality, introduced them to her twofriends. Oh, how delighted they were to meet Miss Van Vorst; they hadheard all about her from a friend of hers,--Nita never was able todiscover this friend. Then, turning from Nita as quickly as possible,they made an onslaught upon the soldier lad. Oh, how pleased they wereto meet him, they had been just wild to know him ever since they hadsighted his uniform. Was he a New York guardsman? What regiment did hebelong to? These and a score of similar questions were quickly hurled atthe young man, somewhat to his embarrassment. Nathalie could not hearall they said as she chattered with Nita, but vaguely realized, as theyrattled on, with an angry flutter of her heart, that they were againignoring her, as she heard them urging Mr. Darrell to join them at agame of golf.
But a few moments later, when Nita waved a good-by to her mother fromthe car, she was seated between the soldier lad and Nathalie, with thechildren crowding upon their laps, and the doctor in front with thechauffeur.
As the car whizzed away from the hotel Nita gave Nathalie's sleeve asudden twitch as she cried, "Oh, look, Nathalie; there's the _Count_!"
"The _Count_," repeated her friend in mystified wonder, as she bentforward to gaze after a young man who had just flashed by in anautomobile. But suddenly, with a curious gleam in her eyes, the girldrew back, a slight flush on her cheeks.
"Oh, no, he's not a _real Count_," informed Nita with some amusement inher eyes; "but every one calls him that because they think he's soFrenchy-looking, with his dark skin and big black eyes. The girls seemquite wild about him, for he takes them riding in his car. Some one toldmother that he was from Chicago, and was quite wealthy."
But Nathalie manifested no further interest in the gentleman whom Nitahad dubbed the Count, although she immediately recognized the young manas the one who had repaired her car the day she had gone after thechildren. But, alas, she felt that he was no gentleman, for had he notstared at her rudely in the post-office, and then accosted her near thecemetery a short time later?