CHAPTER XII
WILD HONEY
Anna went singing about the house quite satisfied now to be herself; andRebby and her mother smiled at each other at the happiness of the littlegirl.
"I doubt not you have learned many things, Danna," said Rebby, a littlewistfully, as the sisters sat on the broad doorstep after supperlooking down at the broad flowing river.
"Yes, indeed!" replied Anna confidently. "Why, Rebby, I know all abouthistory. The minister told me that a hundred and fifty years ago therewere English traders living right here, and they were driven away by theFrench. And then, some forty years ago, Governor Belcher ofMassachusetts came cruising along this coast, and there was no one atall here. And, Rebby, Mr. Lyon says there are no such pine forests inall the colonies as stretch along behind this settlement. But, Rebby,you are not listening!" and Anna looked reproachfully at her sister.
"Oh, yes, indeed, Danna, I heard every word. And I heard Father say thatvery soon there would be a regular school here, with a master, as soonas America conquers her enemies. But, Danna, do you suppose anyone willdare touch the liberty pole?" For Rebby's thoughts could not long strayfrom Lucia Horton's prediction that it might be cut down.
"What's that?" exclaimed Mr. Weston from the doorway behind them. "Cutdown the liberty pole? Why, there is not a man in Machias who would dosuch a traitorous deed."
Rebby's face flushed scarlet at his words, but before she could speak,her father continued: "Well, Danna, are you ready for a day's tramp withme to-morrow? I must go up to the mill at Kwapskitchwock Falls, and wewill start early."
"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Danna, jumping up and clasping her father's hand."And perhaps we shall catch a salmon above the falls, and broil it overa fire for our dinner."
"That is what we will hope to do," replied Mr. Weston. "And, Rebby, whydo you not come with us? 'Tis but a few miles, and a day in the woodswill do you good."
"Why, perhaps I shall, if Mother does not need me," Rebby answered. Sheso seldom cared for woodland tramps that Anna gave a little exclamationof surprised delight.
"I'll make a corn-cake to take with us," Rebby added, "and since westart early I had best bake it to-night," and she went into the kitchenfollowed by Anna singing:
"We'll go to the forest of liberty trees, Where there are rabbits and birds and bees."
Mrs. Weston smiled as she listened. "'Twould indeed be fine if you couldfind a store of wild honey in the woods; 'twould be a great help," shesaid, measuring out the golden meal for Rebby to use for her corn-cake.There was no butter or eggs to use in its making, for all food wasgetting scarce in most of the loyal households. Rebby scalded the mealand stirred it carefully, then added milk, and turned the batter into aniron pan which she set over the fire. When it was cooked it would be athin crispy cake that would be appetizing and nourishing. Rebby'sthoughts traveled away to the dainties of the Hortons' cupboard, butshe said to herself that the "spider cake," as the corn-cake was called,especially when eaten in the woods with freshly broiled salmon, wouldtaste far better than the jellies and preserved fruits of the Hortons.Rebby could not forget Mrs. Horton's scorn of the liberty pole.
The Westons were up at an early hour the next morning. The sun was justshowing itself above the tops of the tall pines when the family sat downto their simple breakfast. Anna wore her skirt of tanned deerskin,moccasins, and her blouse of home-made flannel, while Rebecca's dresswas of stout cotton. Each of the girls wore round, turban-like hats.Anna's was trimmed with the scarlet wings of a red bird, while Rebby'shad the white breast of a gull.
Mr. Weston wore deerskin breeches and moccasins and a flannel blouse. Astout leather belt about his waist carried a couple of serviceableknives, and he carried his musket, for the forest was filled with manywild animals, and the settlers were always ready to protect themselves.
Rebby carried a basket that held the corn-cake, and a flint and steelfrom which they would strike the spark for their noonday fire.
Anna ran along close beside her father, until the path narrowed so thatonly one could walk, followed by the others. The air was cool and fullof the forest odors. Now and then birds flitted past them, and once ortwice Anna had a glimpse of startled rabbits, which she was sure wereTrit and Trot.
"If I could only catch one to give Luretta," she thought, "then shewould forgive me for taking the other rabbits," for Anna's thoughts wereoften troubled because of the loss of Luretta's pets.
Mr. Weston stopped at one point to show his daughters an arrow marked ona tall pine and pointing east. "That is to show the beginning of thepath to Chandler's River settlement," he explained. "The trail is so dimthat the woodsmen have blazed the trees to show the way. There is a goodstore of powder and shot at Chandler's River," he added, a littlethoughtfully.
Rebby looked at the arrow, and afterward she had reason to remember herfather's words.
The mill at Kwapskitchwock Falls was not in use at the time of theirvisit, and the mill workers were in Machias. But great booms of logs,waiting to be sawed into lumber, lay all along the river banks.
The sun was high in the heavens when the little party came in sight ofthe falls dashing over the rocks.
Mr. Weston led the way to a big flat rock above the mill, and where twolarge beech trees cast a pleasant shade.
"You can rest here while I look over the mill," he said, "and then Iwill see if I can spear a salmon for our dinner."
The girls were quite ready to rest, and Rebby set the basket carefullyon the rock beside them.
"Would it not be fine if we could catch a salmon and have it all cookedwhen Father comes back?" Anna suggested, but Rebby shook her head.
"We haven't any salmon spear, and it is quick and skilful work," sheresponded. "Father will be better pleased if we obey him and rest here."
From where the girls were sitting they could look some distance up thequiet stream, and it was Anna who first discovered a canoe being paddledclose to the opposite shore.
"Look, Rebby," she said, pointing in the direction of the slow-movingcraft. "Isn't that an Indian?"
Rebby looked, and after a moment answered: "Why, I suppose it is, andafter salmon. But he won't come down so near the falls." But the girlswatched the slow-moving canoe rather anxiously until it drew close in tothe opposite shore, and was hidden by the overhanging branches of thetrees.
Rebby decided that she would gather some dry grass and sticks for thefire, and asked Anna to go down near the mill and bring up some of thebits of wood lying about there.
"Then when Father does bring the salmon we can start a blaze rightaway," she said.
Anna ran off toward the mill yard, and Rebby left the shade of the bigbeeches to pull handfuls of the sun-dried grass.
Rebby had gone but a few steps when she heard a queer singing murmurthat seemed to be just above her head. She looked up, but the sky wasclear; there was no bird flying low, as she had imagined; but as shewalked along the murmur became louder, and Rebby began to look about hermore carefully. A short distance from the flat rock was a huge stump ofa broken tree, and Rebby soon realized that the noise came from thestump, and she approached it cautiously.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "It's a honey-tree! It is! It is!" for she had seenthe bees as they went steadily in a dark murmuring line, direct to theold stump.
"A honey-tree" was a fortunate discovery at any time, for it meant astore of delicious wild honey. It was, as in this case, usually apartially decayed tree where the wild bees had swarmed, and where storesof honey were concealed. Sometimes the bees had filled the cavities ofthe tree so full that they were forced to desert it and find newquarters; but it was evident that here they were very busy indeed.
"They will have to be smoked out," decided Rebby, who had often heardher father tell of the way in which such stores were captured. "I wish Icould do it, and get some honey for dinner," she exclaimed aloud.
"Well, why not?" she heard someone say from behind her, and
she turnedquickly to find Paul Foster, looking so much like an Indian boy in hisfringed leggins and feathered cap that it made her jump quickly.
Paul laughed at her surprise.
"I came up-stream in my canoe after salmon," he explained, "and I havespeared three beauties; I saw you from across the stream, so I paddledover. You've made a great find," and he nodded toward the old stump.
"Could we smoke out the bees and get some honey, Paul?" Rebby askedeagerly. She and Paul were nearly of an age, and Paul was a friendlyboy, always ready to make bows and arrows or toy boats for his littlesister and her girl playmates.
"I don't see why not," he responded, as if smoking out a hive of wildbees was a very usual undertaking; "but I haven't a flint and steel," headded.
"I have, in my basket," declared Rebecca; and in a few minutes Paul andRebecca had gathered a mass of sticks and grass, heaping it a shortdistance from the stump.
"Mustn't get a blaze, only a heavy smoke," said Paul as he struck theflint and steel together, and carefully sheltered the spark which thedry grass instantly caught.
At the sight of the smoke Mr. Weston came running from the mill, andwith his assistance the bees were speedily disposed of.
The old stump proved well filled with honey.
"I have a bucket in my canoe," said Paul, and it was decided to fill thebucket and take home all it would hold, and to return the next day inPaul's canoe with tubs for the rest of the honey.
Paul insisted that Mr. Weston should accept one of his fine salmon tobroil for their midday meal, and then Rebby exclaimed:
"Where is Danna? She went to the mill after wood before we found thehoney-tree, and she isn't back yet."
"Oh! She is probably playing that she is an explorer on a journey to theSouth Seas," laughed Mr. Weston. "I will go after her," and he startedoff toward the mill, while Rebecca added wood to the fire, and Paulprepared the salmon to broil.
Mr. Weston called "Danna!" repeatedly, but there was no answer. Hesearched the yard and the shore, but there was no trace of his littledaughter. He went through the big open mill, and peered into shadowycorners, but Anna was not to be found. And at last he hurried back totell Paul and Rebby, and to have them help him in his search for themissing girl.