CHAPTER XIV
WHERE IS CHRISTOPHER?
After the tea-party was over, Jane dressed Sally again and she and AnnaParsons took their dolls for a walk down into the garden, while Lettycarried the plates down-stairs to be washed, and made the room tidyagain.
“What is it that you would like so much to do, Letty, dear?” asked Mrs.Hartwell-Jones presently. “There is something on your mind, I know.”
“Oh, there is, dear Mrs. Hartwell-Jones. If only I could learn to sing!Sing right, you know. It would be wonderful!” And Letty clasped herhands eagerly.
“Well, my dear, it will all depend on yourself.”
“How do you mean?” asked the girl breathlessly.
“I mean that when we go back to the city I am going to have your voicetried. That is, I am going to have you sing before a certain goodteacher of singing and if he thinks it worth while to give you lessons,you shall study with him. He is a wonderful master, and will take onlypupils who have really good voices.”
“Oh!” cried Letty, the sound being more a sigh than an exclamation. Shewas really breathless with joy at the thought of what happiness might bein store for her.
“But suppose he shouldn’t be willing to give me lessons!” she cried insudden dismay, her voice coming back with a little gasp.
“That remains to be seen,” replied Mrs. Hartwell-Jones with a serenelittle smile that did not look as if she were very much worried.
Then they went back to the subject that always proved so deeplyinteresting to them both; the subject of Letty’s studies in the fall,and so intent did they become that they forgot all about the time untilJane rushed suddenly into the room, crying:
“DON’T YOU WORRY, LITTLE GIRL”]
“Where is Kit? It’s much after half-past five, Letty. Oh, where is he!”
Letty sprang to her feet and Mrs. Hartwell-Jones looked anxiously out ofthe window at the lengthening shadows.
“I’ll look and see if he’s coming down the road,” said Letty, and ranquickly out of the room, followed by Jane.
Letty looked up and down the road, straining her eyes, but no horse andwagon was to be seen. Jane climbed on the gate and swung on it gloomily,back and forth.
“Do you suppose the horse has run away with them?” she asked with acatch in her voice. “I spoke crossly to Kit when he went away. I hope heisn’t—isn’t killed!” And she began to cry.
Mrs. Carpenter came out of her house next door and called to Lettyacross the fence:
“Are you looking for those boys? Most likely they won’t get home beforedark. Boys never know what time it is.”
“Kit’s got a watch,” wailed Jane, still swinging disconsolately on thegate.
“Don’t you worry, little girl. Watches don’t mean anything to boys whenthey’re off on a picnic. Nothing has happened with Jo Perkins to takecare of them. When I get my Billy home I shall spank him and put him tobed without any supper.”
Jane’s tears flowed faster than ever at the thought that a likepunishment might be in store for Christopher. Sadness can come so veryquickly on the heels of joy! She had been perfectly happy only a shorthalf hour ago.
“Janey, dear,” called Mrs. Hartwell-Jones from her up-stairs window,“Letty would better drive you home in the pony carriage, and then, ifyour grandmother thinks best, she can send Joshua out to hunt up theboys. Come up to me, little girl, and get comforted while Lettyharnesses Punch and Judy.”
In the meantime, where was Christopher?
The three boys were in the highest of spirits as they drove off into thewoods. The swimming hole that Billy Carpenter had in mind was situatedfarther up the stream than Christopher had ever been. It was very, verypretty. Pine trees grew close to the water’s edge, and the needles thathad dropped into the pool made the water clear and brown and gave it adelicious, spicy smell.
Perk unharnessed the horse and tied him by the reins to a neighboringtree. Then the boys undressed and Christopher, with mingled feelings,stepped into the water. He understood all the principles of swimming; itwas only confidence he lacked, and the desire to appear well in the eyesof his companions gave him courage. The pool was shallow, nowhere wasthe water over the boys’ heads; it was in reality as safe as a bath tub.In a very short time Christopher was paddling about in great glee,keeping his head nicely above water.
It was a grand frolic and after dressing again, they were all very readyfor Huldah’s nicely packed luncheon. Christopher insisted upon buildinga fire in a hole to roast the potatoes, in true camping out fashion. Thepotatoes were somewhat lumpy when done, and burned the mouth. Still,they were quite eatable with plenty of salt and butter.
It was nearly four o’clock when the picnic lunch was finished. But theAugust afternoon was close and sultry. The boys had got hot and grimyover the potatoes. They lay about on the ground, throwing pine-cones ata family of chattering squirrels and trying to feel cool.
Christopher looked at the still clear brown pool and sat up exclaiming:
“Say, fellows, let’s go in for another dip. Just enough to cool us off.”
“No, you mustn’t. It is bad to go into the water right after eatin’,”said Perk.
“Oh, what are you givin’ us?” chaffed Billy Carpenter, who had begun toundress at Christopher’s first word. “I have been in hundreds of times,right after a big dinner.”
“Besides, we’ve been through eating a long time,” added Christopher.“’Most ten minutes, I guess.”
“But you oughtn’t, Kit. What will your grandfather say?”
“Grandfather’ll be glad I know how to swim.”
“Are you quite sure you know how?” insinuated Billy. He thought he sawsigns of weakening in Christopher’s resolution and did not want to loseany fun.
“Of course I’m sure,” retorted Christopher indignantly. “Just you holdon and I’ll show you!”
“Well, if you boys are set on doin’ it, I guess I’ll have to go in too,to keep you out of mischief,” drawled Jo Perkins, untying his cravat ashe spoke. His remonstrances had not been very strong, but they hadsatisfied his conscience.
The second bath proved to be even more fun than the first. The water wasdelightfully cool and refreshing; Christopher soon lost the last bit ofdread he had had of going under. He and Billy began to swim a raceacross the pond and back. They had crossed, had splashed into theshallow water to touch a certain pine branch that had been chosen as thehalf-way mark (like the first stake in croquet) and were starting back.
Billy was in the lead, but Christopher was gaining on him, when all atonce he felt a queer sensation in his arm, as if someone had struck hima sudden blow. The pain was intense and increased every moment.Christopher doubled up his elbow involuntarily and stopped moving hisother arm, forgetting in his sudden discomfort that he was not on solidground. Naturally, he went under. His mouth being open at the time, heswallowed quantities of water and did not find it pleasant. He gaspedand splattered and tried to call for help, but the water filled hismouth and nose and eyes. He could not breathe, much less speak. And allthe while the pain in his arm increased. His struggles pushed him upwardagain and as his head appeared above the water he gave a wailing cry. Ifhe had had presence of mind enough to stand upright on the sandy bottom,his head would have been almost entirely out of water. But he was ingreat pain and very badly frightened. Was he drowning, he wondered? Andif so, would everybody be sorry? Would grandfather blame him for havinggone to the swimming hole without permission? He hoped he would not beheld up to other boys as a sad example of disobedience. Where in theworld were Billy and Perk and why did they not come to his assistance?Oh! Oh! Another effort to shout and another nasty dose of water.
Drowning people were supposed to review their whole past life, heremembered. He could think of nothing except that he had learned inschool that Socrates had met his death by being compelled to drinkhemlock. There was hemlock enough in this water to kill a horse,Christopher felt sure. If he escaped from drowning, therefore, he wassure to be p
oisoned. It was certain death however you looked at it, andhe gave up struggling. The pain in his arm made him feel weak and numb.
Just then he was grabbed by rough but friendly hands, his head proppedabove water and his body propelled speedily to shore. It had been a veryfew seconds from the time Perk had seen him go under and had swum outand seized him by the hair. So short had the time been, indeed, thatBilly Carpenter did not know that anything had gone amiss until hereached the goal of the race and turned to jeer his victory. Then he sawPerk wading swiftly through the shallow water, half carrying, halfpushing Christopher before him. The boy was almost unconscious when theygot him to shore, and he lay in a heap on the pine-needles, his crampedarm bent pitifully beneath his body. Perk threw a coat about him andwent to work in a businesslike, capable way to revive the boy.
“He’s swallowed an awful lot of water, and it has made him sick,” Perkexplained to Billy. “It’s that right arm that’s cramped. Haul it outstraight, Bill, and pound it. Never mind if he hollers; it’ll help bringhim to. Keep poundin’ and don’t let him double it up again. We’ve got toget the muscles limbered up.”
It took half an hour’s hard work to restore Christopher to anything likehis usual cheerful self. Then they all realized with a pang how late itwas. The sun was so near setting that it had already darkened the woods.In a panic of alarm the boys harnessed the horse and drove as rapidly asthey dared in the growing dusk, down the winding wood road.
“There is no use in going into the town,” said Jo Perkins as theyemerged from the gloom of the trees into the lighter twilight of theopen road. “Jane will have got home somehow before this. Letty’s takenher home, most likely. I shouldn’t be surprised if they had searchingparties out for us,” he added, eyeing the reddening western sky.
“Oh, shucks,” boasted Christopher, “I guess they know we can take careof ourselves.” But his voice had not quite so confident a ring as usual.“Besides, Perk, there’s no other way to get home except by going throughtown.”
“We can go along Birch Lane to the crossroads. It is only half as farthat way.”
Both boys whistled under their breath. Birch Lane was a lonely road bynight!
“But how about me?” asked Billy. “I guess I’ve got to get home.”
“Yes,” chimed in Christopher, “it wouldn’t be polite not to take Billhome. He’s our company.”
“Besides, Perk, there’s your bicycle that you left at our house.”
“We can drop Bill at the turn. It’s only two miles from there home, andI guess that’s nothing of a walk for you, is it, Bill? I’ll come inafter the bicycle in the morning.”
“I don’t think it’s treating Bill right, to dump him like that,” arguedChristopher. If he did not relish the drive along Birch Lane in Perk’scompanionship, Birch Lane with its ghostly, whispering white sentinels,the silver birch trees, how much less must Bill look forward to walkingby himself along the deserted wood road? Christopher was sincerelysympathetic. “Besides,” he added, “I feel pretty sure that Jane will bewaiting for us, Perk. I told her I’d come for her, and she knows that Ialways keep my word.”
“Oh, pshaw! She knew long before this that you weren’t coming for her,leastways, not at the time you said. And I guess your grandma’s prettynigh crazy by this time. No, we’ve got to get home as soon as ever wecan and take our thrashings. Bill ain’t afraid to walk, and here’s theturn. Hop out, Bill.”
“Who’s afraid?” demanded Billy, in a boastful voice, jumping out overthe wheel with affected alacrity. “And it’s only girl-boys that getthrashed for staying out late. I’ve been out lots later than this. My,Jo Perkins, if I was as old as you I guess I wouldn’t let anybody thrashme! Not much. Not for anything like that!”
With which parting taunt, Billy trotted off, whistling to keep up hisspirits.
Christopher sat rather close to Jo Perkins and stared stolidly ahead. Aseach birch tree came in sight he eyed it roundly, even watching it overhis shoulder in passing, as if to stare it out of countenance. Then hetook to counting them off as they went by; it helped to keep histhoughts from the present homecoming and grandmother’s face. It wasgrowing darker and darker.
“I hope she won’t cry,” he said suddenly. “Women are such babies. I’drather she’d thrash me than cry.”
“I guess you won’t get the thrashing until your grandpa gets home,” Perkanswered grimly. “But I tell you, Kit, this is a pretty bad scrape forme. I was put in charge of you two young ones, and I didn’t do right tokeep you out so late. I ought to have watched the time a bit closer. AndI almost let you drown, too,” he added soberly. “Gee whizz, I guessmebbe it’ll cost me my place! I’m powerful sorry about it all.”
“Oh, Perk, did I really nearly drown?” asked Christopher in awe.
He shuddered as the recollection of his recent experience came over him.