CHAPTER XX GOOD SAMARITANS
"Maybe it's a bear!" exclaimed Rene hopefully.
"Somebody's old ragbag," suggested Priscilla.
"No," concluded Desire, "it's a man."
"Must be sick, or dead tired to sit there on such a day," observed Jack.
Just as he spoke the words, the interested watchers saw the man attemptto get up, and fall heavily back upon the ground. Urging the horses togreater speed, Jack soon brought the wagon abreast of the unfortunatecreature. Face down, he lay perfectly motionless.
"Must be unconscious," said Jack, as they all got out and stumbled up thebank upon which the man was stretched.
Desire held her breath as her brother was rolling the figure carefullyover. There was something strangely familiar about that heavy form. Nomistake, it was their old enemy.
Brother and sister faced each other across the quiet body.
"Oh, it's _him_!" said Priscilla, in disgust.
"He's the man Jack fought with!" squealed Rene.
"Must be badly hurt," said Jack; "wonder what we can do for him."
"Do! _Do!_" exclaimed Priscilla; "why, leave him here and go on as fastas we can."
"Prissy!" reproved Jack and Desire with one accord.
"I'm afraid I can't carry him to the wagon," said Jack slowly. "He's soheavy."
"Don't want him in our nice wag'n," declared Rene vehemently.
"I can help you," offered Desire, striving to conquer her aversion to theman.
At that moment, the object of their concern groaned and opened his eyes.Unseeing, at first, they soon showed recognition of the faces above his.
"What's the trouble with you?" asked Jack.
"Cracked up somewhere," was the sullen response.
"How did it happen?"
"Fell over those stones in the fog."
Desire turned to glance at the big pile of sharp rocks nearby, and feltthat a fall on those could do almost any damage in an unexpectedencounter.
"Where can we take you, or what can we do for you?" asked Jack briskly.
"Nothin'."
"That's ridiculous! You can't stay here. Could you walk as far as thewagon if we helped you?"
"Can try."
With the aid of Jack and Desire, one on either side, he managed to getup. One or two promptly stifled groans broke from him, and he swayedprecariously as he tried to stand.
"One foot's no good," he muttered, holding it up and throwing all hisweight on the other.
"You two children go back and get into your places in the wagon," orderedJack. "Push your stools as close to the front seat as you can."
Reluctantly they obeyed, hanging over the seat to watch the littleprocession. Slowly, painfully, stopping often to rest, the injured manwas finally helped as far as the wagon.
"Lean on the wheel a minute," directed Jack, "so my sister can get thingsfixed for you."
Desire opened the back doors, pushed the tent as far to the side as itwould go, and arranged a couple of blankets on the floor.
"This is going to be the hardest bit," observed Jack, when all was ready,"but we've got to make it some way."
"Prissy and I can help him from the wagon, if you can manage out here,"suggested Desire.
"All right, get in."
The two girls, Priscilla under protest, grasped the man's shoulders andpulled, while Jack eased his body and legs up from the ground to thefloor of the wagon. Half fainting with pain and exertion, the patient wasfinally settled on the blankets.
"Where are you going to take him?" asked Desire softly, as Jack took hisplace and picked up the reins.
"Back to Halifax, where he can get a doctor. I think his ribs as well ashis foot are injured; and Heaven only knows what else."
They were all very quiet as they re-covered the ten miles to the city.Priscilla was sullen; Rene somewhat awed; Desire compassionate, and Jackthoughtful.
As they entered Halifax, Jack turned toward their passenger and asked--
"Any special place here you want to be taken?"
"Wharf. Pal there who'll look after me."
Over the cobblestones, down the steep hill to the docks they rattled.
"There he is. Tall fellow beside that pile of crates," said the man whohad been peering out the crack between the doors, which had been proppedpartly open to give him more air.
"Bill!" he shouted.
The fisherman turned at the sound of his name, and Jack beckoned. Withthree or four strides he was beside the wagon.
"What's wanted?"
Before the boy could reply, the injured man called out--"I'm in here,Bill. Had a smash."
The newcomer, without a word, stepped to the back of the wagon and stuckhis head in. After a short conversation, during which the Wistmores stoodbeside the horses' heads, he slid the invalid part way out, put hispowerful arms under him, and picked him up like a child.
"Much obliged to you for bringing him back," he said awkwardly to Jack;then strode away down the wharf; but before they were out of earshot, theinjured man called back over the other one's shoulder--"You've won!"
"Well, of all strange experiences," exclaimed Desire.
"Whatever did he mean?" asked Priscilla.
"Perhaps that he wouldn't bother us any more," replied Jack slowly.
"An' he didn't give you any money, nor nothin'," grumbled Rene, as theystarted out of Halifax for the second time that day. "I thought ifanybody helped anyone else they always gave 'em a--a--re--reward."
"We _did_ get a reward," said Desire softly, "but not the kind you mean."
"Where's his wagon?" demanded Priscilla.
"Probably he left it in Halifax," replied Jack carelessly, as he wonderedjust what harm to themselves the pile of stones might have thwarted.
Progress on the way back toward Wolfville was necessarily slow; forhousewives all along the route were preparing for the coming winter whenindoor occupations must replace the activities of the warm months.Thread, wool, and notions of all kinds were in great demand; for thewomen folk must keep busy with more feminine tasks, the hands that duringthe summer had helped in gardens and farmyards, as well as in pickingblueberries to be shipped to the States. Daily great trucks stop at thescattered houses along certain sections rich in that fruit to gather upsupplies and take their loads to the seaports where ships are waiting forthem. The average tourists en route from Nova Scotia to the States littleknow, when they are pacing the decks of the comfortable steamers, thatfar below are crates and crates of berries which will later be consumedby themselves at home or in hotels.
Several times Jack had to replenish his stock as best he could from sometown through which they passed; and Desire daily rejoiced at the steadilyincreasing number of coins in their little iron bank.
"We'll be rich yet!" she exulted, shaking it merrily as they drove awayfrom Mount Uniacke.
"Sorry to destroy your hopes," said Jack, half under his breath, so asnot to be overheard by the two children on the floor behind them, playinga hotly contested game on the board which Mrs. Auberge had given them."Had you thought that we'll have to get some kind of furniture for theGodet house?"
Desire looked at him wide-eyed with surprise and dismay.
"Why, Jack, how stupid I am! I never once thought of it."
"Nor I, until today. I don't know what was the matter with our brains."
As if stunned by the discovery, they drove for some time in uttersilence. In the protection afforded by an upturned coat collar, and a hatpulled far down over her curls, the girl let fall a few tears. Jack,gazing fixedly ahead, half buried in a coat at least two sizes too largefor him, was apparently oblivious of her distress.
The day was grey and cold, with a brisk wind whirling the golden leavesof the birches in all directions, scattering the piles of brushwoodcollected and left beside the road by some native for firewood; rollingthe pine cones merrily along in the dust, and making the great firs andbalsams toss their branches
ceaselessly. Its chill warned of the nearapproach of snow and ice.
"Jack," began Desire at last.
"Yes?" untangling himself from his problems with a start, and turningtoward her.
"I've been thinking about expenses for the winter. Of course food willcost more, because while we were on the road we had fish and berries tohelp out; but in regard to the furniture, we could get only what isabsolutely necessary for now, and add other pieces as we were able to. Wecould doubtless pick up used articles at low prices. Think how little wegot for our own things when we sold them."
"But you and the children have got to be comfortable, and warm," saidJack decidedly. "Camp life in the summer is all right; but too muchmakeshift doesn't work in the winter time."
"You must be comfortable, too," added Desire affectionately; "but we_can_ do with a couple of mattresses on the floor, and a table and fourchairs for the present. Maybe we could buy those from someone inWolfville who had more than they needed, and get them cheaper that way."
"We must have a stove, dishes, and bedding," added Jack.
"The fireplace will do for heating; and I can cook on the camp stove.We've had enough dishes and bedding for the summer; so a couple of extrablankets will be all that we'll have to buy in that line."
"But I don't want you to live like that," interrupted her brother; "weshould have been more comfortable if we'd stayed in Sissiboo--"
"Oh, Jack! With you killing yourself trying to pay off a big debt, and noprospects for years and years! As it is, at least we're not in debt;we've had a lovely summer, in spite of a few unpleasant spots; we're allhealthy and together; and we're going to live in the Godet house thiswinter."
"You're a cheerful little partner, Dissy," said Jack, looking at her soadmiringly that she flushed with shame as she recalled the tears sorecently shed.
"Of course we have money enough to get actual necessities for thewinter," he continued, shamed by his sister's courage into taking a morehopeful view of their situation. "And I'm hoping that I'll be able topick up something steady in Wolfville, or even Windsor, for the winter."
"Perhaps the judge will be able to help you."
"He might."
"So don't get all blue and discouraged again, Jack dear; we'll come outall right."
Late in the afternoon of another dull day, they stopped in front of JudgeHerbine's house.
"Guess we got here just in time," observed Jack, as he got out, pointingto a few stray flakes of snow idling aimlessly through the air as if theydidn't care whether they stayed up or floated down.
The judge himself opened the door.
"So here you are at last!" was his pleasant greeting. "Come in--have acup of tea--before you go--to look at your own place. Work's all done."
They were all cold and tired, and very glad to accept his invitation. Hishousekeeper, Madam Lovemore--for the judge had never married--bustledaround preparing a substantial supper instead of "tea." She was asociable, motherly creature, who loved to have company at any time; butthe thoughts of these poor young things driving so many miles in thecold, and going to live in that old house, so touched her heart that noeffort was too great, and no food too fine to be placed before them.
"Favored--" remarked the judge, as he seated his guests at the diningroom table. "Best plum preserves--my housekeeper must like your looks."
Madam Lovemore, who was just taking her accustomed place at the foot ofthe table, smiled indulgently at him, as one might smile at an outspokenchild.
The meal lasted a long time; for the judge wanted to hear all about theirsummer. Once he excused himself and disappeared into the kitchen where heheld a lengthy conversation with some unseen person.
"Right away!" they heard him say, as he was about to re-enter the diningroom.
"We'll go over--with you," he said, when Jack proposed their departure,saying that they counted on staying in the house that night, living campfashion until they had a chance to get the necessities. For an hour, Renehad been asleep on the horse-hair sofa, and Priscilla's head keptnodding.
"They're tired, poor dears," said Madam Lovemore compassionately, as shehelped Desire put their wraps on.
When they went outside, they discovered that the world had completelychanged its appearance. A thin layer of snow made the roads look likestrips of white cloth; each dried weed, seed pod, and knot of grass had aspotless cap; and the outstretched arms of the firs held their lightburden so tenderly that not a flake was shaken off.
The judge was to drive over in the Ford, Madam Lovemore holding the stillsleeping Rene in her lap.
"He'll be awful mad tomorrow," volunteered Priscilla, who was now fullyawake, "when he hears that he's been riding in an automobile and didn'tknow anything about it."
The judge laughed, a sudden explosion, over almost before it began.
"In that case--you'd better come in here too; so you can tell him--whatit felt like."
The little girl's wistful look and tone had not been unnoticed by thejudge; and though they were somewhat crowded, both he and his housekeepergladly put up with the slight discomfort of an additional passenger.
"Prissy is thrilled to death," said Desire to Jack, as they followed theFord with as much speed as the tired horses were able to make.
"Yes, but I wish you could have had a ride, too. You've always wantedone."
"Oh, some day I shall."
The headlights of the judge's car, which had just turned off the mainroad into the lane leading to the Godet house, revealed the fact that allunderbrush had been cleared away, and the road filled in. So occupiedwere they with the unexpected improvement, that not until they hadstopped in front of the cabin did they notice that it was lighted.