Part 15 (1/2)
”Frank and Harry had their part to perforuard the troughs This was an iular fact that wolves, raccoons, badgers, opossums, and, in short, every aniar-maple, and are so fond of it that they will risk their lives to get at it As the trees we had opened stood at a considerable distance from each other, our two little sentries were kept constantly relieving one another upon their rounds
”The sap continued to run for several days; and, of course, ere kept busy during all that ti-time, we should have been eer and ht, which was a fortunate circu the cold hours of the night--othere should have found it ihs
”All these nights we slept by the fire, where we had ular camp, as is usual in the backwoods of Aet some article that was needed We had put up a little tent, on-tilt, to cover us; and the place we called by the na the backwoods farar careeable, careatat tiolden leaves--or lulled into a pleasing tranquillity by the songs of a thousand birds At night, however, theof wolves, the reat horned owl, and the still ar But we kept up a crackling, blazing fire all the night, and we knew that this would keep these fierce creatures at bay
”At length our as done The sugar-water flowed each hour ether; and we broke up our camp When we had returned to our house, and collected ourto the vessels in which they had been hed nearly an hundred pounds! This would be enough for all our wants--at least, until the spring, e purposed returning again to our grand store-house aar-maples”
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
THE STUMP-TREE AND THE BREAD-PINE
”That evening, as we sat around the supper table, rain of our coffee was in the pot This was sad news to all of us Of the little luxuries that we had brought with us froest; and a cup of this aro our toilsome journey across the prairie desert Often, too, since our arrival in the valley, had it given a relish to our homely meals
”'Well, then,' said I, by way of reply to the announcement, 'we must learn to do without it We have now thesoup; what care we for coffee? How lad to be surrounded with luxuries, as we are! Here we have venison of different kinds; we can have beavers' tails whenever ant them There are fish, too in the lake and stream; there are hares and squirrels, which we shall trap in abundance, by-and-by; and, in addition to all, we shall dine often upon ruffed grouse and roast turkey I wonder, with all these luxuries around us, who is not content?'
”'But, papa,' said Harry, taking up the discourse, 'in Virginia I have often seen our black folks make coffee out of Indian corn It is not bad, I assure you I have drunk it there, and thought it very good
Have not you, Cudjo?'
”'Dat berry coffee dis chile hab drunk, Massa Harry'
”'Now, papa?'
”'Well, Harry, what of it?'
”'Why should we not use that--the Indian corn, I mean--for coffee?'
”'Why, Harry,' said I, 'you surely do not reflect upon what you are talking about We have a far worse want than coffee, and that is this very Indian corn you speak of--to et a supply of that, I should think very little about coffee or any other beverage
Unfortunately there is not a grain of corn within '
”'But there is, papa; I knohere there is at least a quart of it; and within less than an hundred yards of us, too'
”'Come,' said I, 'my boy, you have rows in this valley, I arow in this valley It has travelled all the way froon'
”'What! corn in the wagon?' I exclaihten my children 'Are you sure of that, Harry?'
”'I saw it this very s,' replied he
”'Coon!'
”In a short tion, which stood close to the door With a beating heart I climbed into it There was an old worn-out buffalo robe, with the harness of the ox lying upon the botto these aside; and underneath I saw a coarse gunny-bag, such as are used in the Western States for holding Indian corn I knew that it was one of those we had brought with us fro corn for our horse and oxen; but I was under the i before I took the bag up, and, to ht, found that it still contained a srain; besides, there was still ot into the corners and cracks of the wagon These we collected carefully and put with the rest--not leaving a single grain that we did not scrape out fro into the house, I turned out its contents upon the table To our great joy there was, as Harry had affirrain!
”'Now,' said I, 'we shall have bread!'
”This was a glad sight todays we had frequently talked upon this subject--the want of bread--which is one of our first necessities We had lived in hope that we should find some species of cereal in the valley that would supply us with a substitute for bread; but up to that tiathered the mast from the beech-tree and roasted it We had collected quantities of locust-pods and acorns We had also eaten the pulpy fruit of the pa; but all these together we found to be but poor apologies for real bread This, then, was a discovery of greater iar