Part 61 (1/2)
”The Colonel'll have to take over the breeches,” said the Boy, with the air of one wandering in his head. Then, desperately: ”What _am_ I to do? What am I to _say?_”
”Say? You say you no like girl scream, no like her fight like Anna.
Heh? So, me--I come like your girls--quite, quite good.... Heh?”
”You don't understand, Muckluck. I--you see, I could never find that Orange Grove if you came along.”
”Why?”
”Well--a--no woman ever goes to help to find an Orange Grove.
Th-there's a law against it.”
”Heh? Law?”
Alas! she knew too little to be impressed by the Majesty invoked.
”You see, women, they--they come by-and-by--when the Orange Grove's all--all ready for 'em. No man _ever_ takes a woman on that kind of hunt.”
Her saddened face was very grave. The Boy took heart.
”Now, the Pymeuts are going in a week or two, Nicholas said, to hunt caribou in the hills.”
”Yes.”
”But they won't take you to hunt caribou. No; they leave you at home.
It's exactly the same with Orange Groves. No nice girl _ever_ goes hunting.”
Her lip trembled.
”Me--I can fish.”
”Course you can.” His spirits were reviving. ”You can do anything--except hunt.” As she lifted her head with an air of sudden protest he quashed her. ”From the beginning there's been a law against that. Squaws must stay at home and let the men do the huntin'.”
”Me ... I can cook”--she was crying now--”while you hunt. Good supper all ready when you come home.”
He shook his head solemnly.
”Perhaps you don't know”--she flashed a moment's hope through her tears--”me learn sew up at Holy Cross. Sew up your socks for you when they open their mouths.” But she could see that not even this grand new accomplishment availed.
”Can help pull sled,” she suggested, looking round a little wildly as if instantly to ill.u.s.trate. ”Never tired,” she added, sobbing, and putting her hands up to her face.
”s.h.!.+ s.h.!.+ Don't wake the Colonel.” He got up hastily and stood beside her at the smouldering fire. He patted her on the shoulder. ”Of course you're a nice girl. The nicest girl in the Yukon”--he caught himself up as she dropped her hands from her face--”that is, you will be, if you go home quietly.”
Again she hid her eyes.
Go home? How could he send her home all that way at this time of night?
It was a bothering business!