Jo’s Boys

‘I’ll take ’em. These are the only sweet things you ever give me.’ And Tom gloomily crunched his dose.

‘“Who can minister to a mind diseased, or pluck out a rooted sorrow?”’ quoted Josie tragically from her perch on the railing.

‘Come with me, Tommy, and I’ll make a man of you. Drop your pills and powders, and cavort round the world a spell, and you’ll soon forget you’ve got a heart, or a stomach either,’ said Dan, offering his one panacea for all ills.

‘Ship with me, Tom. A good fit of seasickness will set you up, and a stiff north-easter blow your blue-devils away. Come along as surgeon—easy berth, and no end of larks.’

‘“And if your Nancy frowns, my lad,

And scorns a jacket blue,

Just hoist your sails for other ports,

And find a maid more true.”’

added Emil, who had a fragment of song to cheer every care and sorrow, and freely offered them to his friends.

‘Perhaps I’ll think of it when I’ve got my diploma. I’m not going to grind three mortal years and have nothing to show for it. Till then—’

‘I’ll never desert Mrs Micawber,’ interrupted Teddy, with a gurgling sob.

Tom immediately rolled him off the step into the wet grass below; and by the time this slight skirmish was over, the jingle of teaspoons suggested refreshments of a more agreeable sort. In former times the little girls waited on the boys, to save confusion; now the young men flew to serve the ladies, young and old; and that slight fact showed plainly how the tables were turned by time. And what a pleasant arrangement it was! Even Josie sat still, and let Emil bring her berries; enjoying her young lady-hood, till Ted stole her cake, when she forgot manners, and chastised him with a rap on the knuckles. As guest of honour, Dan was only allowed to wait on Bess, who still held the highest place in this small world. Tom carefully selected the best of everything for Nan, to be crushed by the remark:

‘I never eat at this hour; and you will have a nightmare if you do.’

So, dutifully curbing the pangs of hunger, he gave the plate to Daisy, and chewed rose-leaves for his supper.

When a surprising quantity of wholesome nourishment had been consumed, someone said, ‘Let’s sing!’ and a tuneful hour followed. Nat fiddled, Demi piped, Dan strummed the old banjo, and Emil warbled a doleful ballad about the wreck of the Bounding Betsey; then everybody joined in the old songs till there was very decidedly ‘music in the air’; and passers-by said, as they listened smiling: ‘Old Plum is gay tonight!’

When all had gone Dan lingered on the piazza, enjoying the balmy wind that blew up from the hayfields, and brought the breath of flowers from Parnassus; and as he leaned there romantically in the moonlight, Mrs Jo came to shut the door.

‘Dreaming dreams, Dan?’ she asked, thinking the tender moment might have come. Imagine the shock when, instead of some interesting confidence or affectionate word, Dan swung round, saying bluntly:

‘I was wishing I could smoke.’

Mrs Jo laughed at the downfall of her hopes, and answered kindly:

‘You may, in your room; but don’t set the house afire.’

Perhaps Dan saw a little disappointment in her face, or the memory of the sequel of that boyish frolic touched his heart; for he stooped and kissed her, saying in a whisper: ‘Good night, mother.’ And Mrs Jo was half satisfied.

CHAPTER 5 (#ulink_c14a7e21-2ebe-5cd3-bcf5-7631c18c45aa)

Vacation (#ulink_c14a7e21-2ebe-5cd3-bcf5-7631c18c45aa)

Everyone was glad of a holiday next morning, and all lingered over the breakfast-table, till Mrs Jo suddenly exclaimed:

‘Why, there’s a dog!’ And on the threshold of the door appeared a great deer-hound, standing motionless, with his eyes fixed on Dan.

‘Hallo, old boy! Couldn’t you wait till I came for you? Have you cut away on the sly? Own up now, and take your whipping like a man,’ said Dan, rising to meet the dog, who reared on his hind legs to look his master in the face and bark as if uttering an indignant denial of any disobedience.

‘All right; Don never lies.’ And Dan gave the tall beast a hug, adding as he glanced out of the window, where a man and horse were seen approaching:

‘I left my plunder at the hotel over night, not knowing how I should find you. Come out and see Octoo, my mustang; she’s a beauty.’ And Dan was off, with the family streaming after him, to welcome the newcomer.

They found her preparing to go up the steps in her eagerness to reach her master, to the great dismay of the man, who was holding her back.

‘Let her come,’ called Dan; ‘she climbs like a cat and jumps like a deer. Well, my girl, do you want a gallop?’ he asked, as the pretty creature clattered up to him and whinnied with pleasure as he rubbed her nose and slapped her glossy flank.

‘That’s what I call a horse worth having,’ said Ted, full of admiration and delight; for he was to have the care of her during Dan’s absence.

‘What intelligent eyes! She looks as if she would speak,’ said Mrs Jo.

‘She talks like a human in her way. Very little that she don’t know. Hey, old Lass?’ and Dan laid his cheek to hers as if the little black mare was very dear to him.

‘What does “Octoo” mean?’ asked Rob.

‘Lightning; she deserves it, as you’ll see. Black Hawk gave her to me for my rifle, and we’ve had high times together out yonder. She’s saved my life more than once. Do you see that scar?’

Dan pointed to a small one, half hidden by the long mane; and standing with his arm about Octoo’s neck, he told the story of it.

‘Black Hawk and I were after buffalo one time, but didn’t find ’em as soon as we expected; so our food gave out, and there we were a hundred miles from Red Deer River, where our camp was. I thought we were done for, but my brave pal says: “Now I’ll show you how we can live till we find the herds.” We were unsaddling for the night by a little pond; there wasn’t a living creature in sight anywhere, not even a bird, and we could see for miles over the prairies. What do you think we did?’ And Dan looked into the faces round him.

‘Ate worms like the Australian fellows,’ said Rob.

‘Boiled grass or leaves,’ added Mrs Jo.

‘Perhaps filled the stomach with clay, as we read of savages doing?’ suggested Mr Bhaer.

‘Killed one of the horses,’ cried Ted, eager for bloodshed of some sort.

‘No; but we bled one of them. See, just here; filled a tin cup, put some wild sage leaves in it, with water, and heated it over a fire of sticks. It was good, and we slept well.’

‘I guess Octoo didn’t.’ And Josie patted the animal, with a face full of sympathy.

‘Never minded it a bit. Black Hawk said we could live on the horses several days and still travel before they felt it. But by another morning we found the buffalo, and I shot the one whose head is in my box, ready to hang up and scare brats into fits. He’s a fierce old fellow, you bet.’

‘What is this strap for?’ asked Ted, who was busily examining the Indian saddle, the single rein and snaffle, with lariat, and round the neck the leather band he spoke of.

‘We hold on to that when we lie along the horse’s flank farthest from the enemy, and fire under the neck as we gallop round and round. I’ll show you.’ And springing into the saddle, Dan was off down the steps, tearing over the lawn at a great pace, sometimes on Octoo’s back, sometimes half hidden as he hung by stirrup and strap, and sometimes off altogether, running beside her as she loped along, enjoying the fun immensely; while Don raced after, in a canine rapture at being free again and with his mates.

It was a fine sight—the three wild things at play, so full of vigour, grace, and freedom, that for the moment the smooth lawn seemed a prairie; and the spectators felt as if this glimpse of another life made their own seem rather tame and colourless.

‘This is better than a circus!’ cried Mrs Jo, wishing she were a girl again, that she might take a gallop on this chained lightning of a horse. ‘I foresee that Nan will have her hands full setting bones, for Ted will break every one of his trying to rival Dan.’

‘A few falls will not harm, and this new care and pleasure will be good for him in all ways. But I fear Dan will never follow a plough after riding a Pegasus like that,’ answered Mr Bhaer, as the black mare leaped the gate and came flying up the avenue, to stop at a word and stand quivering with excitement, while Dan swung himself off and looked up for applause.

He received plenty of it, and seemed more pleased for his pet’s sake than for his own. Ted clamoured for a lesson at once, and was soon at ease in the queer saddle, finding Octoo gentle as a lamb, as he trotted away to show off at college. Bess came hastening down the hill, having seen the race from afar; and all collected on the piazza while Dan ‘yanked’ the cover off the big box the express had ‘dumped’ before the door—to borrow his own words.