[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"onaccountable," a number not to be counted--"an onaccountable grist
on 'em, I can tell you, and if you mean to charge upon sich enemies,
you must look out for somebody besides Whiskey Centre for your
vanguard. What in natur' has got into the critters! They can't
expect to set that tree on its legs ag'in!"
"Do you see a flight of them just in the edge of the for-est--here,
more to the southward?" demanded le Bourdon.
"Sure enough! There is a lot on 'em there, too, and they seem to be
comin' and goin' to the tree, like folks"--Gershom WOULD put his
noun of multitude into the plural, Nova-Anglice--"comin' and goin'
like folks carryin' water to a fire. A body would think, by the stir
among 'em, them critters' barrel was empty!"
"The bears are there," coolly returned the bee-hunter; "I've seen
such movements before, and know how to account for them. The bears
are in the thicket, but don't like to come out in the face of such a
colony. I have heard of bears being chased miles by bees, when their
anger was up!"
"Mortality! They have a good deal of dander (dandruff) for sich
little vipers! But what are WE to do, Bourdon? for Doll and Blossom
MUST taste that honey! Half's mine, you know, and I don't like to
give it up."
The bee-hunter smiled at the coolness with which Gershom assigned to
himself so large a portion of his property; though he did not think
it worth his while, just then, to "demur to his declaration," as the
Page 36
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
lawyers might have it. There was a sort of border rule, which gave
all present equal shares in any forest captures; just as vessels in
sight come in for prize-money, taken in time of war by public
cruisers. At any rate, the honey of a single tree was not of
sufficient value to induce a serious quarrel about it. If there
should be any extra trouble or danger in securing the present prize,
every craft in view might, fairly enough, come in for its share.
"Doll shall not be forgotten, if we can only house our honey,"
answered the bee-hunter; "nor Blossom, neither. I've a fancy,
already, for that blossom of the wilderness, and shall do all I can
to make myself agreeable to her. A man cannot approach a maiden with
anything sweeter than honey."
"Some gals like sugar'd words better; but, let me tell you one
thing, STRANger-"
"You have eaten bread and salt with me, Whiskey, and both are scarce
articles in a wilderness; and you've slept under my roof: is it not
almost time to call me something else than stranger?"
"Well, Bourdon, if you prefer that name; though STRANger is a name I
like, it has sich an up and off sound to it. When a man calls all he
sees STRANgers, it's a sign he don't let the grass grow in the road
for want of movin'; and a movin' man for me, any day, before your
stationaries. I was born on the sea-shore, in the Bay State; and
here I am, up among the fresh-water lakes, as much nat'ralized as
any muskelunge that was ever cotch'd in Huron, or about Mackinaw. If
I can believe my eyes, Bourdon, there is the muzzle of a bear to be
seen, jist under that heavy hemlock--here, where the bees seem
thickest!"
"No doubt in the world," answered le Bourdon, coolly; though he had
taken the precaution to look to the priming of each of his pieces,
as if he expected there would soon be occasion to use them. "But
what was that you were about to say concernin' Blossom? It would not
be civil to the young woman to overlook her, on account of a bear or
two."
"You take it easy, STRANger--Bourdon, I should say--you take it
easy! What I was about to say was this: that the whull lake country,
and that's a wide stretch to foot it over, I know; but, big as it
is, the whull lake country don't contain Blossom's equal. I'm her
brother, and perhaps ought to be a little modest in sich matters;
but I an't a bit, and let out jist what I think. Blossom's a
di'mond, if there be di'monds on 'arth."
"And yonder is a bear, if there be bears on earth!" exclaimed le
Bourdon, who was not a little amused with Gershom's account of his
family, but who saw that the moment was now arrived when it would be
necessary to substitute deeds for words. "There they come, in a
drove, and they seem in earnest."
This was true enough. No less than eight bears, half of which, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
"onaccountable," a number not to be counted--"an onaccountable grist
on 'em, I can tell you, and if you mean to charge upon sich enemies,
you must look out for somebody besides Whiskey Centre for your
vanguard. What in natur' has got into the critters! They can't
expect to set that tree on its legs ag'in!"
"Do you see a flight of them just in the edge of the for-est--here,
more to the southward?" demanded le Bourdon.
"Sure enough! There is a lot on 'em there, too, and they seem to be
comin' and goin' to the tree, like folks"--Gershom WOULD put his
noun of multitude into the plural, Nova-Anglice--"comin' and goin'
like folks carryin' water to a fire. A body would think, by the stir
among 'em, them critters' barrel was empty!"
"The bears are there," coolly returned the bee-hunter; "I've seen
such movements before, and know how to account for them. The bears
are in the thicket, but don't like to come out in the face of such a
colony. I have heard of bears being chased miles by bees, when their
anger was up!"
"Mortality! They have a good deal of dander (dandruff) for sich
little vipers! But what are WE to do, Bourdon? for Doll and Blossom
MUST taste that honey! Half's mine, you know, and I don't like to
give it up."
The bee-hunter smiled at the coolness with which Gershom assigned to
himself so large a portion of his property; though he did not think
it worth his while, just then, to "demur to his declaration," as the
Page 36
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
lawyers might have it. There was a sort of border rule, which gave
all present equal shares in any forest captures; just as vessels in
sight come in for prize-money, taken in time of war by public
cruisers. At any rate, the honey of a single tree was not of
sufficient value to induce a serious quarrel about it. If there
should be any extra trouble or danger in securing the present prize,
every craft in view might, fairly enough, come in for its share.
"Doll shall not be forgotten, if we can only house our honey,"
answered the bee-hunter; "nor Blossom, neither. I've a fancy,
already, for that blossom of the wilderness, and shall do all I can
to make myself agreeable to her. A man cannot approach a maiden with
anything sweeter than honey."
"Some gals like sugar'd words better; but, let me tell you one
thing, STRANger-"
"You have eaten bread and salt with me, Whiskey, and both are scarce
articles in a wilderness; and you've slept under my roof: is it not
almost time to call me something else than stranger?"
"Well, Bourdon, if you prefer that name; though STRANger is a name I
like, it has sich an up and off sound to it. When a man calls all he
sees STRANgers, it's a sign he don't let the grass grow in the road
for want of movin'; and a movin' man for me, any day, before your
stationaries. I was born on the sea-shore, in the Bay State; and
here I am, up among the fresh-water lakes, as much nat'ralized as
any muskelunge that was ever cotch'd in Huron, or about Mackinaw. If
I can believe my eyes, Bourdon, there is the muzzle of a bear to be
seen, jist under that heavy hemlock--here, where the bees seem
thickest!"
"No doubt in the world," answered le Bourdon, coolly; though he had
taken the precaution to look to the priming of each of his pieces,
as if he expected there would soon be occasion to use them. "But
what was that you were about to say concernin' Blossom? It would not
be civil to the young woman to overlook her, on account of a bear or
two."
"You take it easy, STRANger--Bourdon, I should say--you take it
easy! What I was about to say was this: that the whull lake country,
and that's a wide stretch to foot it over, I know; but, big as it
is, the whull lake country don't contain Blossom's equal. I'm her
brother, and perhaps ought to be a little modest in sich matters;
but I an't a bit, and let out jist what I think. Blossom's a
di'mond, if there be di'monds on 'arth."
"And yonder is a bear, if there be bears on earth!" exclaimed le
Bourdon, who was not a little amused with Gershom's account of his
family, but who saw that the moment was now arrived when it would be
necessary to substitute deeds for words. "There they come, in a
drove, and they seem in earnest."
This was true enough. No less than eight bears, half of which, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]