The Children of the New Forest Page 4

  CHAPTER IV.

  The old forester lay awake the whole of this night, reflecting how heshould act relative to the children; he felt the great responsibilitythat he had incurred, and was alarmed when he considered what might bethe consequences if his days were shortened. What would become ofthem--living in so sequestered a spot that few knew even of itsexistence--totally shut out from the world, and left to their ownresources? He had no fear, if his life was spared, that they would dowell; but if he should be called away before they had grown up and wereable to help themselves, they might perish. Edward was not fourteenyears old; it was true that he was an active, brave boy, and thoughtfulfor his years; but he had not yet strength or skill sufficient for whatwould be required. Humphrey, the second, also promised well; but stillthey were all children. "I must bring them up to be useful--to dependupon themselves; there is not a moment to be lost, and not a momentshall be lost; I will do my best, and trust to God; I ask but two orthree years, and by that time I trust that they will be able to dowithout me. They must commence to-morrow the life of foresters'children."

  Acting upon this resolution, Jacob, as soon as the children weredressed, and in the sitting-room, opened his Bible, which he had put onthe table, and said:

  "My dear children, you know that you must remain in this cottage, thatthe wicked troopers may not find you out; they killed your father, andif I had not taken you away, they would have burned you in your beds.You must, therefore, live here as my children, and you must callyourselves by the name of Armitage, and not that of Beverley; and youmust dress like children of the forest, as you do now, and you must doas children of the forest do--that is, you must do every thing foryourselves, for you can have no servants to wait upon you. We must allwork--but you will like to work if you all work together, for then thework will be nothing but play. Now, Edward is the oldest, and he mustgo out with me in the forest, and I must teach him to kill deer andother game for our support; and when he knows how, then Humphrey shallcome out and learn how to shoot."

  "Yes," said Humphrey, "I'll soon learn."

  "But not yet, Humphrey, for you must do some work in the mean time; youmust look after the pony and the pigs, and you must learn to dig in thegarden with Edward and me when we do not go out to hunt; and sometimesI shall go by myself, and leave Edward to work with you when there iswork to be done. Alice, dear, you must, with Humphrey, light the fireand clean the house in the morning. Humphrey will go to the spring forwater, and do all the hard work; and you must learn to wash, my dearAlice--I will show you how; and you must learn to get dinner ready withHumphrey, who will assist you; and to make the beds. And little Edithshall take care of the fowls, and feed them every morning, and look forthe eggs--will you, Edith?"

  "Yes," replied Edith, "and feed all the little chickens when they arehatched, as I did at Arnwood."

  "Yes, dear, and you'll be very useful. Now you know that you can not doall this at once. You will have to try and try again; but very soon youwill, and then it will be all play. I must teach you all, and every dayyou will do it better, till you want no teaching at all. And now, mydear children, as there is no chaplain here, we must read the Bibleevery morning. Edward can read, I know; can you, Humphrey?"

  "Yes, all except the big words."

  "Well, you will learn them by-and-by. And Edward and I will teach Aliceand Edith to read in the evenings, when we have nothing to do. It willbe an amusement. Now tell me, do you all like what I have told you?"

  "Yes," they all replied; and then Jacob Armitage read a chapter in theBible, after which they all knelt down and said the Lord's prayer. Asthis was done every morning and every evening, I need not repeat itagain. Jacob then showed them again how to clean the house, andHumphrey and Alice soon finished their work under his directions; andthen they all sat down to breakfast, which was a very plain one, beinggenerally cold meat, and cakes baked on the embers, at which Alice wassoon very expert; and little Edith was very useful in watching them forher, while she busied herself about her other work. But the venison wasnearly all gone; and after breakfast Jacob and Edward, with the dogSmoker, went out into the woods. Edward had no gun, as he only went outto be taught how to approach the game, which required great caution;indeed Jacob had no second gun to give him, if he had wished so to do.

  "Now, Edward, we are going after a fine stag, if we can find him, whichI doubt not; but the difficulty is, to get within shot of him.Recollect that you must always be hid, for his sight is very quick;never be heard, for his ear is sharp; and never come down to him withthe wind, for his scent is very fine. Then you must hunt according tothe hour of the day. At this time he is feeding; two hours hence hewill be lying down in the high fern. The dog is no use unless the stagis badly wounded, when the dog will take him. Smoker knows his dutywell, and will hide himself as close as we do. We are now going intothe thick wood ahead of us, as there are many little spots of clearedground in it where we may find the deer; but we must keep more to theleft, for the wind is to the eastward, and we must walk up against it.And now that we are coming into the wood, recollect, not a word must besaid, and you must walk as quietly as possible, keeping behind me.Smoker, to heel!" They proceeded through the wood for more than a mile,when Jacob made a sign to Edward, and dropped down into the fern,crawling along to an open spot, where, at some distance, were a stagand three deer grazing. The deer grazed quietly, but the stag was everand anon raising up his head and snuffing the air as he looked round,evidently acting as a sentinel for the females.

  The stag was perhaps a long quarter of a mile from where they hadcrouched down in the fern. Jacob remained immovable till the animalbegan to feed again, and then he advanced, crawling through the fern,followed by Edward and the dog, who dragged himself on his stomachafter Edward. This tedious approach was continued for some time, andthey had neared the stag to within half the original distance, when theanimal again lifted up his head and appeared uneasy. Jacob stopped andremained without motion. After a time the stag walked away, followed bythe does, to the opposite side of the clear spot on which they had beenfeeding, and, to Edward's annoyance, the animal was half a mile fromthem. Jacob turned round and crawled into the wood, and when he knewthat they were concealed, he rose on his feet and said,

  "You see, Edward, that it requires patience to stalk a deer. What aprincely fellow! but he has probably been alarmed this morning, and isvery uneasy. Now we must go through the woods till we come to the leeof him on the other side of the dell. You see he has led the does closeto the thicket, and we shall have a better chance when we get there, ifwe are only quiet and cautious."

  "What startled him, do you think?" said Edward.

  "I think, when you were crawling through the fern after me, you broke apiece of rotten stick that was under you. Did you not?"

  "Yes, but that made but little noise."

  "Quite enough to startle a red deer, Edward, as you will find outbefore you have been long a forester. These checks will happen, andhave happened to me a hundred times, and then all the work is to bedone over again. Now then to make the circuit--we had better not say aword. If we get safe now to the other side, we are sure of him."

  They proceeded at a quick walk through the forest, and in half an hourhad gained the side where the deer were feeding. When about threehundred yards from the game, Jacob again sunk down on his hands andknees, crawling from bush to bush, stopping whenever the stag raisedhis head, and advancing again when it resumed feeding; at last theycame to the fern at the side of the wood, and crawled through it asbefore, but still more cautiously as they approached the stag. In thismanner they arrived at last to within eighty yards of the animal, andthen Jacob advanced his gun ready to put it to his shoulder, and, as hecocked the lock, raised himself to fire. The click occasioned by thecocking of the lock roused up the stag instantly, and he turned hishead in the direction from whence the noise proceeded; as he did soJacob fired, aiming behind the animal's shoulder: the stag made abound, came down again, dropped on his knees, attempted to run, an
dfell dead, while the does fled away with the rapidity of the wind.

  Edward started up on his legs with a shout of exultation. Jacobcommenced reloading his gun, and stopped Edward as he was about to runup to where the animal lay.

  "Edward, you must learn your craft," said Jacob; "never do that again;never shout in that way--on the contrary, you should have remainedstill in the fern."

  "Why so?--the stag is dead."

  "Yes, my dear boy, that stag is dead; but how do you know but whatthere may be another lying down in the fern close to us, or at somedistance from us, which you have alarmed by your shout? Suppose that weboth had guns, and that the report of mine had started another staglying in the fern within shot, you would have been able to shoot it; orif a stag was lying at a distance, the report of the gun might havestarted him so as to induce him to move his head without rising. Ishould have seen his antlers move and have marked his lair, and weshould then have gone after him and stalked him too."

  "I see," replied Edward, "I was wrong; but I shall know better anothertime."

  "That's why I tell you, my boy," replied Jacob. "Now let us go to ourquarry. Ay, Edward, this is a noble beast. I thought that he was a hartroyal, and so he is."

  "What is a hart royal, Jacob?"

  "Why, a stag is called a brocket until he is three years old, at fouryears he is a staggart; at five years a warrantable stag; and afterfive years he becomes a hart royal."

  "And how do you know his age?"

  "By his antlers: you see that this stag has nine antlers; now, abrocket has but two antlers, a staggart three, and a warrantable stagbut four; at six years old, the antlers increase in number until theysometimes have twenty or thirty. This is a fine beast, and the venisonis now getting very good. Now you must see me do the work of my craft."

  Jacob then cut the throat of the animal, and afterward cut off its headand took out its bowels.

  "Are you tired, Edward?" said Jacob, as he wiped his hunting-knife onthe coat of the stag.

  "No, not the least."

  "Well, then, we are now, I should think, about four or five miles fromthe cottage. Could you find your way home? but that is of noconsequence--Smoker will lead you home by the shortest path. I willstay here, and you can saddle White Billy and come back with him, forhe must carry the venison back. It's more than we can manage--indeed,as much as we can manage with White Billy to help us. There's more thantwenty stone of venison lying there, I can tell you."

  Edward immediately assented, and Jacob, desiring Smoker to go home, setabout flaying and cutting up the animal for its more convenienttransportation. In an hour and a half, Edward, attended by Smoker,returned with the pony, on whose back the chief portion of the venisonwas packed. Jacob took a large piece on his own shoulders, and Edwardcarried another, and Smoker, after regaling himself with a portion ofthe inside of the animal, came after them. During the walk home, Jacobinitiated Edward into the terms of venery and many other pointsconnected with deer-stalking, with which we shall not trouble ourreaders. As soon as they arrived at the cottage, the venison was hungup, the pony put in the stable, and then they sat down to dinner withan excellent appetite after their long morning's walk. Alice andHumphrey had cooked the dinner themselves, and it was in the pot,smoking hot, when they returned; and Jacob declared he never ate abetter mess in his life. Alice was not a little proud of this, and ofthe praises she received from Edward and the old forester. The nextday, Jacob stated his intention of going to Lymington to dispose of alarge portion of the venison, and bring back a sack of oatmeal fortheir cakes. Edward asked to accompany him, but Jacob replied,

  "Edward, you must not think of showing yourself at Lymington, or anywhere else, for a long while, until you are grown out of memory. Itwould be folly, and you would risk your sisters' and brother's lives,perhaps, as well as your own. Never mention it again: the time willcome when it will be necessary, perhaps; if so, it can not be helped.At present you would be known immediately. No, Edward, I tell you whatI mean to do: I have a little money left, and I intend to buy you agun, that you may learn to stalk deer yourself without me; for,recollect, if any accident should happen to me, who is there but you toprovide for your brother and sisters? At Lymington I am known to many;but out of all who know me, there is not one who knows where my cottageis; they know that I live in the New Forest, and that I supply themvenison, and purchase other articles in return. That is all that theyknow: and I may therefore go without fear. I shall sell the venisonto-morrow, and bring you back a good gun; and Humphrey shall have thecarpenters' tools which he wishes for, for I think, by what he doeswith his knife, that he has a turn that way, and it may be useful. Imust also get some other tools for Humphrey and you, as we shall thenbe able to work all together; and some threads and needles for Alice,for she can sew a little, and practice will make her more perfect."

  Jacob went off to Lymington as he had proposed, and returned late atnight with White Billy well loaded; he had a sack of oatmeal, somespades and hoes, a saw and chisels, and other tools; two scythes andtwo three-pronged forks; and when Edward came to meet him, he put intohis hand a gun with a very long barrel.

  "I believe, Edward, that you will find that a good one, for I knowwhere it came from. It belonged to one of the rangers, who was reckonedthe best shot in the Forest. I know the gun, for I have seen it on hisarm, and have taken it in my hand to examine it more than once. He waskilled at Naseby, with your father, poor fellow! and his widow sold thegun to meet her wants."

  "Well," replied Edward, "I thank you much, Jacob, and I will try if Ican not kill as much venison as will pay you back the purchase-money--Iwill, I assure you."

  "I shall be glad if you do, Edward; not because I want the money back,but because then I shall be more easy in my mind about you all, if anything happens to me. As soon as you are perfect in your woodcraft, Ishall take Humphrey in hand, for there is nothing like having twostrings to your bow. To-morrow we will not go out: we have meat enoughfor three weeks or more; and now the frost has set in, it will keepwell. You shall practice at a mark with your gun, that you may beaccustomed to it; for all guns, even the best, require a littlehumoring."

  Edward, who had often fired a gun before, proved the next morning thathe had a very good eye; and, after two or three hours' practice, hitthe mark at a hundred yards almost every time.

  "I wish you would let me go out by myself," said Edward, overjoyed athis success.

  "You would bring home nothing, boy," replied Jacob. "No, no, you have agreat deal to learn yet; but I tell you what you shall do: any timethat we are not in great want of venison, you shall have the firstfire."

  "Well, that will do," replied Edward.

  The winter now set in with great severity, and they remained almostaltogether within doors. Jacob and the boys went out to get firewood,and dragged it home through the snow.

  "I wish, Jacob," said Humphrey, "that I was able to build a cart, forit would be very useful, and White Billy would then have something todo; but I can't make the wheels, and there is no harness."

  "That's not a bad idea of yours, Humphrey," replied Jacob; "we willthink about it. If you can't build a cart, perhaps I can buy one. Itwould be useful if it were only to take the dung out of the yard on thepotato-ground, for I have hitherto carried it out in baskets, and it'shard work."

  "Yes, and we might saw the wood into billets, and carry it home in thecart, instead of dragging it in this way; my shoulder is quite sorewith the rope, it cuts me so."

  "Well, when the weather breaks up, I will see what I can do, Humphrey;but just now the roads are so blocked up, that I do not think we couldget a cart from Lymington to the cottage, although we can a horse,perhaps."

  But if they remained in-doors during the inclement weather, they werenot idle. Jacob took this opportunity to instruct the children in everything. Alice learned how to wash and how to cook. It is true, thatsometimes she scalded herself a little, sometimes burned her fingers;and other accidents did occur, from the articles employed being toohe
avy for them to lift by themselves; but practice and dexteritycompensated for want of strength, and fewer accidents happened everyday. Humphrey had his carpenters' tools; and although at first he hadmany failures, and wasted nails and wood, by degrees he learned to usehis tools with more dexterity, and made several little useful articles.Little Edith could now do something, for she made and baked all theoatmeal cakes, which saved Alice a good deal of time and trouble inwatching them. It was astonishing how much the children could do, nowthat there was no one to do it for them; and they had daily instructionfrom Jacob. In the evening Alice sat down with her needle and thread tomend the clothes; at first they were not very well done, but sheimproved every day. Edith and Humphrey learned to read while Aliceworked, and then Alice learned; and thus passed the winter away sorapidly, that, although they had been five months at the cottage, itdid not appear as if they had been there as many weeks. All were happyand contented, with the exception, perhaps, of Edward, who had fits ofgloominess, and occasionally showed signs of impatience as to what waspassing in the world, of which he remained in ignorance.

  That Edward Beverley had fits of gloominess and impatience is notsurprising. Edward had been brought up as the heir of Arnwood; and aboy at a very early age imbibes notions of his position, if it promisesto be a high one. He was not two miles from that property which byright was his own. His own mansion had been reduced to ashes--hehimself was hidden in the forest; and he could but not feel hisposition. He sighed for the time when the king's cause should be againtriumphant, and his arrival at that age when he could in person supportand uphold the cause. He longed to be in command, as his father hadbeen--to lead his men on to victory--to recover his property, and torevenge himself on those who had acted so cruelly toward him. This washuman nature; and much as Jacob Armitage would expostulate with him,and try to divert his feelings into other channels--long as he wouldpreach to him about forgiveness of injuries, and patience until bettertimes should come, Edward could not help brooding over these thoughts,and if ever there was a breast animated with intense hatred against thePuritans, it was that of Edward Beverley. Although this was to belamented, it could not create surprise or wonder in the old forester.All he could do was, as much as possible to reason with him, to soothehis irritated feelings, and by constant employment try to make himforget for a time the feelings of ill-will which he had conceived.

  One thing was, however, sufficiently plain to Edward, which was, thatwhatever might be his wrongs, he had not the power at present toredress them; and this feeling, perhaps, more than any other, held himin some sort of check; and as the time when he might have anopportunity appeared far distant, even to his own sanguine imagination,so by degrees did he contrive to dismiss from his thoughts what it wasno use to think about at present.