Jo's Boys (Little Women 3)

“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

VACATION

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, wi’ 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.

Dan usually travelled in light marching order, and hated to have more luggage than he could carry in his well-worn valise. But now that he had a little money of his own, he had cumbered himself with a collection of trophies won by his bow and spear, and brought them home to bestow upon his friends.

“We shall be devoured with moths,” thought Mrs Jo, as the shaggy head appeared, followed by a wolf-skin rug for her feet, a bear-skin ditto for the Professor’s study, and Indian garments bedecked with foxes tails for the boys.

All nice and warm for a July day, but received with delight nevertheless. Ted and Josie immediately “dressed up”, learned the war-whoop, and proceeded to astonish their friends by a series of skirmishes about the house and grounds, with tomahawks and bows and arrows, till weariness produced a lull.

Gay birds’ wings, plumy pampas grass, strings of wampum, and pretty work in beads, bark, and feathers, pleased the girls. Minerals, arrow-heads, and crude sketches interested the Professor; and when the box was empty, Dan gave Mr Laurie, as his gift, several plaintive Indian songs written on birch-bark.

“We only want a tent over us to be quite perfect. I feel as if I ought to give you parched corn and dried meat for dinner, my braves. Nobody will want lamb and green p

eas after this splendid pow-wow,” said Mrs Jo, surverying the picturesque confusion of the long hall, where people lay about on the rugs, all more or less bedecked with feathers, moccasins, or beads.

“Moose noses, buffalo tongues, bear steaks, and roasted marrow-bones would be the thing, but I don’t mind a change; so bring on your baa-baa and green meat,” answered Dan from the box, where he sat in state like a chief among his tribe, with the great hound at his feet.

The girls began to clear up, but made little headway; for everything they touched had a story, and all were thrilling, comical, or wild; so they found it hard to settle to their work, till Dan was carried off by Mr Laurie.

This was the beginning of the summer holiday, and it was curious to see what a pleasant little stir Dan’s and Emil’s coming made in the quiet life of the studious community; for they seemed to bring a fresh breeze with them that enlivened everyone. Many of the collegians remained during vacation; and Plumfield and Parnassus did their best to make these days pleasant for them, since most came from distant States, were poor, and had few opportunities but this for culture or amusement. Emil was hail-fellow-well-met with men and maids, and went rollicking about in true sailor fashion; but Dan stood rather in awe of the “fair girl-graduates,” and was silent when among them, eyeing them as an eagle might a flock of doves. He got on better with the young men, and was their hero at once. Their admiration for his manly accomplishments did him good; because he felt his educational defects keenly, and often wondered if he could find anything in books to satisfy him as thoroughly as did the lessons he was learning from Nature’s splendidly illustrated volume. In spite of his silence, the girls found out his good qualities, and regarded “the Spaniard”, as they named him, with great favour; for his black eyes were more eloquent than his tongue, and the kind creatures tried to show their friendly interests in many charming ways.