CHAPTER XVI. TAMING THE COLT
"What in the world is that boy doing?" said Mrs. Jo to herself, as shewatched Dan running round the half-mile triangle as if for a wager.He was all alone, and seemed possessed by some strange desire to runhimself into a fever, or break his neck; for, after several rounds, hetried leaping walls, and turning somersaults up the avenue, and finallydropped down on the grass before the door as if exhausted.
"Are you training for a race, Dan?" asked Mrs. Jo, from the window whereshe sat.
He looked up quickly, and stopped panting to answer, with a laugh,
"No; I'm only working off my steam."
"Can't you find a cooler way of doing it? You will be ill if you tearabout so in such warm weather," said Mrs. Jo, laughing also, as shethrew him out a great palm-leaf fan.
"Can't help it. I must run somewhere," answered Dan, with such an oddexpression in his restless eyes, that Mrs. Jo was troubled, and asked,quickly,
"Is Plumfield getting too narrow for you?"
"I wouldn't mind if it was a little bigger. I like it though; only thefact is the devil gets into me sometimes, and then I do want to bolt."
The words seemed to come against his will, for he looked sorry theminute they were spoken, and seemed to think he deserved a reproof forhis ingratitude. But Mrs. Jo understood the feeling, and though sorry tosee it, she could not blame the boy for confessing it. She looked at himanxiously, seeing how tall and strong he had grown, how full of energyhis face was, with its eager eyes and resolute mouth; and rememberingthe utter freedom he had known for years before, she felt how even thegentle restraint of this home would weigh upon him at times when the oldlawless spirit stirred in him. "Yes," she said to herself, "my wild hawkneeds a larger cage; and yet, if I let him go, I am afraid he will belost. I must try and find some lure strong enough to keep him safe."
"I know all about it," she added, aloud. "It is not 'the devil,' as youcall it, but the very natural desire of all young people for liberty. Iused to feel just so, and once, I really did think for a minute that Iwould bolt."
"Why didn't you?" said Dan, coming to lean on the low window-ledge, withan evident desire to continue the subject.
"I knew it was foolish, and love for my mother kept me at home."
"I haven't got any mother," began Dan.
"I thought you had now," said Mrs. Jo, gently stroking the rough hairoff his hot forehead.
"You are no end good to me, and I can't ever thank you enough, but itjust isn't the same, is it?" and Dan looked up at her with a wistful,hungry look that went to her heart.
"No, dear, it is not the same, and never can be. I think an own motherwould have been a great deal to you. But as that cannot be, you musttry to let me fill her place. I fear I have not done all I ought, or youwould not want to leave me," she added, sorrowfully.
"Yes, you have!" cried Dan, eagerly. "I don't want to go, and I won'tgo, if I can help it; but every now and then I feel as if I must burstout somehow. I want to run straight ahead somewhere, to smash something,or pitch into somebody. Don't know why, but I do, and that's all aboutit."
Dan laughed as he spoke, but he meant what he said, for he knit hisblack brows, and brought down his fist on the ledge with such force,that Mrs. Jo's thimble flew off into the grass. He brought it back, andas she took it she held the big, brown hand a minute, saying, with alook that showed the words cost her something,
"Well, Dan, run if you must, but don't run very far; and come back to mesoon, for I want you very much."
He was rather taken aback by this unexpected permission to play truant,and somehow it seemed to lessen his desire to go. He did not understandwhy, but Mrs. Jo did, and, knowing the natural perversity of the humanmind, counted on it to help her now. She felt instinctively that themore the boy was restrained the more he would fret against it; but leavehim free, and the mere sense of liberty would content him, joined to theknowledge that his presence was dear to those whom he loved best. It wasa little experiment, but it succeeded, for Dan stood silent a moment,unconsciously picking the fan to pieces and turning the matter overin his mind. He felt that she appealed to his heart and his honor,and owned that he understood it by saying presently, with a mixture ofregret and resolution in his face,
"I won't go yet awhile, and I'll give you fair warning before I bolt.That's fair, isn't it?"
"Yes, we will let it stand so. Now, I want to see if I can't find someway for you to work off your steam better than running about the placelike a mad dog, spoiling my fans, or fighting with the boys. What can weinvent?" and while Dan tried to repair the mischief he had done, Mrs.Jo racked her brain for some new device to keep her truant safe until hehad learned to love his lessons better.
"How would you like to be my express-man?" she said, as a sudden thoughtpopped into her head.
"Go into town, and do the errands?" asked Dan, looking interested atonce.
"Yes; Franz is tired of it, Silas cannot be spared just now, and Mr.Bhaer has no time. Old Andy is a safe horse, you are a good driver, andknow your way about the city as well as a postman. Suppose you try it,and see if it won't do most as well to drive away two or three times aweek as to run away once a month."
"I'd like it ever so much, only I must go alone and do it all myself. Idon't want any of the other fellows bothering round," said Dan, takingto the new idea so kindly that he began to put on business airs already.
"If Mr. Bhaer does not object you shall have it all your own way. Isuppose Emil will growl, but he cannot be trusted with horses, and youcan. By the way, to-morrow is market-day, and I must make out my list.You had better see that the wagon is in order, and tell Silas to havethe fruit and vegetables ready for mother. You will have to be up earlyand get back in time for school, can you do that?"
"I'm always an early bird, so I don't mind," and Dan slung on his jacketwith despatch.
"The early bird got the worm this time, I'm sure," said Mrs. Jo,merrily.
"And a jolly good worm it is," answered Dan, as he went laughing away toput a new lash to the whip, wash the wagon, and order Silas about withall the importance of a young express-man.
"Before he is tired of this I will find something else and have it readywhen the next restless fit comes on," said Mrs. Jo to herself, as shewrote her list with a deep sense of gratitude that all her boys were notDans.
Mr. Bhaer did not entirely approve of the new plan, but agreed to giveit a trial, which put Dan on his mettle, and caused him to give upcertain wild plans of his own, in which the new lash and the longhill were to have borne a part. He was up and away very early the nextmorning, heroically resisting the temptation to race with the milkmengoing into town. Once there, he did his errands carefully, to Mr.Bhaer's surprise and Mrs. Jo's great satisfaction. The Commodore didgrowl at Dan's promotion, but was pacified by a superior padlock to hisnew boat-house, and the thought that seamen were meant for higher honorsthan driving market-wagons and doing family errands. So Dan filledhis new office well and contentedly for weeks, and said no more aboutbolting. But one day Mr. Bhaer found him pummelling Jack, who wasroaring for mercy under his knee.
"Why, Dan, I thought you had given up fighting," he said, as he went tothe rescue.
"We ain't fighting, we are only wrestling," answered Dan, leaving offreluctantly.
"It looks very much like it, and feels like it, hey, Jack?" said Mr.Bhaer, as the defeated gentleman got upon his legs with difficulty.
"Catch me wrestling with him again. He's most knocked my head off,"snarled Jack, holding on to that portion of his frame as if it reallywas loose upon his shoulders.
"The fact is, we began in fun, but when I got him down I couldn't helppounding him. Sorry I hurt you, old fellow," explained Dan, lookingrather ashamed of himself.