esther did not find the blue beads; and when her father came for her she had not said a word to faith about them.
mr. eldridge found his little daughter fully recovered from her illness, and in better health than when she came to the wilderness. when she said good-bye faith was really sorry to have her go, but she wondered a little that esther made no mention of the beads, for esther had been a model visitor since her illness. she had told mrs. carew the full story of the attempt to make maple candy, which the bear had interrupted, and she had claimed the pumpkin-shell work-box with evident delight. all these things had made faith confident that esther would return the beads before starting for home, and she was sadly disappointed to have esther depart without a word about them.
esther had asked mrs. carew if faith might not go to brandon, and so mrs. carew had told [pg 52]the little girls of the plan for faith to go to her aunt priscilla in ticonderoga for the winter and attend school there.
“oh! but that’s new york. why, the ‘yorkers’ want to take all the wilderness. i shouldn’t want to go to school with ‘yorkers,’” esther had responded, a little scornfully.
for she had often heard her father and his friends talk of the attempts made by the english officials of new york to drive the settlers on the new hampshire grants from their homes.
“’tis not the people of new york who would do us harm,” mrs. carew had answered. “and faith will make friends, i hope, with many of her schoolmates.”
it was a beautiful october morning when esther, seated in front of her father on the big gray horse, with the pumpkin-shell work-box wrapped in a safe bundle swinging from the front of the saddle, started for brandon. their way for most of the journey led over a rough trail. they would pass near the homes of many settlers, then over the lower slopes of mooselamoo mountain, and skirt lake dunmore, and would then find themselves on a smoother road for the remainder of their journey.
[pg 53]faith walked beside the travelers to the edge of the wood and then the two little girls said good-bye.
“i’ll come again in the spring,” esther called back.
faith stood watching them until the branches of the trees hid them from sight. the maples seemed to be waving banners of scarlet leaves, and the slopes of the green mountains were beautiful in the glory of autumn foliage. the sun shone brightly, the sky was as blue as summer, and as faith turned to run swiftly along the path to the mill she almost wished that she too was starting for a day’s journey through the woods. the path ran along beside the mill-stream.
it seemed to faith that the brook was traveling beside her like a gay companion, singing as it went. the little girl had had so few companions, none except an occasional visitor, that she had made friends with the birds and small woodland animals, and found companionship in the rippling music of the stream. there was a fine family of yellow-hammers just below the mill that faith often visited, and she was sure that they knew her quite well. she had [pg 54]watched them build their nest in the early spring; had seen them bring food to the young birds, and had sat close by the nest while the young birds made their first efforts to fly. she knew where a fine silver-coated fox made its home on the rocky hillside beyond the garden-slope, and had told her father that “silver-nose,” as she had named the fox, knew that she was his friend, and would lie quite still at the entrance to its hole, while she would sit on a big rock not far distant.
but faith was not thinking of these woodland friends as she ran along toward the mill; she was thinking of what she had heard her father say to mr. eldridge that morning. “tell colonel allen the men of the wilderness will be ready whenever he gives the word,” mr. carew had said; and mr. eldridge had answered that it would not be long. faith wondered what her father had meant, and if colonel allen would again visit the mill. she hoped he would, for he had seemed to know all about the woodland creatures, and had told faith a wonderful story about the different months of the year. she thought of it now as she felt the warmth of the october sunshine.
[pg 55]“october is stirring the fire now,” she called to her father, who was watching her from the door of the mill.
“what do you mean by that, child?” asked her father, smiling down at faith’s tanned face and bright eyes.
“’tis what colonel allen told me about the months. all twelve, every one of the year, sit about the fire. and now and then one of them stirs the fire, and that makes all the world warmer. july and august, when it is their turn, make it blaze; but the other months do not care so much about it. but once in a while each month takes its turn,” answered faith. “that’s what colonel allen told me.”
“’tis a good story,” said mr. carew. “did your mother tell you that i have sent word to your aunt priscilla about your going to her house as soon as some trustworthy traveler going to ticonderoga passes this way?”
“yes, father. but i am learning a good deal at home. mother says i read as well as she did when she was my age. and i can figure in fractions, and write neatly. i do not care much about school,” answered faith; for to be away [pg 56]from her mother and father all winter began to seem too great an undertaking.
“yes, indeed; your mother tells me you learn quickly. but ’tis best for you to become acquainted with children of your own age. and you have never seen your cousins. three boy cousins. think of that. why, your aunt prissy says that donald is nearly as tall as you are; and he is but eight years old. and hugh is six, and philip four. then there are neighbor children close at hand. you will play games, and have parties, and enjoy every day; besides going to school,” responded her father encouragingly.
then he told her of his own pleasant school days in the far-off connecticut village where grandmother carew lived; and when mrs. carew called them to dinner faith had begun to think that it would really be a fine thing to live with aunt priscilla and become acquainted with her little cousins, and all the pleasant, well-behaved children that her father described, with whom she would go to school and play games.
“it is nearly time for kashaqua’s yearly visit,” said mrs. carew.[pg 57] “i have knit a scarf for her of crimson yarn. she generally comes before cold weather. don’t let her see your blue beads, faith.”
faith did not make any answer. kashaqua was an indian woman who had appeared at the cabin every fall and spring ever since the carews had settled there. when faith was a tiny baby she had come, bringing a fine beaver skin as a gift for the little girl. she always came alone, and the family looked upon her as a friend, and always made a little feast for her, and sent her on her way laden with gifts. not all the indians of the wilderness were friendly to settlers; and the carews were glad to feel that kashaqua was well disposed toward them. she often brought gifts of baskets, or of bright feathers or fine moccasins for faith.
“i hope she will come before i go to aunt prissy’s,” said faith. “i like kashaqua.”
“kashaqua likes little girl.”
even mr. carew jumped at these words and the sudden appearance of the indian woman standing just inside the kitchen door. she seemed pleased by their warm welcome, and sat down before the fire, while faith hastened to bring her a good share of their simple dinner. [pg 58]faith sat down on the floor beside her, greatly to kashaqua’s satisfaction, and told her about esther eldridge’s visit, about the bear coming into the kitchen, and of how she had jumped from the window and run to the mill to tell her father. kashaqua grunted her approval now and then.
“and what do you think, kashaqua! i am to go to my aunt priscilla scott, to ticonderoga, and stay all winter,” she concluded.
“ticonderoga? when?” questioned kashaqua, dipping a piece of corn bread in the dish of maple syrup.
“i am to go just as soon as some one goes over the trail who will take me,” answered faith.
“i take you. i go to ticonderoga to-morrow. i take you,” said kashaqua.
