Jack the Hunchback: A Story of Adventure on the Coast of Maine

by Roy J. Snell

  CHAPTER X.

  SICKNESS.

  Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in nohurry to mail it.

  She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to herimmediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of"deferring the evil day."

  During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman'sheart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it couldnot be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found inthe barn.

  "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancyexclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of hislabors. "How strange I can't do that as well as you!"

  "That's because you're a woman," Jack replied, not a little delightedwith the praise bestowed upon him.

  "It may be; but I'm so very much older, it seems as if I should be ableto do such things properly, and yet I can't even drive a nail."

  "There'll be no need of your doin' it while I'm 'round."

  "And I hope you and Louis will stay a long time; but I suppose it isn'tright to say so, for although there isn't any chance his mother can bealive after the ship exploded, he has probably relatives who want to seehim."

  During the remainder of the day, Jack assisted the little woman with thehousework, and at sunset the two sat in the favorite place under the oldoak, until Louis became unusually fretful.

  After trying in vain to soothe him, Aunt Nancy insisted they shouldretire, saying as she went toward the house,--

  "I am afraid he doesn't feel very well. Are you sure he didn't play inthe sun while I was away?"

  "I kept him in the shade as much as I could. Do you think he can besick?"

  "Not enough for us to worry about, Jack dear. Children are apt to fusswhen everything don't go just right. After I undress him, we'll read theBook, and then you shall go to bed."

  The fact that Louis was not in his usual good spirits and temperworried Jack considerably, despite the little woman's cheery words, andwhen he went to his tiny room it was impossible for him to sleepimmediately.

  He had lain awake fully two hours, at times speculating as to how he andthe baby would finally get to New York, and again wondering if it couldbe possible that both Captain and Mrs. Littlefield were dead, when thestairway door was opened, as Aunt Nancy whispered cautiously,--

  "Jack! Jack dear! Are you awake?"

  The boy was on his feet in an instant.

  "What's the matter? Is Louis worse?"

  "He seems to be quite sick. Will you dress and come down?"

  Jack answered this summons very quickly as he tried to keep back the drysob which came into his throat, for it seemed as if the greatestmisfortune which could befall him would be to lose the baby at the timewhen he was in such a good home.

  He found Aunt Nancy in the kitchen with Louis in her arms.

  A fire had been built in the stove, and the little woman was seated infront of it rocking the baby as she stirred the boiling contents of atin kettle.

  "Do you know what catnip is when you see it growing?" she asked as Jackentered the room.

  "I don't; but if you'll tell me where to go, I'll hunt for it."

  "Light the lantern, so there won't be any mistake, and run out to thelane. You'll find some growing along the fence. Get as much as will fillthis kettle, and come back as soon as you can."

  "Is he very bad?" Jack asked in a trembling voice as he gazed at thebaby's flushed cheeks.

  "I never have had much experience with children, but I guess a littlecatnip tea will bring him around all right by morning."

  "Hadn't we better have a doctor?"

  "There is no need yet, and, besides, there isn't one within six miles."

  "It don't make any difference how far it is, I'm willin' to walk anydistance for him."

  "We will first see what the morning brings forth."

  Jack delayed no longer.

  The lantern was lighted, and he started at once in search of an herb hedid not even know by sight.

  Ten minutes later he returned with an armful of green leaves, and AuntNancy bestowed but one hasty glance upon them when she cried,--

  "O Jack, Jack, you've spent your time gathering burdocks! If you canhold the baby, I'll go after it myself."

  "I'd rather try ag'in than have you go out where the grass is wet withdew."

  "It won't hurt me. Take Louis"; and the little woman put the baby inJack's arms as she hurried away, lantern in hand.

  It seemed to Jack as if she had but left the house before she returnedwith the desired herb, and the boy said in surprise,--

  "Is that what you call catnip? I saw plenty of it, but didn't think theleaves were big enough to do any good."

  "In this world it isn't the big things which are capable of working themost benefit, Jack."

  "If I hadn't known that before, I should after seeing you, Aunt Nancy.You're small, but there couldn't be anybody gooder."

  Although the little woman said nothing, it could readily be seen thatthe compliment pleased her.

  She bustled around much like a busy sparrow, putting the herbs in thekettle, making sundry mysterious decoctions, and otherwise preparingsuch things as she thought might be of benefit to the baby.

  Jack held Louis meanwhile, and before Aunt Nancy was ready to take himagain he asked in a low tone,--

  "Do you think there is any chance he would die?"

  "I don't believe he is in any danger now, Jack dear; but all of usshould think of death as something which will come sooner or later."

  The boy was silent for a moment, and then he asked abruptly,--

  "You pray for everything you want, why don't you do it now so he'll besure to live?"

  "It wouldn't be right to ask God simply for the child's life."

  "Why not?"

  "Because He doeth all things well, and we do not know what His purposemay be."

  "But there can't be any good come of takin' Louis away from me, whenhe's all I've got."

  "That is something you don't know, Jack dear. What God does is right,and we must bow to His will."

  Aunt Nancy spoke in such a solemn tone, or, as Jack afterward expressedit, "like as if she was in meetin'," that the boy could say no more, butwatched intently every move the little woman made until she was ready totake the baby in her arms once more.

  This night was a long one to both, for neither thought of going tosleep.

  Once Aunt Nancy insisted Jack should lie down; but he pleaded so hard tobe allowed to remain awake, that she said no more, and the two sat withLouis until daybreak.

  During this long time neither spoke until the baby had fallen asleep,and Jack was on the point of going out to milk the cow, when the littlewoman said in a tone very like that of fear,--

  "Wouldn't it be a dreadful thing if I should be punished for telling alie to Mr. Pratt, by losing Louis just now when we are living socomfortably?"

  "But you didn't tell a lie," Jack replied just a trifle impatiently.

  "Both you and I know I did, however much we may try to persuadeourselves that it isn't so, and I am certain some punishment willfollow."

  Jack shook his head incredulously.

  He began to understand that it would be useless to attempt to convinceAunt Nancy she had not committed a grievous sin, and was disposed tolose faith in a religion which would condemn so good a woman for havingsaved himself and the baby from much trouble.

  To avoid paining her by saying what was in his mind, he went out tomilk, and on returning found the baby sleeping naturally.

  "He seems much relieved," Aunt Nancy said as she put him to bed. "Hewill probably sleep a long while, and you had better get some rest."

  Jack insisted that he did not need any, and continued doing such choresas he could find around the house until breakfast was ready, after whichhe proposed going to the post-office.

  "Now the letter is written it had better be mailed, an' perhaps thereare some things you want from the sto
re."

  "I do need a few notions; but it seems too bad to have you walk so farthis hot morning."

  "It'll do me good. I can be back by noon, and the weather won't be verywarm while I'm goin' over."

  Aunt Nancy allowed herself to be persuaded, because there really weresome groceries she wanted, and after making out a list with infinitecare, cautioning him not to pay more than five cents a pound for thecoarse sugar and eighty cents for the tea, she gave him a lunch to beeaten during the return journey.

  "I don't want you to stay any longer than is necessary; but at the sametime you mustn't hurry too fast," she said, as he walked rapidly downthe lane; and Jack replied,--

  "I'll be back by noon, unless something terrible happens."

  Although the hunchback could not move as fast as more favored boys, he"kept at it," to use his favorite expression, and by this means was ableto get over the ground with reasonable rapidity.

  He was travelling steadily on, thinking of the baby and Aunt Nancy'sapparently needless sorrow at having acted a lie during Mr. Pratt'scall, when he was aroused to a sense of what was passing around him byhearing the disagreeably familiar voice of Bill Dean, as he shouted,--

  "Hold on there a minute, I want to see you."

  Bill was coming across the fields at full speed, and, knowing he couldnot escape if the bully should pursue him, Jack halted.

  "So you're tryin' to hide behind Aunt Nancy's apron strings, eh?" MasterDean cried as he reached the road.

  "I don't know what you mean."

  "Oh, yes, you do. Didn't you send her over to tell my father that I wasgoin' to drive you out of town, an' didn't she let on about the lickin'we give you?"

  "That was her business. I tried to stop her, for I can 'tend to my ownbattles."

  "Perhaps you can; we'll see about that later. Say, what of that man whowas over here huntin' for you?"

  Jack's cheeks grew pale.

  He understood to whom Bill referred, and it seemed positive the wholestory would be known, despite the sacrifice made by Aunt Nancy.

  "Haven't got anything to say, eh? Well, I'm goin' to see him, an' tellwhere you are, then we'll see how you like tattlers."

  Jack was frightened beyond the power of speech.

  He had no idea but that his enemy knew exactly where to find Mr. Pratt,and firmly believed the time was near at hand when he and Louis would beforcibly taken away from Aunt Nancy's kindly care.

  "That don't seem to strike you very well!" Bill cried with a laugh oftriumph. "We'll have this thing fixed up in short order, an' then Ireckon old Nancy will be ready to hire boys who know their business."

  "What makes you jump down on me?" Jack asked piteously.

  "You know mighty well. We told you what to do, an' you thought wedidn't mean business. Now you'll soon find out."

  Jack hadn't the heart to hold any further conversation with histormentor.

  His only thought was to hurry on that he might be alone where the mattercould be calmly discussed in his own mind, and walked swiftly away,followed by Bill's jeering words.

  Now indeed he had a cup running over with sorrow. If his enemies knew ofMr. Pratt, it would not be long before that gentleman learned of hiswhereabouts, and it surely seemed as if the time had finally come whenhe must start out on the long journey, leaving behind the dearest friendhe had ever met since the day when his mother crossed the dark river.

  "There's no help for it," he said resolutely, "an' I've got to look atthis thing right. Bill will tell the farmer right away, an' the soonerwe leave the farther we'll be off when they come to find us."

  Thus the matter was settled in his mind that the flight should beresumed at the earliest moment it might be safe to take Louis out ofdoors.