Jonas on a Farm in Winter

by Jacob Abbott

  CHAPTER X.

  A SURPRISE

  Jonas walked on until he came out of the woods, at the house where hehad seen the boy cut wood. As he approached the place, he saw that theboy was there still; but there was a man with him. The man had agoad-stick in his hand.

  "He is driving a team somewhere," said Jonas to himself. "I wonder wherehis oxen are."

  A moment afterwards, Jonas came in sight of the oxen, which were in theroad, having been hid from his view before, by the wood pile.

  The man and the boy looked at Jonas, as he walked towards them. The mansmiled a little, as if he knew Jonas; but Jonas thought that he hadnever seen him before.

  "Well, Jonas," said the man, "did you find Mr. Woodman?"

  "Yes, sir," replied Jonas. He wondered how the man happened to know hisname.

  "I'm glad of it," said he; "and you'd better make haste back. Rollo isalmost tired of waiting for you."

  "Oliver, you mean," said Jonas.

  "No," said the man,--"Rollo; he said his name was Rollo."

  "Rollo?" said Jonas; "his name is Oliver. I don't see what made him tellyou that his name was Rollo."

  So saying, Jonas walked thoughtfully away, wondering what this couldmean. He had never known Oliver to do any such thing before. Oliver, hethought, would not tell a falsehood on any account. He was not inclinedto say any thing of that kind by way of jest. He was a very sober andsedate, as well as honest boy. Besides, he could not think what shouldhave put Rollo into Oliver's head. He did not recollect that he had saidany thing of Rollo for a long time. In fact, he had seldom told Oliverany thing about him; and what could have induced him to call himselfRollo, he could not conceive.

  However, he had nothing to do but to go on, for the more he attemptedto imagine some explanation of the mystery, the more he was puzzled.So he walked on as diligently as he could.

  He came, at length, in sight of the spot where he had left the horse andOliver. The horse was there, but Oliver was not to be seen.

  "He has got tired of waiting, and has gone away," said Jonas; "orperhaps he is playing about near."

  This last supposition was pretty soon, for a moment, confirmed; forJonas saw, very soon after, a boy's head on the bank of the brook, at alittle distance below.

  "There he is now," said Jonas to himself. "No, it isn't he. That boyisn't dressed like Oliver. I wonder who it is."

  The boy had a long pole in his hand, and was pushing cakes of ice withit. He was so intent upon this amusement, that at first he did not seeJonas; but, presently, looking up, his eye suddenly caught a view ofJonas, coming, and he instantly dropped his pole, and ran towards him,shouting,--

  "Jonas!"

  "Why, Rollo!" exclaimed Jonas, in his turn. "How came you to be here?"

  It was Rollo, indeed. Jonas was astonished. He could scarcely believehis senses. "Is it possible that this is you?" said he.

  "Yes," said Rollo, laughing with great delight, "I believe it is."

  "And how came you here? I left Oliver here an hour ago, little thinkingthat he would turn into Rollo while I was gone."

  "Oliver?" said Rollo, "who is Oliver?"

  "Why, don't you know Oliver?" said Jonas. "He is the farmer's son. Hecame with me, and I left him here to the care of the sleigh. Haven't youseen any thing of him?"

  "No," replied Rollo, "nothing; there was nobody here when I came."

  "What can have become of him, then?" said Jonas. "I hope he is not lostin the woods."

  So saying, Jonas began to call aloud, "Oliver! Oliver!" But no Oliveranswered.

  "Let us see if we can find any tracks," said he; and he and Rollo beganto look about for tracks.

  "What's this?" said Rollo, looking down intently upon the snow, prettynear where the horse had been tied.

  "Any tracks?" said Jonas.

  "No," said Rollo, "but some writing in the snow."

  So Rollo began to read the writing in a slow manner, as he walked alongfrom one word to another; for, the letters being large, the sentenceextended quite a distance from where it first attracted his attention.He read as follows:--

  "'Jonas,--I--am--tired of writing,'--no, 'waiting. I amgoing--back--to--the--mill.'"

  "Let me see," said Jonas.

  So Jonas came to the place, and saw the writing. Rollo had read itcorrectly.

  "Yes," said Jonas, "he has gone back to the mill, no doubt. We will go,and we shall find him there;--but when did you come from home? and howdid you find where I was?"

  Rollo, in answer to Jonas's question, explained to him that his fatherhad given him permission to take the horse and sleigh and Nathan, andcome and pay Jonas a visit. He had arrived at the farmer's that day,just after Jonas and Oliver had set out. The farmer told them whereJonas had gone, and he was very desirous of going after him. He saidthat he had no doubt that he could find him.

  The farmer had hesitated a little; but finally he gave his consent, andRollo set off, leaving Nathan at the farmer's, as he was rather tired.He had followed Jonas to the mill, and then he inquired of the peoplewhether Jonas had been there. A man in the road told him that he hadseen Jonas ride away on a certain road; and so Rollo had followed on inthe road pointed out to him, as he knew that it was not far that he wasto go.

  When Rollo had got so far in his story, Jonas interrupted him to ask,--

  "Were you on foot, Rollo?"

  "No," replied Rollo, "in my sleigh."

  "And where is your sleigh?" asked Jonas.

  "Why, I left it out here a little way. When I found that the snow wasdeep, and my horse slumped in pretty bad, I left him by the side of theroad, and walked on to see if I could see any thing of you. I soon foundyour sleigh, run out of the path, and the horse tied under a tree overthe brook. So I knew that you couldn't be far off."

  "And you did not go any farther."

  "No," said Rollo; "I thought it would be better for me to stay by thesleigh, and wait for you."

  Jonas asked Rollo a great many questions about all the people athome--his father and mother, and his cousin Lucy; and he said that hewas very glad indeed, that Rollo had come to see him.

  "Do you have a pretty good time upon the farm?" said Rollo.

  "Yes," said Jonas, "very good indeed. You would like to be here verymuch."

  "Are there any boys for me to play with?" said Rollo.

  "Yes," said Jonas, "there is Oliver, though he don't play much. He worksnearly all the time. But then there is Josey, though he has gone homenow."

  "I saw a boy at the mill," said Rollo, "when I came along. I verilybelieve it was Oliver."

  "How big was he?" asked Jonas.

  "O, about as big as I am," said Rollo.

  "And what was he doing?" said Jonas.

  "O, he was playing about on the rocks, under the falls. But he didn'tseem to have much to do. He stopped and looked at me when I was comingby."

  "Very likely it was he," said Jonas. "If he had only known who you were,he would have liked very much to have come along with you; and you wouldhave been good company for each other.

  "And O, Rollo," said Jonas again, very eagerly, "there's somebody you'lllike very much indeed."

  "Who is it?" said Rollo.

  "Franco Ney," said Jonas.

  "Franco Ney!" repeated Rollo; "I never heard a boy named Franco before.How old is he?"

  "I don't know," said Jonas.

  "Don't know? Well, where does he live?--at your house?"

  "No," said Jonas. Jonas was correct in this answer, for Franco wasaccustomed to live in the barn.

  After some other conversation, Rollo, suddenly looking up, said,--

  "How far is it, Jonas, from your house to Mr. Ney's?"

  Jonas laughed very heartily at this question, but gave no answer. Rollocould not imagine what he could he laughing at. Jonas, however, wouldnot tell him, but said that he would know all about it, when he shouldcome to see Franco Ney.

  "Well," said Rollo, "I'll ask him why you wouldn't tell me where hisfather lives."

/>   Very soon Rollo and Jonas arrived at the mill. They found Oliver safethere, waiting for them; and the rolls, too, were ready. As they did notlike to tumble the rolls, Oliver rode with Rollo in his sleigh, andJonas took care of the rolls.

  Rollo was greatly astonished, as well as very much pleased, when he cameto see Franco Ney.