Hans Brinker; Or, The Silver Skates

by Mary Mapes Dodge

  XXXI

  BOYS AND GIRLS

  By the time the boys reached the village of Voorhout which stands nearthe grand canal, about half-way between the Hague and Haarlem, they wereforced to hold a council. The wind, though moderate at first, had grownstronger and stronger, until at last they could hardly skate against it.The weather-vanes throughout the country had evidently entered into aconspiracy.

  "No use trying to face such a blow as this," said Ludwig. "It cuts itsway down a man's throat like a knife."

  "Keep your mouth shut, then," grunted the affable Carl, who wasstrong-chested as a young ox. "I'm for keeping on."

  "In this case," interposed Peter, "we must consult the weakest of theparty rather than the strongest."

  The captain's principle was all right, but its application was notflattering to Master Ludwig; shrugging his shoulders, he retorted:

  "Who's weak? Not I, for one--but the wind's stronger than any of us. Ihope you'll condescend to admit that!"

  "Ha! ha!" laughed Van Mounen, who could barely keep his feet, "so itis."

  Just then the weather-vanes telegraphed to each other by a peculiartwitch--and, in an instant, the gust came. It nearly threw thestrong-chested Carl; it almost strangled Jacob; and quite upset Ludwig.

  "This settles the question," shouted Peter; "off with your skates! We'llgo into Voorhout."

  At Voorhout they found a little inn with a big yard. The yard was wellbricked, and better than all, was provided with a complete set ofskittles, so our boys soon turned the detention into a frolic. The windwas troublesome even in that sheltered quarter, but they were on goodstanding-ground--and did not mind it.

  First a hearty dinner--then the game. With pins as long as their arms,and balls as big as their heads, plenty of strength left for rolling,and a clean sweep of sixty yards for the strokes--no wonder they werehappy.

  That night Captain Peter and his men slept soundly. No prowling robbercame to disturb them; and, as they were distributed in separate rooms,they did not even have a bolster-battle in the morning.

  Such a breakfast as they ate! The landlord looked frightened. When hehad asked them where they "belonged," he made up his mind that the Broekpeople starved their children. It was a shame, "such fine younggentlemen, too!"

  Fortunately the wind had tired itself out, and fallen asleep in thegreat sea-cradle beyond the Dunes. There were signs of snow; otherwise,the weather was fine.

  It was mere child's-play for the well-rested boys to skate to Leyden.Here they halted a while, for Peter had an errand at the "Golden Eagle."He left the city with a lightened heart; Dr. Boekman had been at thehotel, read the note containing Hans' message, and departed for Broek.

  "I cannot say it was your letter sent him off so soon," explained thelandlord; "some rich lady in Broek was taken bad very sudden, and hewas sent for in haste."

  Peter turned pale.

  "What was the name?" he asked.

  "Indeed, it went in one ear, and out of the other--for all I hinderedit. Plague to people who can't see a traveler in comfortable lodgings,but they must whisk him off, before one can breathe."

  "A lady in Broek, did you say?"

  "Yes," very gruffly; "and other business, young master?"

  "No, mine host--except that I and my comrades here would like a bite ofsomething, and a drink of hot coffee."

  "Ah," said the landlord, sweetly, "a bite you shall have, and coffeetoo, the finest in Leyden. Walk up to the stove, my masters--now I thinkagain--that was a widow lady--from Rotterdam, I think theysaid--visiting at one Van Stoepel's if I mistake not."

  "Ah!" said Peter, greatly relieved. "They live in the white house by theSchlossen Mill--now, mynheer, the coffee, please!"

  "What a goose I was," thought he, as the party left the Golden Eagle,"to feel so sure it was my mother--but she may be somebody's mother,poor woman, for all that. Who can she be, I wonder?"

  There were not many upon the canal that day, between Leyden and Haarlem.However, as the boys neared Amsterdam, they found themselves once morein the midst of a moving throng. The big _Ysbreeker_[28]

  [Footnote 28: Ice-breaker--A heavy machine armed with iron spikes forbreaking the ice as it is dragged along. Some of the small ones areworked by men--but the large ones are drawn by horses--sixty or seventyof which are sometimes attached to one Ysbreeker.] had been at work forthe first time that season, but there was any amount of skating groundleft yet.

  "Three cheers for home!" cried Van Mounen, as they came in sight of thegreat Western dock (Westelijk Dok). "Hurrah! Hurrah!" shouted one andall. "Hurrah! Hurrah!"

  This trick of cheering was an importation among our party. Lambert vanMounen had brought it from England. As they always gave it in English,it was considered quite an exploit and, when circumstances permitted,always enthusiastically performed, to the sore dismay of theirquiet-loving countrymen.

  Therefore, their arrival at Amsterdam created a great sensation,especially among the small boys on the wharfs.

  The Y was crossed. They were on the Broek canal.

  Lambert's home was reached first.

  "Good-bye, boys!" he cried, as he left them. "We've had the greatestfrolic ever known in Holland."

  "So we have. Good-bye, Van Mounen!" answered the boys.

  "Good-bye!"

  Peter hailed him. "I say, Van Mounen, the classes begin to-morrow!"

  "I know it. Our holiday is over. Good-bye, again."

  "Good-bye!"

  Broek came in sight. Such meetings! Katrinka was on the canal! Carl wasdelighted. Hilda was there! Peter felt rested in an instant. Rychie wasthere! Ludwig and Jacob nearly knocked each other over in theireagerness to shake hands with her.

  Dutch girls are modest and generally quiet; but they have very gladeyes. For a few moments, it was hard to decide whether Hilda, Rychie orKatrinka felt the most happy.

  Annie Bouman was also on the canal, looking even prettier than the othermaidens, in her graceful, peasant's costume. But she did not mingle withRychie's party; neither did she look unusually happy.

  The one she liked most to see was not among the newcomers. Indeed he wasnot upon the canal at all. She had not been near Broek before, since theEve of St. Nicholas, for she was staying with her sick grandmother inAmsterdam, and had been granted a brief resting-spell, as thegrandmother called it, because she had been such a faithful little nursenight and day.

  Annie had devoted her resting-spell to skating with all her might towardBroek, and back again, in the hope of meeting her mother or some of herfamily on the canal, or, it might be, Gretel Brinker--Not one of themhad she seen--and she must hurry back, without ever catching a glimpseof her mother's cottage--for the poor helpless grandmother, she knew,was by this time moaning for some one to turn her upon her cot.

  Where can Gretel be? thought Annie, as she flew over the ice; she canalmost always steal a few moments from her work at this time ofday--poor Gretel--what a dreadful thing it must be to have a dullfather--I should be wofully afraid of him, I know--So strong, and yet sostrange!

  Annie had not heard of his illness. Dame Brinker and her affairsreceived but little notice from the people of the place.

  If Gretel had not been known as a goose-girl she might have had morefriends among the peasantry of the neighborhood. As it was, Annie Boumanwas the only one who did not feel ashamed to avow herself by word anddeed the companion of Gretel and Hans.

  When the neighbors' children laughed at her for keeping such poorcompany, she would simply flush when Hans was ridiculed, or laugh in acareless, disdainful way; but to hear little Gretel abused alwaysawakened her wrath.

  "Goose-girl, indeed!" she would say. "I can tell you any of you arefitter for the work than she. My father often said last summer that ittroubled him to see such a bright-eyed, patient little maiden tendinggeese. Humph! She would not harm them, as you would, Janzoon Kolp; andshe would not tread upon them, as you might, Kate Wouters."

  This would be pretty sure to start a laugh at the clumsy, ill-na
turedKate's expense; and Annie would walk loftily away from the group ofyoung gossips. Perhaps some memory of Gretel's assailants crossed hermind as she skated rapidly toward Amsterdam, for her eyes sparkledominously and she more than once gave her pretty head a defiant toss.When that mood passed, such a bright, rosy, affectionate look illuminedher face, that more than one weary working man turned to gaze after her,and to wish that he had a glad contented lass like that for a daughter.

  * * * * *

  There were five joyous households in Broek that night.

  The boys were back safe and sound; and they found all well at home. Eventhe sick lady at neighbor Van Stoepel's was out of danger.

  But the next morning! Ah, how stupidly school-bells will ding-dong!ding-dong, when one is tired.

  Ludwig was sure he had never listened to anything so odious. Even Peterfelt pathetic on the occasion. Carl said it was a shame for a fellow tohave to turn out when his bones were splitting--and Jacob soberly badeBen "Goot-Pye!" and walked off with his satchel as if it weighed ahundred pounds.