Uncle Sam Thompson, who was wise in the ways of weather, prophesied3 a spring flood that would sweep away the fences and come up into the houses; and, indeed, such a flood did occur a few years later, but this year the winter held on so late into the spring, and the snows melted away so slowly and gradually, that the feared high water did not come.
The Allen boys were initiated4 into a new and delightful5 experience in the latter days of March. Warm days would be followed by freezing nights, which, Uncle Sam declared, were ideal “sap” conditions.
[17]
Hundreds of great maple6 trees lined the river, and while they were not of the “rock,” or regular sugar variety, but the “soft” maple, yet the sap held enough of sweet to yield a fair amount of sugar.
To less sturdy youths the trudging7 through melting snow and wading8 in icy water would have been accounted anything but a pastime, but the Allen boys and their chum, Dauphin Thompson, worked at the sugar making with zeal9 and zest10. Uncle Sam showed them how to “tap” the trees. First, a hole would be bored into the tree trunk with an inch augur11, then a V-shaped notch12 would be cut through the bark just above it. Into the augur hole would be driven a “spile,” or piece of grooved13 wood, down which the sap from the V-shaped cut would run. At the foot of the tree, under the spout14, would be placed a wooden trough, hollowed out from a block of the light linden, or “basswood.”
To carry the sap home to the big kettles which were kept constantly boiling, reducing the thin sap to syrup15, and finally “sugaring off” into the delectable16 sweet cakes, a yoke17 of ash was made fitting over the shoulders, with projecting ends. To these ends were attached ropes which were fastened each to a large bucket. These buckets the boys would fill with sap from the trees, and from the farthest point, trudge18 home a mile through water and melting snow. It was no easy play, and aching backs and limbs severely19 tested their courage, yet the boys felt amply repaid for it all in the two hundred pounds of cakes of the
[18]
delicious sweet they thus harvested during the two weeks of the “run.”
By the time the sugar harvest was over, wild ducks had begun to appear, and the lagoons20 and deep places in the marshes21 were noisy at night and early morning with their quacking22. While most of the wild fowl23 passed on to their summer home in the lake region of Canada, some of the ducks built their nests and reared their young in the marshes and along the rivers of that section. Among these were the mallards, large, beautiful birds.
The boys had frequently noticed a pair of these ducks at Round Slough24 in the latter days of their sap gathering25, and had planned to hunt for the nest and secure the eggs which they proposed to place for hatching under a hen. Mrs. Thompson had told the boys that she had known the mallards to be domesticated26 when hatched away from the wild mother, but care had to be taken to keep them confined at migrating-time in the fall, else they would try to follow off their wild cousins as they flew over.
Spring work pressed so heavily that the boys did not get to visit Round Slough until in May, when one bright day came with the coveted27 vacation. The slough was back from the river perhaps a quarter of a mile. It was several rods in diameter, of great depth, and perfectly28 round. The banks were high and sloped away from the hole, as well as toward the water. No trees were growing near the edge, but the sides of the
[19]
rim were covered with “blue-joint” grass already waist high.
The boys approached the slough cautiously. “There they are,” whispered Dauphin. “But see what the old ducks have.” For, sporting in the water, standing29 on their heads, waving their funny, big feet in the air, and chasing water bugs30, were a dozen downy, yellow ducklings.
“Let’s drive them to land and catch them,” said Ed.
So the boys dashed up to the water’s edge and began to throw in sticks and to “shoo.” The father duck flew away, but the mother kept with her babies and paddled to the other side.
“I’ll watch this side and keep up the fuss,” said Rob, “and you boys can run around and catch them in the grass. You see just where they went out.”
“Why, there they are,” called Dauphin, “away over on that side.” And sure enough, there were the mother duck and her babies skirting the bank, in the water again. Time and again the boys chased the little family from the slough, only to lose sight of them entirely31 “just where they went out.” The boys were separated now on three sides of the slough, when suddenly there was a great splash in the water and a doe came swimming across, making, as the boy thought, straight for Rob. A deer is no mean antagonist32, and Rob scrambled33 out of the way, while the animal went crashing through the bushes.
Over where Dauphin had been there was a great
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threshing about in the grass, and a boy’s voice shouting, “Help! help! come quick.” Ed and Rob hurried around the slough, and there was Dauphin trying to hold down a young fawn34 which was making desperate efforts to escape. But for the arrival of the other boys it might have succeeded in tumbling Dauphin into the deep water. The three boys easily handled the little creature, but Rob’s hand bore the imprint35 of one of its sharp hoofs36 for many a day.
“I almost stumbled over the old deer,” said Dauphin, “and I never would have discovered this little chap if I hadn’t fallen over him. However did they manage to hide so well and keep so still while we were running all about them?”
The fawn, which was probably two weeks old, was “all legs,” as the Allen boys expressed it. The back of his brown coat was flecked with spots of white, while his under parts were pure white. Tying both his front and hind37 legs with their handkerchiefs, the boys took turns in carrying their new pet home, where they soon succeeded in teaching it to drink milk. When it was caught it could easily run about under the kitchen table, but it throve and grew so rapidly and became so boisterous38 in its manifestations39 of friendship, that, in a few weeks, Mrs. Thompson declared it had outgrown40 its place of household pet.
The boys built a pen of rails, and cut fresh grass for it every day, and later in the season at the advice of Mr. Thompson, added the twigs41 of the poplar or aspen to its diet. They would cut down a young tree
[21]
and stand it in the corner of the pen. When the fawn had nibbled42 all the tender twigs from the lower limbs he would rise upon his hind legs and walk about the tree on two feet, browsing43 from the higher branches, just as though that was the natural way for a deer to get about, as indeed it was in a situation of that kind.
As the fall approached the young deer began to lose his spotted44 coat of brown, and take on a winter suit of grey. Little hard knobs could be felt on his head where the “spikes,” or one-prong horns would appear the following months. Like a rapidly developing boy he began to take on “manish” ways, and to show an intention of “seeing the world.” Although the boys increased the height of his pen to ten rails, even that would not hold him when the desire to roam came too strongly upon him.
On one of these occasions, when the boys had missed him from the pen, they came across him a quarter of a mile away in the meadow, acting45 in a peculiar46 manner. Long before they reached him they could hear his angry snorts and could see the hair along the ridge47 of his back sticking up like quills48 upon a porcupine49. The young deer was dancing around in a circle, face toward the center, now advancing, now springing quickly back, all the time his eyes fixed50 upon one spot. Just as the boys were drawing near he gave a spring into the air, and, bunching his four feet together, came down like a bolt out of the sky. The stroke was evidently effective, for on the ground was the writhing51 threshing body of a huge black rattlesnake,
[22]
the dreaded52 massasauger, with head severed53 from the body as cleanly as if cut with a knife. The sharp hoofs had done quick and sure execution.
Unable to keep the deer in confinement54 as he would grow larger the boys disposed of him for a good sum to a collector for an eastern city park.
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1
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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steers
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| n.阉公牛，肉用公牛( steer的名词复数 )v.驾驶( steer的第三人称单数 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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3
prophesied
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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5
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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6
maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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7
trudging
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的现在分词形式） | |
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8
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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9
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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10
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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11
augur
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| n.占卦师；v.占卦 | |
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12
notch
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| n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级 | |
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13
grooved
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| v.沟( groove的过去式和过去分词 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏 | |
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14
spout
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| v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱 | |
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15
syrup
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| n.糖浆，糖水 | |
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16
delectable
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| adj.使人愉快的；美味的 | |
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17
yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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18
trudge
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| v.步履艰难地走；n.跋涉，费力艰难的步行 | |
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19
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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20
lagoons
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| n.污水池( lagoon的名词复数 )；潟湖；（大湖或江河附近的）小而浅的淡水湖；温泉形成的池塘 | |
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21
marshes
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| n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 ) | |
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22
quacking
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| v.（鸭子）发出嘎嘎声( quack的现在分词 ) | |
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23
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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24
slough
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| v.蜕皮，脱落，抛弃 | |
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25
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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26
domesticated
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| adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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28
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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29
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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30
bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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31
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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32
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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33
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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34
fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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35
imprint
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| n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记 | |
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36
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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37
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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38
boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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39
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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40
outgrown
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| 长[发展] 得超过（某物）的范围( outgrow的过去分词 )； 长[发展]得不能再要（某物）； 长得比…快； 生长速度超过 | |
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41
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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42
nibbled
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的过去式和过去分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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43
browsing
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| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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44
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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45
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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46
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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47
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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48
quills
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| n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管 | |
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49
porcupine
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| n.豪猪， 箭猪 | |
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50
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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51
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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52
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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53
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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54
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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