It was estimated that this cache contained thirty bushels, which, according to the table in the Blue Book (Revised Army Regulations), would exceed the potato ration2 of three men for a period of five years.
From the day of their arrival on the mountain, Lieutenant Coleman had never failed to make a daily entry in the station journal; and now that they had set up a country for themselves, he foresaw that the continuance of this practice would be necessary if they were not to lose the record of weeks and months. His entry was always brief. Often it was no more than the date, and even the more important events were set down with the utmost brevity and precision.
Once a week he noted8 the recurrence9 of the Sabbath, and on that day they suspended ordinary labor10, and, if the weather was pleasant, inspected their increasing domestic comforts on the mountain-top and laid their plans for the future. After their military habit, the morning of Sunday was devoted11 to personal cleanliness and to tidying up about their quarters.
As the commissary supply of yellow bars diminished, it was evident that the time would soon come when they should be obliged to make their own soap. Back of the chestnut12-tree in which they had taken refuge from the bear was a peculiar13 hollowed rock, and above it a flat shelf of stone, on which Philip erected14 a hollow log for leaching15 ashes. A little patient chipping of the upper stone with the ax-head made a shallow furrow17 along which the lye would trickle18 from the leach16, and fall into the natural basin in the rock below, which was large enough to hold a half-barrel. This was a happy device, as the strong liquid would have eaten its way through any vessel19 other than an iron pot or an earthen jar, of which unfortunately they possessed20 neither.
They had but a limited supply of hard corn, from which they selected the best ears for the next year's planting. These they braided together by the husks, and hung up in yellow festoons from the rafters of the hut, which they continued to use as a storehouse. Much of what remained of their small crop would be needed by the fowls21 in the winter, and up to this time they had made no use of it for their own food.
Meal was out of the question, and to break the flinty kernels22 between stones was a tedious process to which they had not yet been forced to resort.
The presence of the lye, however, suggested to Bromley the hulled23 corn of his New England grandmother, which he had seen her prepare by soaking and boiling the kernels in a thin solution of lye. By this means the hulls24 or skins were removed, and after cleansing25 from potash, and boiling all day, the unbroken kernels became as white and tender as rice.
This satisfied the three soldiers for a time, and made an agreeable addition to their diet of bear steak and potatoes. In the mountains of Tennessee Lieutenant Coleman had once seen a rude hydraulic26 contrivance called a Slow-John, which was a sort of lazy man's mill. To construct this affair it was necessary to have a bucket, which Bromley set about making by the slow process of burning out a section of chestnut log with the red-hot ramrod of a carbine.
At a short distance above the house, the branch which flowed from the spring, after making its refreshing27 way between grassy28 banks, tumbled over a succession of ledges29 which ended in a small cascade30, and twelve feet below this waterfall there was a broad, flat rock which laved its mossy sides in the branch, and showed a clean, flat surface above the level of the water. Below this rock they built a dam of stones, by means of which they could flood its surface.
Four feet up-stream from the rock a log was fixed31 from bank to bank for a fulcrum32, and upon this rested a movable lever, the short arm of which terminated above the submerged rock, while the long arm just touched the water of the cascade. A wooden pin set in the under log passed through a slot in the lever, so as to hold it in position and at the same time give it free play. Another flat stone of about thirty pounds' weight, which was the pestle33 of the mortar34, was lashed35 with grape-vine thongs36 to the short arm of the lever directly over the submerged stone. To the long arm was attached Bromley's bucket, bailed37 with a strong wire, and so hung as to catch the water of the cascade. As the bucket filled and sank, its weight raised the flat stone higher and higher above the submerged rock until the bucket met a bar fixed to tilt38 its contents into the stream, when the upper millstone came down upon its fellow with a fine splash and thud. After a wall of clay had been built about the surface where the two stones met, to keep the corn in place, the Slow-John was ready for work.
It was slow, but it was sure, and after that, when one of the three soldiers awoke in the night, it was cheerful to hear the regular splash and crash of the Slow-John, like the ticking of a huge clock, lazy enough to tick once a minute, and patient enough to keep on ticking for two days and nights to pulverize39 as many quarts of corn.
And now, for three young men who had solemnly renounced40 their country and cut themselves off voluntarily from all intercourse41 with their kind, they were about as cheerful and contented42 as could be expected. In spite of the great disaster which they believed had befallen the National cause, their lungs expanded in the rare mountain air, and the good red blood danced in their veins43, and with youth and health of body it was impossible to take an altogether gloomy view of life. They had at first tried hard to be miserable44, but nature was against them, and the effort had been a failure. In their free life they could no more resist the infection of happiness than the birds in the trees could refrain from singing, and so it came to pass that in view of the bountiful harvest they had gathered, and the comfortable house they had built, and all the domestic conveniences they had contrived45, Lieutenant Coleman came out boldly in favor of setting apart Thursday, the twenty-fourth day of November, as a Day of Thanksgiving, and quite forgot to name it a day of humiliation46 as well. To this the others joyfully47 agreed, and agreed, moreover, that from that day forward the plateau should be called Lincoln Territory in memory of the patriotism48 of the good President, notwithstanding they felt that his divided counselors49 and incompetent50 generals had wiped the half of a great nation from the map of the world.
When this first holiday dawned on the mountain, the three soldiers arrayed themselves in full uniform for the ceremony of naming their possessions. Bromley and Philip buckled51 on their cavalry52 swords and slung53 their carbines at their backs, and Lieutenant Coleman, for the last time, assumed his discarded rank to take command. The arms had been polished the day before until they gleamed and flashed in the morning light, and the little army of two was dressed and faced and inspected, and then left at parade-rest while Lieutenant Coleman brought out the flag. How their honest hearts swelled54 with pride to think that here, alone in all the world, that flag would continue to float with an undiminished field of stars! Little did they dream that on that very morning hundreds like it were waving in the heart of Georgia over Sherman's legions on their march to the sea. When at last it blew out from the staff, they gathered under its folds, and sang "The Star-spangled Banner" with tears in their eyes; and as the last words of the good old song rang out over the mountain-top, Philip and Bromley discharged their carbines, and all three cheered lustily for the old flag and the new name.
CHRISTENING THE TERRITORY.
CHRISTENING THE TERRITORY.
This was to be their last military ceremony, and having no further use for their swords, they arranged them with belts and scabbards into a handsome decoration against the chimneypiece, and crossed above them the three red-and-white flags of the station. The Revised Army Regulations and Philip's prayer-book stood on the mantelpiece alongside the spy-glass in its leathern case. The few articles of extra clothing hung in a line on the wall just opposite to the three bunks55, whose under layer of pine boughs56 gave an aromatic57 perfume to the room.
After the ceremony of naming the plateau, and having fixed the trophies58 to their satisfaction, the three exiles took down their sky-blue overcoats from the line, for the November air was nipping cold, and set out with the two carbines and an empty sack to keep Thanksgiving in the good old country way. They were still rather sad after what had happened in the morning; but by the time they were back all the gloom had worn off, for they brought with them two rabbits and a bag of chestnuts59, and appetites sharpened by exercise in the keen air.
Philip made the stew60, and Bromley fried two chickens of their own raising, one after the other, on a half-canteen, and the potatoes, left to themselves, burst their jackets in the ashes with impatience61 to be eaten. Each man made his own coffee in his own blackened tin cup, and drank it with a keener relish62 because it was near the last of their commissary stock.
While they were eating and drinking within, the sky without had become thick with clouds blown up on the east wind, so that when they looked out at the door they saw Tumbler, the bear, who also had been stuffing himself with acorns63, and ants which he had pawed out of a rotten log, rolling home for shelter.
There was yet time before the storm broke, and away they went up the hill as happy as lords, to load themselves with dead chestnut limbs and a few resinous64 sticks of fat pine; and when night came, and with it the rain, there was a warm fire in the new chimney, and a stick of lightwood thrust behind the backlog65 lighted the interior of the house with a good forty-adamantine-candle power. Tumbler lay rolled up in his favorite corner, blinking his small eyes at the unusual light, and from time to time he passed his furry66 paw over his sharp nose and gave forth67 a low grunt68 of satisfaction. Philip sat against the chimney opposite Tumbler, stirring chestnuts in the ashes with a ramrod, while Bromley put away the last of the supper things, and Lieutenant Coleman gazed out of the open window into the slanting69 rain, which beat a merry tattoo70 on the shingles, and tossed at intervals71 a sturdy drop on the hissing72 fire.
It was certainly not the cheerful interior, beaming with light and heat, that turned Lieutenant Coleman's thoughts back to the dark cloud of disasters which had overwhelmed the National arms; it might have been the dismal73 outlook from the square window into the darkness and the storm. At all events, he turned abruptly74 about as if a new idea had struck him.
"George, this sudden success of the Johnnies has not been gained without important outside aid. The French in Mexico may have decided75 at last to cross the border, and if they did it was in concert with the naval76 demonstrations77 of more than one European power against the blockade."
"That is just what I have been thinking, Fred," said Bromley, "and England is sure to be at the bottom of it. After the sinking of the 'Alabama' there was no time to be lost, and when Grant's army began to fall back from Richmond, that hostile government had the excuse it had long been waiting for, and recognized the Confederacy at once."
"I am of the opinion," replied Lieutenant Coleman, thoughtfully, "that the recognition of the European powers came before the withdrawal78 from Richmond, because Grant would never have yielded that position except in obedience79 to orders from Washington. Now would he?"
"No, he wouldn't," said Bromley.
"Of course not," said Philip. "It all began with the death of Uncle Billy."
"So it did," said Bromley; "and after Sherman's army was out of the way Johnston probably joined his forces with Hood80, defeated Thomas, and retook Chattanooga. He could hardly have accomplished81 all that by August 20, but his cavalry must have struck our line of stations on that date."
"Exactly so, George," Lieutenant Coleman responded. "If they had captured the tenth station alone, with Captain Swann, the line would have been useless and no further messages could have reached us. If Swann had found the line broken behind him, he would certainly have flagged that news to me without delay."
"Well, what's the odds82?" said Philip, drawing his chestnuts out upon the hearthstone. "The jig83 was up, and Captain Swann knew it. If they had taken any station this side of the tenth mountain, the effect to us would have been the same."
"So it would," said Lieutenant Coleman, sadly, turning again to look out into the storm—"so it would."
"It is a blessing84 that we are ignorant of some things that have happened," said Bromley, who was disposed to look on the dark side. "It would have been just like Lee's impudence85, after Washington was garrisoned86, to cut loose with his army, and live on the country through Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey87 until he reached his foreign allies in the port of New York. If he has done that, for instance, I should rather not know it. Well," continued Bromley, "there is one comfort: if the Rebs conquer everything, they will defeat their own purpose and reestablish the union they sought to destroy."
"Yes," said Lieutenant Coleman, "but it would be a union with slavery everywhere. They can turn the Northern States back into Territories, and carry slavery into Massachusetts."
"Bah!" exclaimed Philip. "To think of the Territory of Ohio! The Territory of Pennsylvania! The Territory of New York!"
"Dear me!" said Lieutenant Coleman; "it is all too humiliating to think of. After all, what a miserable figure Abraham Lincoln will cut in history! Think of it! His Emancipation88 Proclamation is not worth the paper it was written on!"
"Ten thousand furies!" cried Bromley, striding across the earthen floor and kicking the logs until the fire danced in the chimney; "we made a wise choice when we determined89 to stay on this mountain."
"But we did make a mistake when we named the plateau Lincoln Territory," cried Philip.
"That's so," said Bromley and Lieutenant Coleman, with one voice.
"It's not too late yet," shouted Bromley. "Sherman! Sherman was the only general worthy90 the name."
And they all cried "Sherman! Sherman!" and by common consent, after all the ceremony of the morning, the name of the plateau was changed to SHERMAN TERRITORY.
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1
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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ration
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| n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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4
shingles
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| n.带状疱疹；（布满海边的）小圆石( shingle的名词复数 )；屋顶板；木瓦（板）；墙面板 | |
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ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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8
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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recurrence
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| n.复发，反复，重现 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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11
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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14
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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15
leaching
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| n.滤取，滤去v.（将化学品、矿物质等）过滤( leach的现在分词 )；（液体）过滤，滤去 | |
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leach
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| v.分离，过滤掉；n.过滤；过滤器 | |
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furrow
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| n.沟；垄沟；轨迹；车辙；皱纹 | |
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trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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19
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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kernels
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| 谷粒( kernel的名词复数 )； 仁； 核； 要点 | |
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hulled
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| 有壳的，有船身的 | |
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hulls
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| 船体( hull的名词复数 )； 船身； 外壳； 豆荚 | |
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cleansing
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| n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词 | |
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hydraulic
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| adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的 | |
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refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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ledges
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| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
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cascade
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| n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下 | |
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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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fulcrum
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| n.杠杆支点 | |
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pestle
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| n.杵 | |
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mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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thongs
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| 的东西 | |
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bailed
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| 保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tilt
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| v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜 | |
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pulverize
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| v.研磨成粉；摧毁 | |
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40
renounced
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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41
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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42
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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43
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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44
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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45
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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46
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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47
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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49
counselors
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| n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师 | |
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50
incompetent
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| adj.无能力的，不能胜任的 | |
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51
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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52
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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53
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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54
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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55
bunks
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| n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话 | |
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56
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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aromatic
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| adj.芳香的，有香味的 | |
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trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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59
chestnuts
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| n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马 | |
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60
stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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61
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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62
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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63
acorns
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| n.橡子，栎实( acorn的名词复数 ) | |
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64
resinous
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| adj.树脂的，树脂质的，树脂制的 | |
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backlog
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| n.积压未办之事 | |
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66
furry
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| adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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68
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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70
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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71
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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72
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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73
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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74
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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75
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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76
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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77
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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78
withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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79
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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80
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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81
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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82
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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83
jig
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| n.快步舞（曲）；v.上下晃动；用夹具辅助加工；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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84
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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85
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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86
garrisoned
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| 卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 )； 派部队驻防 | |
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87
jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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88
emancipation
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| n.（从束缚、支配下）解放 | |
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89
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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90
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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