XIV
HANS
"Donder and Blixin!" cried Carl angrily, before the party had skatedtwenty yards from the city gates, "if here isn't that wooden-skateragamuffin in the patched leather breeches. That fellow is everywhere,confound him! We'll be lucky," he added, in as sneering a tone as hedared to assume, "if our captain doesn't order us to halt and shakehands with him."
"Your captain is a terrible fellow," said Peter, pleasantly, "but thisis a false alarm, Carl--I cannot spy your bugbear anywhere among theskaters--ah! there he is! why, what is the matter with the lad?"
Poor Hans! His face was pale, his lips compressed. He skated like oneunder the effects of a fearful dream. Just as he was passing, Peterhailed him:
"Good day, Hans Brinker!"
Hans' countenance brightened at once.--"Ah! Mynheer, is that you? It iswell we meet!"
"Just like his impertinence," hissed Carl Schummel, darting scornfullypast his companions, who seemed inclined to linger with their captain.
"I am glad to see you, Hans," responded Peter, cheerily, "but you looktroubled. Can I serve you?"
"I have a trouble, mynheer," answered Hans, casting down his eyes. Thenlifting them again with almost a happy expression, he added, "but it isHans who can help Mynheer van Holp _this_ time."
"How?" asked Peter, making, in his blunt Dutch way, no attempt toconceal his surprise.
"By giving you _this_, mynheer"--and Hans held forth the missing purse.
"Hurrah!" shouted the boys taking their cold hands from their pockets towave them joyfully in the air. But Peter said "Thank you, Hans Brinker,"in a tone that made Hans feel as if the king had knelt to him.
The shout of the delighted boys reached the muffled ears of the fineyoung gentleman who, under a full pressure of pent-up wrath, was skatingtoward Amsterdam. A Yankee boy would have wheeled about at once andhastened to satisfy his curiosity. But Carl only halted, and with hisback toward his party wondered what on earth had happened. There hestood, immovable, until, feeling sure that nothing but the prospect ofsomething to eat could have made them hurrah so heartily, he turned andskated slowly toward his excited comrades.
Meantime Peter had drawn Hans aside from the rest.
"How did you know it was my purse?" he asked.
"You paid me three guilders yesterday, mynheer, for making thewhite-wood chain, telling me that I must buy skates."
"Yes, I remember."
"I saw your purse then; it was of yellow leather."
"And where did you find it to-day?"
"I left my home this morning, mynheer, in great trouble, and as Iskated, I took no heed until I stumbled against some lumber, and while Iwas rubbing my knee I saw your purse nearly hidden under a log."
"That place! Ah, I remember, now; just as we were passing it I pulled mytippet from my pocket, and probably flirted out the purse at the sametime. It would have been gone but for you, Hans. Here"--pouring out thecontents--"you must give us the pleasure of dividing the money withyou----"
"No, mynheer," answered Hans. He spoke quietly, without pretence, or anygrace of manner, but Peter, somehow, felt rebuked, and put the silverback without a word.
"I like that boy, rich or poor," he thought to himself, then addedaloud, "May I ask about this trouble of yours, Hans?"
"Ah, mynheer, it is a sad case--but I have waited here too long. I amgoing to Leyden to see the great Dr. Boekman----"
"Dr. Boekman!" exclaimed Peter in astonishment.
"Yes, mynheer, and I have not a moment to lose. Good day!"
"Stay, I am going that way. Come, my lads! Shall we return to Haarlem?"
"Yes," cried the boys, eagerly--and off they started.
"Now," said Peter, drawing near Hans, both skimming the ice so easilyand lightly as they skated on together that they seemed scarce consciousof moving, "we are going to stop at Leyden, and if you are going thereonly with a message to Dr. Boekman cannot I do the errand for you? Theboys may be too tired to skate so far to-day, but I will promise to seehim early to-morrow if he is to be found in the city."
"Ah, mynheer, that would be serving me indeed; it is not the distance Idread, but leaving my mother so long."
"Is she ill?"
"No, mynheer. It is the father. You may have heard it; how he has beenwithout wit for many a year--ever since the great Schlossen mill wasbuilt; but his body has been well and strong. Last night, the motherknelt upon the hearth to blow the peat (it is his only delight to sitand watch the live embers; and she will blow them into a blaze everyhour of the day to please him). Before she could stir, he sprang uponher like a giant and held her close to the fire, all the time laughingand shaking his head. I was on the canal; but I heard the mother screamand ran to her. The father had never loosened his hold, and her gown wassmoking. I tried to deaden the fire, but with one hand he pushed me off.There was no water in the cottage or I could have done better--and allthat time he laughed--such a terrible laugh, mynheer; hardly a sound,but all in his face--I tried to pull her away, but that only made itworse--then--it was dreadful, but could I see the mother burn? I beathim--beat him with a stool. He tossed me away. The gown was on fire! I_would_ put it out. I can't remember well after that; I found myselfupon the floor and the mother was praying--It seemed to me that she wasin a blaze, and all the while I could hear that laugh. My sister Gretelscreamed out that he was holding the mother close to the very coals. _I_could not tell! Gretel flew to the closet and filled a porringer withthe food he liked, and put it upon the floor. Then, mynheer, he left themother and crawled to it like a little child. She was not burnt, only apart of her clothing--ah, how kind she was to him all night, watchingand tending him--He slept in a high fever, with his hand pressed to hishead. The mother says he has done that so much of late, as though hefelt pain there--Ah, mynheer, I did not mean to tell you. If the fatherwas himself, he would not harm even a kitten----"
For a moment the two boys moved on in silence--
"It is terrible," said Peter at last--"How is he to-day?"
"Very sick, mynheer----"
"Why go for Dr. Boekman, Hans? There are others in Amsterdam who couldhelp him, perhaps;--Boekman is a famous man, sought only by thewealthiest and they often wait upon him in vain."
"He _promised_, mynheer, he promised me yesterday to come to the fatherin a week--but now that the change has come, we cannot wait--we thinkthe poor father is dying--Oh! mynheer, you can plead with him to comequick--he will not wait a whole week and our father dying--the goodmeester is so kind----"
"_So kind!_" echoed Peter, in astonishment. "Why, he is known as thecrossest man in Holland!"
"He looks so because he has no fat, and his head is busy but his heartis kind, I know--Tell the meester what I have told you, mynheer, and hewill come."
"I hope so, Hans, with all my heart. You are in haste to turn homeward,I see. Promise me that should you need a friend, you will go to mymother, at Broek. Tell her I bade you see her; and, Hans Brinker--not asa reward--but as a gift--take a few of these guilders."
Hans shook his head resolutely.
"No, no, mynheer--I cannot take it. If I could find work in Broek or atthe South Mill I would be glad, but it is the same storyeverywhere--'wait till Spring.'"
"It is well you speak of it," said Peter eagerly, "for my father needshelp at once--Your pretty chain pleased him much--he said 'that boy hasa clean cut, he would be good at carving'--There is to be a carvedportal to our new summer-house, and father will pay well for the job."
"God is good!" cried Hans in sudden delight--"Oh! mynheer, that would betoo much joy--I have never tried big work--but I can do it--I know Ican."
"Well, tell my father you are the Hans Brinker of whom I spoke. He willbe glad to serve you."
Hans stared in honest surprise.
"Thank you, mynheer."
"Now, captain," shouted Carl, anxious to appear as good-humored aspossible, by way of atonement, "here we are in the midst of Haarlem, andno word from you yet--we await your orders, and w
e're as hungry aswolves."
Peter made a cheerful answer, and turned hurriedly to Hans.
"Come get something to eat, and I will detain you no longer."
What a quick, wistful look Hans threw upon him! Peter wondered that hehad not noticed before that the poor boy was hungry.
"Ah, mynheer, even now the mother may need me, the father may beworse--I must not wait--May God care for you"--and, nodding hastily,Hans turned his face homeward and was gone.
"Come, boys," sighed Peter, "now for our tiffin!"
Hans Brinker; Or, The Silver Skates Page 17