The Children of the New Forest

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER V.

  As we have before said, time passed rapidly; with the exception of oneor two excursions after venison, they remained in the cottage, andJacob never went to Lymington. The frost had broken up, the snow hadlong disappeared, and the trees began to bud. The sun became powerful,and in the month of May the forest began again to look green.

  "And now, Edward," said Jacob Armitage, one day at breakfast, "we willtry for venison again to sell at Lymington, for I must purchaseHumphrey's cart and harness; so let us get our guns, and go out thisfine morning. The stags are mostly by themselves at this season, forthe does are with their young calves. We must find the slot of a deer,and track him to his lair, and you shall have the first shot if youlike; but, that, however, depends more upon the deer than upon me."

  They had walked four or five miles when they came upon the slot ortrack of a deer, but Jacob's practiced eye pointed out to Edward thatit was the slot of a young one, and not worth following. He explainedto Edward the difference in the hoof-marks and other signs by whichthis knowledge was gained, and they proceeded onward until they foundanother slot, which Jacob declared to be that of a warrantablestag--that is, one old enough to kill and to be good venison.

  "We must now track him to his lair, Edward."

  This took them about a mile farther, when they arrived at a smallthicket of thorns about an acre in extent.

  "Here he is, you see, Edward; let me now see if he is harbored."

  They walked round the thicket, and could not find any slot or track bywhich the stag had left the covert, and Jacob pronounced that theanimal must be hid in it.

  "Now, Edward, do you stay here while I go back to the lee side of thecovert: I will enter it with Smoker, and the stag will, in allprobability, when he is roused, come out to breast the wind. You willthen have a good shot at him; recollect to fire so as to hit him behindthe shoulder: if he is moving quick, fire a little before theshoulders; if slow, take aim accurately; but recollect, if I come uponhim in the covert, I shall kill him if I can, for we want the venison,and then we will go after another to give you a chance."

  Jacob then left Edward, and went down to the lee side of the covert,where he entered it with Smoker. Edward was stationed behind athorn-bush, which grew a few yards clear of the covert, and he soonheard the creaking of the branches.

  A short time elapsed, and a fine stag came out at a trot; he turned hishead, and was just bounding away when Edward fired, and the animalfell. Remembering the advice of Jacob, Edward remained where he was, insilence reloading his piece, and was soon afterward joined by Jacob andthe dog.

  "Well done, Edward!" said the forester, in a low voice; and, coveringhis forehead to keep off the glare of the sun, he looked earnestly at ahigh brake between some thorn-trees, about a half a mile to thewindward. "I think I see something there--look Edward, your eyes areyounger than mine. Is that the branch of a tree in the fern, or is itnot?"

  "I see what you mean," replied Edward. "It is not, it moves."

  "I thought so, but my eyes are not so good as they once were. It'sanother stag, depend upon it; but how are we to get near him? We nevercan get across this patch of clear grass without being seen."

  "No, we can not get at him from this spot," replied Edward; "but if wewere to fall back to leeward, and gain the forest again, I think thatthere are thorns sufficient from the forest to where he lies, to creepfrom behind one to the other, so as to get a shot at him, don't you?"

  "It will require care and patience to manage that; but I think it mightbe done. I will try it; it is my turn now, you know. You had betterstay here with the dog, for only one can hide from thorn to thorn."

  Jacob, ordering Smoker to remain, then set off. He had to make acircuit of three miles to get to the spot where the thorns extendedfrom the forest, and Edward saw no more of him, although he strainedhis eyes, until the stag sprung out, and the gun was discharged. Edwardperceived that the stag was not killed, but severely wounded, runningtoward the covert near which he was hid. "Down, Smoker," said he, as hecocked his gun. The stag came within shot, and was coming nearer, when,seeing Edward, it turned. Edward fired, and then cheered on the dog,who sprung after the wounded animal, giving tongue, as he followed him.Edward, perceiving Jacob hastening toward him, waited for him.

  "He's hard hit, Edward," cried Jacob, "and Smoker will have him; but wemust follow as fast as we can."

  They both caught up their guns and ran as fast as they could, when, asthey entered the wood, they heard the dog at bay.

  "We shan't have far to go, Edward; the animal is done up: Smoker hashim at bay."

  They hastened on another quarter of a mile, when they found that thestag had fallen on his knees, and had been seized by the throat bySmoker.

  "Mind, Edward, now, how I go up to him, for the wound from the horn ofthe deer is very dangerous."

  Jacob advanced from behind the stag, and cut his throat with hishunting-knife. "He is a fine beast, and we have done well to-day, butwe shall have two journeys to make to get all this venison home. Icould not get a fair shot at him--and see, I have hit him here in theflank."

  "And here is my ball in his throat," said Edward.

  "So it is. Then it was a good shot that you made, and you are master ofthe hunt this day, Edward. Now, I'll remain, and you go home for WhiteBilly. Humphrey is right about the cart. If we had one, we could havecarried all home at once; but I must go now and cut the throat of theother stag which you killed so cleverly. You will be a good hunter oneof these days, Edward. A little more knowledge, and a little morepractice, and I will leave it all to you, and hang up my gun over thechimney."

  It was late in the evening before they had made their two trips andtaken all the venison home, and very tired were they before it wassafely housed. Edward was delighted with his success, but not more sothan was old Jacob. The next morning, Jacob set off for Lymington, withthe pony loaded with venison, which he sold, as well as two more loadswhich he promised to bring the next day, and the day after. He thenlooked out for a cart, and was fortunate in finding a small one, justfitted to the size of the pony, who was not tall but very strong, asall the New Forest ponies are. He also procured harness, and then putBilly in the cart to draw him home; but Billy did not admire being putin a cart, and for some time was very restive, and backed and reared,and went every way but the right; but by dint of coaxing and leading,he at last submitted, and went straight on; but then the noise of thecart behind him frightened him, and he ran away. At last, having tiredhimself out, he thought that he might as well go quietly in harness, ashe could not get out of it; and he did so, and arrived safe at thecottage. Humphrey was delighted at the sight of the cart, and said thatnow they should get on well. The next day, Jacob contrived to put allthe remainder of the venison in the cart, and White Billy made no moredifficulty; he dragged it all to Lymington, and returned with the cartas quietly and cleverly as if he had been in harness all his life.

  "Well, Edward, the venison paid for the cart at all events," saidJacob, "and now, I will tell you all the news I collected while I wasat Lymington. Captain Burly, who attempted to incite the people torescue the king, has been hung, drawn, and quartered, as a traitor."

  "They are traitors who condemned him," replied Edward, in wrath.

  "Yes, so they are; but there is better news, which is, that the Duke ofYork has escaped to Holland."

  "Yes, that is good news; and the king?"

  "He is still a prisoner in Carisbrook Castle. There are many rumors andtalks, but no one knows what is true and what is false; but depend uponit, this can not last long, and the king will have his rights yet."

  Edward remained very grave for some time.

  "I trust in Heaven we all shall have our rights yet, Jacob," said he atlast. "I wish I was a man!"

  Here the conversation ended, and they went to bed.

  This was now a busy time at the cottage. The manure had to be got outof the stable and pigsties, and carried out to the potato-ground andgarden; the crops had
to be put in, and the cart was now foundvaluable. After the manure had been carried out and spread, Edward andHumphrey helped Jacob to dig the ground, and then to put in the seed.The cabbage-plants of last year were then put out, and the turnips andcarrots sown. Before the month was over, the garden and potato-fieldwere cropped, and Humphrey took upon himself to weed and keep it clean.Little Edith had also employment now, for the hens began to lay eggs,and as soon as she heard them cackling, she ran for the eggs andbrought them in; and before the month was over, Jacob had set four hensupon eggs. Billy, the pony, was now turned out to graze in the forest;he came home every night of his own accord.

  "I'll tell you what we want," said Humphrey, who took the commandaltogether over the farm: "we want a cow."

  "Oh yes, a cow," cried Alice, "I have plenty of time to milk her."

  "Whose cows are those which I see in the forest sometimes?" saidHumphrey to Jacob.

  "If they belong to any body, they belong to the king," replied Jacob;"but they are cattle which have strayed and found their way to theforest, and have remained here ever since. They are rather wild andsavage, and you must be careful how you go too near them, as the bullswill run at you. They increase very fast: there were but six a fewyears ago, and now there are at least fifty in the herd."

  "Well, I'll try and get one, if I can," said Humphrey.

  "You will be puzzled to do that, boy," replied Jacob, "and as I saidbefore, beware of the bulls."

  "I don't want a bull," replied Humphrey, "but a cow would give us milk,and then we should have more manure for the garden. My garden will thengrow more potatoes."

  "Well, Humphrey, if you can catch a cow, no one will interfere; but Ithink you will not find it very easy, and you may find it verydangerous."

  "I'll look out for one," replied Humphrey, "any how. Alice, if we onlyhad a cow, wouldn't that be jolly?"

  The crops were now all up, and as the days began to be long, the workbecame comparatively light and easy. Humphrey was busy making a littlewheelbarrow for Edith, that she might barrow away the weeds as he hoedthem up; and at last this great performance was completed, much to theadmiration of all, and much to his own satisfaction. Indeed, when it isrecollected that Humphrey had only the hand-saw and ax, and that he hadto cut down the tree; and then to saw it into plank, it must beacknowledged that it required great patience and perseverance even tomake a wheelbarrow; but Humphrey was not only persevering, but was fullof invention. He had built up a hen-house with fir-poles, and made thenests for the hens to lay and hatch in, and they now had between fortyand fifty chickens running about. He had also divided the pigsty, sothat the sow might be kept apart from the other pigs; and they expectedvery soon to have a litter of young pigs. He had transplanted the wildstrawberries from the forest, and had, by manure, made them large andgood; and he had also a fine crop of onions in the garden, from seedwhich Jacob had bought at Lymington; now Humphrey was very busy cuttingdown some poles in the forest to make a cow-house, for he declared thathe would have a cow somehow or another. June arrived, and it was timeto mow down grass to make into hay for the winter, and Jacob had twoscythes. He showed the boys how to use them, and they soon becameexpert; and as there was plenty of long grass at this time of the year,and they could mow when they pleased, they soon had White Billy in fullemployment carrying the hay home. The little girls helped to make it,for Humphrey had made them two rakes. Jacob thought that there was hayenough made, but Humphrey said that there was enough for the pony, butnot enough for the cow.

  "But where is the cow to come from, Humphrey?"

  "Where the venison comes from," replied he: "out of the forest."

  So Humphrey continued to mow and make hay, while Edward and Jacob wentout for venison. After all the hay was made and stacked, Humphrey foundout a method of thatching with fern, which Jacob had never thought of;and when that was done, they commenced cutting down fern for fodder.Here again Humphrey would have twice as much as Jacob had ever cutbefore, because he wanted litter for the cow. At last it became quite ajoke between him and Edward, who, when he brought home more venisonthan would keep in the hot weather, told Humphrey that the remainderwas for the cow. Still Humphrey would not give up the point, and everymorning and evening he would be certain to be absent an hour or two,and it was found out he was watching the herd of wild cattle who werefeeding: sometimes they were very near, at others a long way off. Heused to get up into the trees, and examine them as they passed underhim without perceiving him. One night Humphrey returned very late, andthe next morning he was off before daylight. Breakfast was over, andHumphrey did not make his appearance, and they could not tell what wasthe matter. Jacob felt uneasy, but Edward laughed, and said:

  "Oh, depend upon it, he'll come back and bring the cow with him."

  Hardly had Edward said these words when in came Humphrey, red withperspiration.

  "Now then, Jacob and Edward, come with me; we must put Billy in thecart, and take Smoker and a rope with us. Take your guns too, for fearof accident."

  "Why, what's the matter?"

  "I'll tell you as we go along; but I must put Billy in the cart, forthere is no time to be lost."

  Humphrey disappeared, and Jacob said to Edward--

  "What can it be?"

  "It can be nothing but the cow he is so mad about," replied Edward."However, when he comes with the pony, we shall know; let us take ourguns and the dog Smoker as he wishes."

  Humphrey now drove up the pony and cart, and they set off.

  "Well, I suppose you'll tell us now what we are going for?" said Edward.

  "Yes, I will. You know I've been watching the cattle for a long while,because I wanted a cow. I have been in a tree when they have passedunder me several times, and I observed that one or two of the heiferswere very near calving. Yesterday evening I thought one could not helpcalving very soon indeed, and as I was watching, I saw that she wasuneasy, and that she at last left the herd and went into a little copseof wood. I remained three hours to see if she came out again, and shedid not. It was dark when I came home, as you know. This morning Iwent before daylight and found the herd. She is very remarkable, beingblack and white spotted; and, after close examination, I found that shewas not with the herd; so I am sure that she went into the copse tocalve, and that she has calved before this."

  "Well, that may be," replied Jacob; "but now I do not understand whatwe are to do."

  "Nor I," replied Edward.

  "Well, then, I'll tell you what I hope to do. I have got the pony andcart to take the calf home with us, if we can get it--which I think wecan. I have got Smoker to worry the heifer and keep her employed, whilewe put the calf in the cart; a rope that we may tie the cow if we can;and you with your guns must keep off the herd if they come to herassistance. Now do you understand my plan?"

  "Yes, and I think it very likely to succeed, Humphrey," replied Jacob,"and I give you credit for the scheme. We will help you all we can.Where is the copse?"

  "Not half a mile farther," replied Humphrey. "We shall soon be there."

  On their arrival, they found that the herd were feeding at aconsiderable distance from the copse, which was, perhaps, as well.

  "Now," said Jacob, "I and Edward will enter into the copse with Smoker,and you follow us, Humphrey. I will make Smoker seize the heifer, ifnecessary; at all events he will keep her at bay--that is, if she ishere. First, let us walk round the copse and find her _slot_, as wecall the track of a deer. See, here is her footing. Now let us go in."

  They advanced cautiously into the thicket, following the track of theheifer, and at last came upon her. Apparently she had not calved morethan an hour, and was licking the calf, which was not yet on its legs.As soon as the animal perceived Jacob and Edward, she shook her head,and was about to run at them; but Jacob told Smoker to seize her, andthe dog flew at her immediately. The attack of the dog drove back theheifer quite into the thicket, and as the dog bounded round her,springing this way and that way to escape her horns, the heifer wassoon separated from
the calf.

  "Now then, Edward and Humphrey," said Jacob, advancing between theheifer and the calf, "lift up the calf between you and put it in thecart. Leave Smoker and me to manage the mother."

  The boys put their arms under the stomach of the calf, and carried itaway. The heifer was at first too busy defending herself against thedog to perceive that the calf was gone; when she did, Jacob calledSmoker to him, so as to bring him between the heifer and where the boyswere going out of the thicket. At last the heifer gave a loud bellow,and rushed out of the thicket in pursuit of her calf, checked bySmoker, who held on to her ear, and sometimes stopped her fromadvancing.

  "Hold her, Smoker," said Jacob, who now went back to help the boys."Hold her, boy. Is the calf in the cart?"

  "Yes, and tied fast," replied Edward, "and we are in the cart, too."

  "That's right," replied Jacob. "Now I'll get in too, and let us driveoff. She'll follow us, depend upon it. Here, Smoker! Smoker! let heralone."

  Smoker, at this command, came bounding out of the copse, followed bythe heifer, lowing most anxiously. Her lowing was responded to by thecalf in the cart, and she ran wildly up to it.

  "Drive off, Humphrey," said Jacob; "I think I heard the lowing of theheifer answered by some of the herd, and the sooner we are off thebetter."

  Humphrey, who had the reins, drove off; the heifer followed, at onetime running at the dog, at another putting her head almost into thehind part of the cart; but the lowing of the heifer was now answered bydeeper tones, and Jacob said,

  "Edward, get your gun ready, for I think the herd is following. Do notfire, however, until I tell you. We must be governed by circumstances.It won't do to lose the pony, or to run any serious risk, for the sakeof the heifer and calf. Drive fast, Humphrey."

  A few minutes afterward they perceived, at about a quarter of a milebehind them, not the whole herd, but a single bull, who was coming upat a fast trot, with his tail in the air, and tossing his head, lowingdeeply in answer to the heifer.

  "There's only one, after all," said Jacob; "I suppose the heifer is hisfavorite. Well, we can manage him. Smoker, come in. Come in, sir,directly," cried Jacob, perceiving that the dog was about to attack thebull.

  Smoker obeyed, and the bull advanced till he was within a hundred yards.

  "Now, Edward, do you fire first--aim for his shoulder. Humphrey, pullup."

  Humphrey stopped the pony and the bull continued to advance, but seemedpuzzled who to attack, unless it was the dog. As soon as the bull waswithin sixty yards, Edward fired, and the animal fell down on itsknees, tearing the ground with its horns.

  "That will do," said Jacob; "drive on again, Humphrey; we will have alook at that fellow by-and-by. At present we had better get home, asothers may come. He's up again, but he is at a stand-still. I have anidea that he is hit hard."

  The cart drove on, followed by the heifer, but no more of the wild herdmade their appearance, and they very soon gained the cottage.

  "Now, then, what shall we do?" said Jacob. "Come, Humphrey, you havehad all the ordering of this, and have done it well."

  "Well, Jacob, we must now drive the cart into the yard, and shut thegate upon the cow, till I am ready."

  "That's easy done, by setting Smoker at her," replied Jacob; "but,mercy on us, there's Alice and Edith running out!--the heifer may killthem. Go back, Alice, run quite into the cottage, and shut the doortill we come."

  Alice and Edith hearing this, and Edward also crying out to them, madea hasty retreat to the cottage. Humphrey then backed the cart againstthe paling of the yard, so as to enable Edward to get on the other sideof it, ready to open the gate. Smoker was set at the heifer, and, asbefore, soon engaged her attention; so that the gate was opened and thecart drove in, and the gate closed again, before the heifer couldfollow.

  "Well, Humphrey, what next?"

  "Why, now lift the calf out, and put it into the cow-house. I will gointo the cow-house with a rope and a slip-knot at the end of it, getupon the beam above, and drop it over her horns as she's busy with thecalf, which she will be as soon as you let her in. I shall pass the endof the rope outside for you to haul up when I am ready, and then weshall have her fast, till we can secure her properly. When I call outReady, do you open the gate and let her in. You can do that and jumpinto the cart afterward, for fear she may run at you; but I don't thinkthat she will, for it's the calf she wants, and not either of you."

  As soon as Humphrey was ready with the rope, he gave the word, and thegate was opened; the cow ran in immediately, and, hearing her calfbleat, went into the cow-house, the door of which was shut upon her. Aminute afterward Humphrey cried out to them to haul upon the rope,which they did.

  "That will do," said Humphrey from the inside; "now make the rope fast,and then you may come in."

  They went in and found the heifer drawn close to the side of thecow-house by the rope which was round her horns, and unable to move herhead.

  "Well, Humphrey, that's very clever; but now what is to be done?"

  "First, I'll saw off the tips of her horns, and then if she does run atus, she won't hurt us much. Wait till I go for the saw."

  As soon as the ends of her horns were sawed off, Humphrey took anotherpiece of rope, which he fastened securely round her horns, and thenmade the other end fast to the side of the building, so that the animalcould move about a little and eat out of the crib.

  "There," said Humphrey, "now time and patience must do the rest. Wemust coax her and handle her, and we soon shall tame her. At presentlet us leave her with the calf. She has a yard of rope, and that isenough for her to lick her calf, which is all that she requires atpresent. To-morrow we will cut some grass for her."

  They then went out, shutting the cow-house door.

  "Well, Humphrey, you've beat us after all, and have the laugh on yourside now," said Jacob. "'Where there's a will, there's a way,' that'scertain; and I assure you, that when you were making so much hay, andgathering so much litter, and building a cow-house, I had no more ideathat we should have a cow than that we should have an elephant; and Iwill say that you deserve great credit for your way of obtaining it."

  "That he certainly does," replied Edward. "You have more genius than Ihave, brother. But dinner must be ready, if Alice has done her duty.What think you Jacob, shall we after dinner go and look after thatbull?"

  "Yes, by all means. He will not be bad eating, and I can sell all I cancarry in the cart at Lymington. Besides, the skin is worth money."