Ruth Fielding at Snow Camp; Or, Lost in the Backwoods Page 5

  CHAPTER V

  OFF FOR THE BACKWOODS

  It was still dark when Ruth awoke and slipped down to the kitchenagain. But she heard her uncle rattling the stove grate. He was avery early riser. She peered into the kitchen and saw the grove ofdrying clothing, so knew that her trick of the night before had keptFred Hatfield from running away.

  Therefore she merely dropped the boy's nether garments inside thekitchen door and scurried back to her own room to dress by candle-light.She heard Aunt Alvirah stumbling about her room and groaningher old, old tune, "Oh, my back, and oh, my bones!" As soon as Ruthwas dressed she ran in to see if she could do anything for the oldwoman.

  "Ah, deary! what a precious pretty you be," said the old woman,hugging her. "I'm so glad to see you again after your being away solong. And your Uncle's that proud of you, too! He often reads thereports the school teacher sends him--I see him doing that in theevening. He keeps the reports in his cash-box, just as though theywas as precious as his stocks and bonds. Yes-indeedy!"

  "You are so glad to have me at home, Aunt Alvirah, that I feelguilty to be going away again so soon," Ruth said.

  "No, honey. Have your good times while ye may, my pretty creetur.It's mighty nice of the Camerons to take you away with them. You goand have a good time. Your trunk's all packed and ready, and youryoung friend, Helen, would be dreadful disappointed if you didn't go.Now, let's go down and git breakfast. Jabez has been up for some timeand I heard him just go out to the mill. That boy must be up anddressed by now, for if he had been sick, Jabez would have hollered upthe stairs about it."

  She was right. Fred Hatfield was completely dressed when they cameinto the kitchen. Ruth did not look at him, but busied herself withthe details of getting breakfast. She did not speak to him, nor didFred speak to her. But Aunt Alvirah was as cheerful and as chatty asever.

  Uncle Jabez was never talkative; but he was no more taciturn thismorning than was their guest. The boy ate his breakfast with downcasteyes and only said timidly, at the end of the meal:

  "I'm real obliged for your kindness, Mr. Potter. I think I'm allright again now. Can't I do some work for you to pay--"

  "I don't need another hand at the mill--and I couldn't make use of aboy like you at all," said Mr. Potter, hastily. "You wait till Mr.Cameron comes here this morning."

  Ruth saw that there was an understanding between her uncle and Mr.Cameron regarding this boy. But Fred said, still hesitating:

  "If--if I can't do anything to repay you, I'd rather go on. I wasmaking for Cheslow. I'll get a job--"

  "You wait here as you're told, boy," snapped Uncle Jabez, and therunaway shrank into his chair again and said nothing more.

  Breakfast at the Red Mill was always early; it had been finishedbefore seven o'clock on this clear winter morning. It was a fine daywhen the sun appeared, and Ruth's mind--at least, a _part_ ofit!--delighted in the thought of the journey to be taken into thegreat woods to the north and east of Osago Lake. She had severallittle things to do in preparation; therefore she could not be blamedif she lost sight of Fred Hatfield occasionally.

  Suddenly, however, she found that he had left the kitchen. She criedup the stairs to Aunt Alvirah:

  "Have you seen him, Auntie? Where is he?"

  "Where's who?" returned the old woman.

  "That boy. He's not here."

  "For the land's sake!" returned Aunt Alvirah. "I dunno. Didn't youruncle tell him to wait for Mr. Cameron here?"

  "But he's gone!" exclaimed Ruth; and picking up her cap she pulledit on, and likewise her sweater, and went out of the house with abang. He was not on the road to Cheslow. She could see that, straightbefore the mill, for a mile. She ran down to the gate and lookedalong the river road, up stream. No figure appeared there. Nor in theother direction--although the Camerons' car would appear from thatway, and if the runaway went in that direction he would surely runright into the Camerons.

  "He slipped out of the back door--towards the river," she whispered.

  Back she ran into the house. She caught up her skates in the backhall and burst out upon the back porch, which was partly enclosed.There was the figure of Fred Hatfield on the ice--some distance,already, from the shore.

  Ruth ran eagerly down to the shore. She had no idea what youngHatfield intended; but she was well aware that he could get acrossthe Lumano if he chose; the ice was thick enough.

  She quickly clamped the skates upon her shoes, and within fiveminutes was darting off across the ice.

  Hatfield heard the ring of her skates within a very few moments; hethrew a glance over his shoulder, saw her, and then began to run. Itwas a feeble attempt to escape, for unless some accident happened toRuth, she could easily overtake him.

  And she did so, although he ran straight ahead, and ran so hard thatfinally he slipped and fell, panting, to his knees. Ruth was besidehim before he could rise.

  "Don't you be such a ridiculous boy!" she commanded, seizing the ladby the shoulder, as he attempted to rise. "You mustn't run away. Mr.Cameron expects to find you at the mill, and you must stay. Andthey'll be here, ready to take the train from Cheslow, shortly."

  "I--I don't want to stay here," stammered the boy. "I--I don't wantto see that man again."

  "But he expects to see you, and I could not let you go before hecomes."

  "You're just the meanest girl I ever saw!" cried Hatfield, almost intears. "I'd got away in the night if it hadn't been for you."

  Ruth fairly giggled at that--she couldn't help it.

  "Well, don't you be nasty about it," she said. "You are a dreadfullyfoolish boy--"

  "What do you know about me?" he gasped, turning to look at herfinally with frightened eyes.

  "I know that running away isn't going to help you," Ruth Fieldingsaid, with returning gravity.

  "You think that man--that Cameron man--will take me back?"

  "Back where?"

  "To--to Scarboro?"

  "I don't know."

  "I tell you I won't go," the boy cried. "I won't go."

  "But we're all going up there this very day," said Ruth, slowly."Mr. Cameron, and Helen and Tom, and some other girls and boys. I'mgoing, too--"

  "_Going where_?" shrieked Fred Hatfield, actually shaking with terror,and as pale as a ghost.

  "We're off for the backwoods--up Scarboro way. Mr. Cameron is goingto take us for a fortnight to Snow Camp. And you--"

  With another wild cry Fred Hatfield crumpled down upon the ice andburst into a tempest of sobbing. He beat his ungloved hands upon theice, and although Ruth could not help feeling contempt for a boy whowould so give way to weakness she could not help but pity him, too.

  For Ruth Fielding had more than an inkling of the trouble that soweighed Fred Hatfield down, and had made him an outcast from his homeand friends.