Chapter XX.

by James Fenimore Cooper

　　"Away! nor let me loiter in my song,For we have many a mountain-path to tread."--Byron.

　　As the spring gradually approached, the immense piles of snow that, byalternate thaws and frosts, and repeated storms, had obtained afirmness which threatened a tiresome durability, began to yield to theinfluence of milder breezes and a warmer sun. The gates of heaven attimes seemed to open, and a bland air diffused itself over the earth,when animate and inanimate nature would awaken, and, for a few hours,the gayety of spring shone in every eye and smiled on every field.But the shivering blasts from the north would carry their chillinfluence over the scene again, and the dark and gloomy clouds thatintercepted the rays of the sun were not more cold and dreary than thereaction. These struggles between the seasons became daily morefrequent, while the earth, like a victim to contention, slowly lostthe animated brilliancy of winter, without obtaining the aspect ofspring.

　　Several weeks were consumed in this cheerless manner, during which theinhabitants of the country gradually changed their pursuits from thesocial and bustling movements of the time of snow to the laborious anddomestic engagements of the coming season, The village was no longerthronged with visitors; the trade that had enlivened the shops forseveral months, began to disappear; the highways lost their shiningcoats of beaten snow in impassable sloughs, and were deserted by thegay and noisy travellers who, in sleighs, had, during the winter,glided along their windings; and, in short, everything seemedindicative of a mighty change, not only in the earth, but in those whoderived their sources of comfort and happiness from its bosom.

　　The younger members of the family in the mansion house, of whichLouisa Grant was now habitually one, were by no means indifferentobservers of these fluctuating and tardy changes. While the snowrendered the roads passable, they had partaken largely in theamusements of the winter, which included not only daily rides over themountains, and through every valley within twenty miles of them, butdivers ingenious and varied sources of pleasure on the bosom of theirfrozen lake. There had been excursions in the equipage of Richard,when with his four horses he had outstripped the winds, as it flewover the glassy ice which invariably succeeded a thaw. Then theexciting and dangerous "whirligig" would be suffered to possess itsmoment of notice. Cutters, drawn by a single horse, and handsleds,impelled by the gentlemen on skates, would each in turn be used; and,in short, every source of relief against the tediousness of a winterin the mountains was resorted to by the family, Elizabeth wascompelled to acknowledge to her father, that the season, with the aidof his library, was much less irksome than she had anticipated.

　　As exercise in the open air was in some degree necessary to the habitsof the family, when the constant recurrence of frosts and thawsrendered the roads, which were dangerous at the most favorable times,utterly impassable for wheels, saddle-horses were used as substitutesfor other conveyances. Mounted on small and sure-footed beasts, theladies would again attempt the passages of the mountains and penetrateinto every retired glen where the enterprise of a settler had inducedhim to establish himself. In these excursions they were attended bysome one or all of the gentlemen of the family, as their differentpursuits admitted. Young Edwards was hourly becoming morefamiliarized to his situation, and not infrequently mingled in theparties with an unconcern and gayety that for a short time would expelall unpleasant recollections from his mind. Habit, and the buoyancyof youth, seemed to be getting the ascendency over the secret causesof his uneasiness; though there were moments when the same remarkableexpression of disgust would cross his intercourse with Marmaduke, thathad distinguished their conversations in the first days of theiracquaintance.

　　It was at the close of the month of March, that the sheriff succeededin persuading his cousin and her young friend to accompany him in aride to a hill that was said to overhang the lake in a manner peculiarto itself.

　　"Besides, Cousin Bess," continued the indefatigable Richard, "we willstop and see the sugar bush of Billy Kirby; he is on the east end ofthe Ransom lot, making sugar for Jared Ransom. There is not a betterhand over a kettle in the county than that same Kirby. You remember,Duke, that I had him his first season in our camp; and it is not awonder that he knows something of his trade."

　　"Hes a good chopper, is Billy," observed Benjamin, who held thebridle of the horse while the sheriff mounted; "and he handles an axemuch the same as a forecastleman does his marling-spike, or a tailorhis goose. They say hell lift a potash-kettle off the arch alone,though I cant say that Ive ever seen him do it with my own eyes; butthat is the say. And Ive seen sugar of his making, which, maybe,wasnt as white as an old topgallant sail, but which my friend,Mistress Pettibones, within there, said had the true molasses smack toit; and you are not the one, Squire Dickens, to be told that MistressRemarkable has a remarkable tooth for sweet things in her nut-grinder."

　　The loud laugh that succeeded the wit of Benjamin, and in which heparticipated with no very harmonious sounds himself, very fullyillustrated the congenial temper which existed between the pair. Mostof its point was, however, lost on the rest of the party, who wereeither mounting their horses or assisting the ladies at the moment.When all were safely in their saddles, they moved through the villagein great order. They paused for a moment before the door of MonsieurLe Quoi, until he could bestride his steed, and then, issuing from thelittle cluster of houses, they took one of the principal of thosehighways that centred in the village.

　　As each night brought with it a severe frost, which the heat of thesucceeding day served to dissipate, the equestrians were compelled toproceed singly along the margin of the road, where the turf, andfirmness of the ground, gave the horses a secure footing. Verytrifling indications of vegetation were to he seen, the surface of theearth presenting a cold, wet, and cheerless aspect that chilled theblood. The snow yet lay scattered over most of those distantclearings that were visible in different parts of the mountains;though here and there an opening might be seen where, as the whitecovering yielded to the season, the bright and lively green of thewheat served to enkindle the hopes of the husbandman. Nothing couldbe more marked than the contrast between the earth and the heavens;for, while the former presented the dreary view that we havedescribed, a warm and invigorating sun was dispensing his heats from asky that contained but a solitary cloud, and through an atmospherethat softened the colors of the sensible horizon until it shone like asea of blue.

　　Richard led the way on this, as on all other occasions that did notrequire the exercise of unusual abilities; and as he moved along, heessayed to enliven the party with the sounds of his experienced voice.

　　"This is your true sugar weather, Duke," he cried; "a frosty nightand a sunshiny day. I warrant me that the sap runs like a mill-tailup the maples this warm morning. It is a pity, Judge, that you do notintroduce a little more science into the manufactory of sugar amongyour tenants. It might be done, sir, without knowing as much as Dr.Franklin--it might be done, Judge Temple."

　　"The first object of my solicitude, friend Jones," returned Marmaduke,"is to protect the sources of this great mine of comfort and wealthfrom the extravagance of the people themselves. When this importantpoint shall be achieved, it will be in season to turn our attention toan improvement in the manufacture of the article, But thou knowest,Richard, that I have already subjected our sugar to the process of therefiner, and that the result has produced loaves as white as the snowon yon fields, and possessing the saccharine quality in its utmostpurity."

　　"Saccharine, or turpentine, or any other 'ine, Judge Temple, you havenever made a loaf larger than a good-sized sugar-plum," returned thesheriff. "Now, sir, I assert that no experiment is fairly tried,until it be reduced to practical purposes. If, sir, I owned ahundred, or, for that matter, two hundred thousand acres of land, asyou do. I would build a sugar house in the village; I would invitelearned men to an investigation of the subject--and such are easily tobe found, sir; yes, sir, they are not difficult to find--men who unitetheory with practice; and I would select a wood of young and thriftytrees; and, instead of making loaves of the size of a lump of candy,damme, Duke, but Id have them as big as a haycock."

　　"And purchase the cargo of one of those ships that they say are goingto China," cried Elizabeth; "turn your pot ash-kettles into teacups,the scows on the lake into saucers, bake your cake in yonder lime-kiln, and invite the county to a tea-party. How wonderful are theprojects of genius! Really, sir, the world is of opinion that JudgeTemple has tried the experiment fairly, though he did not cause hisloaves to be cast in moulds of the magnitude that would suit yourmagnificent conceptions."

　　"You may laugh, Cousin Elizabeth--you may laugh, madam," retortedRichard, turning himself so much in his saddle as to face the party,and making dignified gestures with his whip; "but I appeal to commonsense, good sense, or, what is of more importance than either, to thesense of taste, which is one of the five natural senses, whether a bigloaf of sugar is not likely to contain a better illustration of aproposition than such a lump as one of your Dutch women puts under hertongue when she drinks her tea. There are two ways of doingeverything, the right way and the wrong way. You make sugar now, Iwill admit, and you may, possibly, make loaf-sugar; but I take thequestion to be, whether you make the best possible sugar, and in thebest possible loaves."

　　"Thou art very right, Richard," observed Marmaduke, with a gravity inhis air that proved how much he was interested in the subject. "It isvery true that we manufacture sugar, and the inquiry is quite useful,how much? and in what manner? I hope to live to see the day when farmsand plantations shall be devoted to this branch of business. Littleis known concerning the properties of the tree itself, the source ofall this wealth; how much it may be improved by cultivation, by theuse of the hoe and plough."

　　"Hoe and plough!" roared the sheriff; "would you set a man hoeinground the root of a maple like this?" pointing to one of the nobletrees that occur so frequently in that part of the country. "Hoeingtrees! are you mad, Duke? This is next to hunting for coal! Poh! poh!my dear cousin, hear reason, and leave the management of the sugar-bush to me. Here is Mr. Le Quoi--he has been in the West Indies, andhas seen sugar made. Let him give an account of how it is made there,and you will hear the philosophy of the thing. Well, monsieur, how isit that you make sugar in the West Indies; anything in Judge Templesfashion?"

　　The gentleman to whom this query was put was mounted on a small horse,of no very fiery temperament, and was riding with his stirrups soshort as to bring his knees, while the animal rose a small ascent inthe wood-path they were now travelling, into a somewhat hazardousvicinity to his chin. There was no room for gesticulation or grace inthe delivery of his reply, for the mountain was steep and slippery;and, although the Frenchman had an eye of uncommon magnitude on eitherside of his face, they did not seem to be half competent to forewarnhim of the impediments of bushes, twigs, and fallen trees, that weremomentarily crossing his path. With one hand employed in avertingthese dangers, and the other grasping his bridle to check an untowardspeed that his horse was assuming, the native of France responded asfollows:

　　"Sucre! dey do make sucre in Martinique; mais--mais ce nest pas onetree--ah--ah--vat you call--je voudrois que ces chemins fussent au diable- vat you call--steeck pour la promenade?""Cane," said Elizabeth, smiling at the imprecation which the waryFrenchman supposed was understood only by himself."Oui, mamselle, cane.""Yes, yes," cried Richard, "cane is the vulgar name for it, but thereal term is saccharum officinarum; and what we call the sugar, orhard maple, is acer saccharinum. These are the learned names,monsieur, and are such as, doubtless, you well understand."

　　"Is this Greek or Latin, Mr. Edwards?" whispered Elizabeth to theyouth, who was opening a passage for herself and her companionsthrough the bushes, "or per haps it is a still more learned language,for an interpretation of which we must look to you."

　　The dark eye of the young man glanced toward the speaker, but itsresentful expression changed in a moment.

　　"I shall remember your doubts, Miss Temple, when next I visit my oldfriend Mohegan, and either his skill, or that of Leather-Stocking,shall solve them."

　　"And are you, then, really ignorant of their language?"

　　"Not absolutely; but the deep learning of Mr. Jones is more familiarto me, or even the polite masquerade of Monsieur Le Quoi."

　　"Do you speak French?" said the lady, with quickness.

　　"It is a common language with the Iroquois, and through the Canadas,"he answered, smiling.

　　"Ah! but they are Mingoes, and your enemies."

　　"It will be well for me if I have no worse," said the youth, dashingahead with his horse, and putting an end to the evasive dialogue.

　　The discourse, however, was maintained with great vigor by Richard,until they reached an open wood on the summit of the mountain, wherethe hemlocks and pines totally disappeared, and a grove of the verytrees that formed the subject of debate covered the earth with theirtall, straight trunks and spreading branches, in stately pride. Theunderwood had been entirely removed from this grove, or bush, as, inconjunction with the simple arrangements for boiling, it was called,and a wide space of many acres was cleared, which might be likened tothe dome of a mighty temple, to which the maples formed the columns,their tops composing the capitals and the heavens the arch. A deepand careless incision had been made into each tree, near its root,into which little spouts, formed of the I bark of the alder, or of thesumach, were fastened; and a trough, roughly dug out of the linden, orbasswood, was I lying at the root of each tree, to catch the sap thatflowed from this extremely wasteful and inartificial arrangement.

　　The party paused a moment, on gaining the flat, to breathe theirhorses, and, as the scene was entirely new to several of theirnumber, to view the manner of collecting the fluid. A fine, powerfulvoice aroused them from their momentary silence, as it rang under thebranches of the trees, singing the following words of that inimitabledoggerel, whose verses, if extended, would reach from the Caters ofthe Connecticut to the shores of Ontario. The tune was, of course, afamiliar air which, although it is said to have been first applied tothis nation in derision, circumstances have since rendered so gloriousthat no American ever hears its jingling cadence without feelinga thrill at his heart:

　　"The Eastern States be full of men,The Western Full of woods, sir,The hill be like a cattle-pen,The roads be full of goods, sir!Then flow away, my sweety sap,And I will make you boily;Nor catch a wood mans hasty nap,For fear you should get roily.The maple-tree's a precious one,Tis fuel, food, and timber;And when your stiff days work is done,Its juice will make you limber,Then flow away, etc.

　　"And whats a man without his glass.His wife without her tea, sir?But neither cup nor mug will pass,Without his honey-bee, sir!Then flow away," etc.

　　During the execution of this sonorous doggerel, Richard kept time withhis whip on the mane of his charger, accompanying the gestures with acorresponding movement of his head and body. Toward the close of thesong, he was overheard humming the chorus, and, at its lastrepetition, to strike in at "sweety sap, and carry a second through,with a prodigious addition to the "effect" of the noise, if not tothat of the harmony.

　　"Well done us!" roared the sheriff, on the same key with the tune; "avery good song, Billy Kirby, and very well sung. Where got you thewords, lad? Is there more of it, and can you furnish me with a copy?"The sugar-boiler, who was busy in his "camp," at a short distance fromthe equestrians, turned his head with great indifference, and surveyedthe party, as they approached, with admirable coolness. To eachindividual, as he or she rode close by him, he gave a nod that wasextremely good-natured and affable, but which partook largely of thevirtue of equality, for not even to the ladiesdid he in the least vary his mode of salutation, by touching theapology for a hat that he wore, or by any other motion than the one wehave mentioned.

　　"How goes it, how goes it, sheriff?" said the wood-chopper; "whatsthe good word in the village?"

　　"Why, much as usual, Billy," returned Richard. "But how is this?where are your four kettles, and your troughs, and your iron coolers?Do you make sugar in this slovenly way? I thought you were one of thebest sugar-boilers in the county."

　　"Im all that, Squire Jones," said Kirby, who continued hisoccupation; "Ill turn my back to no man in the Otsego hills forchopping and logging, for boiling down the maple sap, for tendingbrick-kiln, splitting out rails, making potash, and parling too, orhoeing corn; though I keep myself pretty much to the first business,seeing that the axe comes most natural to me."

　　"You be von Jack All-trade, Mister Beel," said Monsieur Le Quoi.

　　"How?" said Kirby, looking up with a simplicity which, coupled withhis gigantic frame and manly face, was a little ridiculous, "if you befor trade, mounsher, here is some as good sugar as youll find theseason through. Its as clear from dirt as the Jarman Flats is freefrom stumps, and it has the raal maple flavor. Such stuff would sellin York for candy."

　　The Frenchman approached the place where Kirby had deposited his cakeof sugar, under the cover of a bark roof, and commenced theexamination of the article with the eye of one who well understood itsvalue. Marmaduke had dismounted, and was viewing the works and thetrees very closely, and not without frequent expressions ofdissatisfaction at the careless manner in which the manufacture wasconducted.

　　"You have much experience in these things, Kirby," he said; "whatcourse do you pursue in making your sugar? I see you have but twokettles."

　　"Two is as good as two thousand, Judge. Im none of your politesugar-makers, that boils for the great folks; but if the raal sweetmaple is wanted, I can answer your turn. First, I choose, and then Itap my trees; say along about the last of February, or in thesemountains maybe not afore the middle of March; but anyway, just as thesap begins to cleverly run--"

　　"Well, in this choice," interrupted Marmaduke, "are you governed byany outward signs that prove the quality of the tree?"

　　"Why, theres judgment in all things," said Kirby, stirring the liquorin his kettles briskly. "Theres some thing in knowing when and howto stir the pot. Its a thing that must be larnt. Rome wasnt builtin a day, nor for that matter Templeton either, though it may be saidto be a quick-growing place. I never put my axe into a stunty tree,or one that hasnt a good, fresh-looking bark: for trees havedisorders, like creaturs; and wheres the policy of taking a treethats sickly, any more than youd choose a foundered horse to ridepost, or an over heated ox to do your logging?"

　　"All that is true. But what are the signs of illness? how do youdistinguish a tree that is well from one that is diseased?"

　　"How does the doctor tell who has fever and who colds?" interruptedRichard. "By examining the skin, and feeling the pulse, to be sure."

　　"Sartain," continued Billy; "the squire aint far out of the way.Its by the look of the thing, sure enough. Well, when the sap beginsto get a free run, I hang over the kettles, and set up the bush. Myfirst boiling I push pretty smartly, till I get the virtue of the sap;but when it begins to grow of a molasses nater, like this in thekettle, one mustnt drive the fires too hard, or youll burn thesugar; and burny sugar is bad to the taste, let it be never so sweet.So you ladle out from one kettle into the other till it gets so, whenyou put the stirring-stick into it, that it will draw into a thread--when it takes a kerful hand to manage it. There is a way to drain itoff, after it has grained, by putting clay into the pans; bitt itisnt always practised; some doos and some doosnt. Well, mounsher,be we likely to make a trade?"

　　"I will give you, Mister Etel, for von pound, dix sous."

　　"No, I expect cash for it; I never dicker my sugar, But, seeing thatits you, mounsher," said Billy, with a Coaxing smile, "I'll agree toreceive a gallon of rum, and cloth enough for two shirts if youlltake the molasses in the bargain. Its raal good. I wouldnt deceiveyou or any man and to my drinking its about the best molasses thatcome out of a sugar-bush."

　　"Mr. Le Quoi has offered you ten pence," said young Edwards.

　　The manufacturer stared at the speaker with an air of great freedom,but made no reply.

　　"Oui," said the Frenchman, "ten penny. Jevausraner cie, monsieur: ah!mon Anglois! je l'oublie toujours."

　　The wood-chopper looked from one to the other with some displeasure;and evidently imbibed the opinion that they were amusing themselves athis expense. He seized the enormous ladle, which was lying on one ofhis kettles, and began to stir the boiling liquid with greatdiligence. After a moment passed in dipping the ladle full, and thenraising it on high, as the thick rich fluid fell back into the kettle,he suddenly gave it a whirl, as if to cool what yet remained, andoffered the bowl to Mr. Le Quoi, saying:

　　Taste that, mounsher, and you will say it is worth more than youoffer. The molasses itself would fetch the money,"

　　The complaisant Frenchman, after several timid efforts to trust hislips in contact with the howl of the ladle, got a good swallow of thescalding liquid. He clapped his hands on his breast, and looked mostpiteously at the ladies, for a single instant; and then, to use thelanguage oft Billy, when he afterward recounted the tale, "nodrumsticks ever went faster on the skin of a sheep than theFrenchmans legs, for a round or two; and then such swearing andspitting in French you never saw. But its a knowing one, from theold countries, that thinks to get his jokes smoothly over a wood-chopper."

　　The air of innocence with which Kirby resumed the occupation ofstirring the contents of his kettles would have completely deceivedthe spectators as to his agency in the temporary sufferings of Mr. LeQuoi, had not the reckless fellow thrust his tongue into his cheek,and cast his eyes over the party, with a simplicity of expression thatwas too exquisite to be natural. Mr. Le Quoi soon recovered hispresence of mind and his decorum; and he briefly apologized to theladies for one or two very intemperate expressions that had escapedhim in a moment of extraordinary excitement, and, remounting hishorse, he continued in the background during the remainder of thevisit, the wit of Kirby putting a violent termination, at once, to allnegotiations on the subject of trade. During all this time, Marmadukehad been wandering about the grove, making observations on hisfavorite trees, and the wasteful manner in which the wood-chopperconducted his manufacture.

　　"It grieves me to witness the extravagance that pervades thiscountry," said the Judge, "where the settlers trifle with theblessings they might enjoy, with the prodigality of successfuladventurers. You are not exempt from the censure yourself, Kirby, foryou make dreadful wounds in these trees where a small incision wouldeffect the same object. I earnestly beg you will remember that theyare the growth of centuries, and when once gone none living will seetheir loss remedied."

　　"Why, I dont know, Judge," returned the man he ad dressed; "it seemsto me, if theres plenty of anything in this mountaynious country,its the trees. If theres any sin in chopping them, Ive a prettyheavy account to settle; for Ive chopped over the best half of athousand acres, with my own hands, counting both Varmount and YorkStates; and I hope to live to finish the whull, before I lay up myaxe. Chopping comes quite natural to me, and I wish no otheremployment; but Jared Ransom said that he thought the sugar was likelyto be source this season, seeing that so many folks was coming intothe settlement, and so I concluded to take the bush on sheares forthis one spring. Whats the best news, Judge, consarning ashes? dopots hold so that a man can live by them still? I spose they will, ifthey keep on fighting across the water."

　　"Thou reasonest with judgment, William," returned Marmaduke. "So longas the Old Worm is to be convulsed with wars, so long will the harvestof America continue."

　　"Well, its an ill wind, Judge, that blows nobody any good. Im surethe country is in a thriving way; and though I know you calkilategreatly on the trees, setting as much store by them as some men wouldby their children, yet to my eyes they are a sore sight any time,unless I'm privileged to work my will on them: in which case I cantsay but they are more to my liking. I have heard the settlers fromthe old countries say that their rich men keep great oaks and elms,that would make a barrel of pots to the tree, standing round theirdoors and humsteds and scattered over their farms, just to look at.Now, I call no country much improved that is pretty well covered withtrees. Stumps are a different thing, for they dont shade the land;and, besides, you dig them--they make a fence that will turn anythingbigger than a hog, being grand for breachy cattle."

　　"Opinions on such subjects vary much in different countries," saidMarmaduke; "but it is not as ornaments that I value the noble trees ofthis country; it is for their usefulness We are stripping the forests,as if a single year would replace what we destroy. But the hourapproaches when the laws will take notice of not only the woods, butthe game they contain also."

　　With this consoling reflection, Marmaduke remounted, and theequestrians passed the sugar-camp, on their way to the promisedlandscape of Richard. The wood-chop-per was left alone, in the bosomof the forest, to pursue his labors. Elizabeth turned her head, whenthey reached the point where they were to descend the mountain, andthought that the slow fires that were glimmering under his enormouskettles, his little brush shelter, covered with pieces of hemlockbark, his gigantic size, as he wielded his ladle with a steady andknowing air, aided by the back-ground of stately trees, with theirspouts and troughs, formed, altogether, no unreal picture of humanlife in its first stages of civilization. Perhaps whatever the scenepossessed of a romantic character was not injured by the powerfultones of Kirbys voice ringing through the woods as he again awoke hisstrains to another tune, which was but little more scientific than theformer. All that she understood of the words were:

　　"And when the proud forest is falling, To my oxen cheerfully calling,From morn until night I am bawling, Whoa, back there, and haw and gee;Till our labor is mutually ended, By my strength and cattlebefriended, And against the mosquitoes defended By the bark of thewalnut-trees. Away! then, you lads who would buy land; Choose the oakthat grows on the high land, or the silvery pine on the dry land, itmatters but little to me."