The Witch Tree Symbol Part 4

"Quick!" Nancy exclaimed, seeing several buckets of water standing by the barn. "Grab a pail!"

Nancy picked up one. With full force, she threw the water over the fence at the bull's head, just as he headed for the farmer again. The animal stopped dead, temporarily blinded by the water.

Then, with increased fury, he bellowed and plunged toward the motionless farmer. George now threw her water at the bull, and Nancy called to Bess, "Stand by the gate and be ready to open it when I tell you!"

Nancy grabbed another pail and heaved it into the pen. Then, reaching through the bars, she grabbed Mr. Kreutz by his s.h.i.+rt and dragged him forward. The bull, confused, backed up.

"Open the gate!" Nancy yelled.

As Bess obeyed, Nancy and George reached in and dragged Mr. Kreutz to safety. Bess then slammed the gate shut and locked it.

With a roar the bull rammed headfirst into the bars of his pen, trying to batter them down with his horns. Fortunately, the bars were strong.

Spying a water wheel in a sluiceway, Nancy filled another pail and hurried back to Mr. Kreutz. She dipped her handkerchief in the cold water and applied it to his forehead. Presently the man open his eyes.

"Wuu bin ich?" he murmured.

"You're with friends," Nancy replied, knowing he had asked where he was. "Just lie quiet for a while and you'll be all right."

Mr. Kreutz closed his eyes, but half a minute later he opened them again. Sitting up, he gazed at the three girls. Then he heard the noise of the stamping bull and this seemed to remind him of what had happened.

"How did I get here?" the farmer moaned.

"We dragged you out of the pen," George reported. "If it hadn't been for Nancy, you might have been killed by that bull."

"I remember now," Mr. Kreutz said, sitting up. "I saw you just before the bull tossed me."

The girls helped the farmer to his feet and a.s.sisted him into the kitchen.

"Papa, Papa, what is the matter?" Mrs. Kreutz cried.

Bess explained about the bull charge.

"Ach!" the woman exclaimed.

"He'll be all right," Nancy a.s.sured her.

Mrs. Kreutz ladled out steaming soup from a huge old-fas.h.i.+oned kettle into a crockery bowLWhile the farmer cupped the bowl in his hands and drank the hearty soup, the girls glanced about the kitchen.

One wall was taken up by a fireplace, with its traditional Dutch oven set in one side of the stonework. Above it hung copper kettles of various sizes. In the center of the fireplace was a long iron arm from which a caldron was suspended.

Beside the stove stood a box filled with logs, and the girls a.s.sumed that food was cooked over a wood fire. There was an old-fas.h.i.+oned sink, but no plumbing. Apparently water was carried in from the sluiceway. The bare wide-board floor had been scrubbed until it shone.

"I feel better," Mr. Kreutz announced as he set down his bowl. "Now will you girls tell me your names and why you are here?"

The girls introduced themselves. Then Mrs. Kreutz said quickly, "It's suppertime, Papa."

"We will all eat," the farmer said decisively.

The girls accepted at once and offered to help Mrs. Kreutz. Soon they sat down at a long wooden table in the kitchen, which had benches on each side. Before them were brown, yellow, and white cheeses; red, purple, and white grape jellies; a platter of huge slices of homemade bread, dishes of apple b.u.t.ter, stewed peaches, cherries, pickled onions, sour cantaloupe, and corn relish. For a hot dish there was boiled rabbit pot pie.

Mr. Kreutz said grace. Before eating, he asked, "Where's Manda? No place has been set for her!"

Softly his wife replied, "She has gone away again."

Mr. Kreutz stared out the window. His food went untouched and the girls sat in silence. "Eat your supper!" the man said abruptly.

The visitors began to eat, feeling ill at ease. Mrs. Kreutz did not touch her supper either. Finally she said, "Papa, you were lucky these nice girls helped you when the bull threw you."

"Ya, I was. Donnk." He gave his curt thanks.

To ease the tension, Bess said, "It was my first meeting with a bull, and I hope the last!"

Presently the Kreutzes began to eat their supper. The guests were soon satisfied, though they had not sampled half of the various dishes.

"You have city appet.i.tes," said Mrs. Kreutz.

"All of us except Bess," George teased as her plump cousin reached for a piece of cake.

"In Amish country we like a little flesh on out maidens," Mr. Kreutz commented.

After the meal was over and they had helped with the dishes, Nancy said they must be leaving. "Do you want me to mention Manda to Mr. Kreutz?" she whispered to her hostess.

"I will fix this," the farmer's wife said. She called to her husband, "Papa, I would like for these girls to stay all night with us."

Mr. Kreutz nodded. "Ya. That will make our thanks for saving my life."

Mrs. Kreutz turned to Nancy and said, "Talk to him about Manda. It will be all right."

The woman did not explain further, but Nancy guessed that once an Amish person makes a promise, he keeps it. No matter what happened, the girls would spend the night there.

Nancy seated herself beside Mr. Kreutz. "Bess, George, and I met your lovely daughter on the road this afternoon," she began. "Manda was looking forward to coming home and being with her mother and father again."

The farmer s.h.i.+fted uneasily in his chaii. "Manda is a very disobedient daughter. Amish people have rules. Our children must not break them. From the time they are small, we teach them to fear G.o.d and to work. We do not go out into the world to make money. We have security right on our own farms.

"We ask nothing from anyone," Mr. Kreutz continued proudly. "Security for an Amish man is not money. It is his family, his religion, his farm."

Nancy pondered this for a moment, then said, "You say part of your security is your family. Wouldn't you be happier if all your family were together?"

Mr. Kreutz looked directly into Nancy's eyes. "You are wise beyond your years," he said. "You have good sense."

Nancy waited eagerly for him to go on. To her surprise, Mr. Kreutz asked why she had come to Amish country.

Nancy told him about the stolen Follett furniture and explained that the thief might be somewhere around Lancaster. She also described the hex sign she had found in the mansion.

Mr. Kreutz shook his head. "Such a nice girl I cannot understand why your papa lets you do things like this. You should be home cooking and cleaning."

At this remark, Bess and George told the Amish couple about Nancy's fine accomplishments.