Jessie Carlton Part 4

Leaving Charlie under the old sailor's care, the party now set out in search of nuts. Laughter and pleasant words beguiled both time and distance, and for the next two hours they wandered over the pastures, and picked up an abundance of b.u.t.ternuts, which several pretty hard frosts, followed by strong breezes, had scattered plentifully on the ground, or prepared to fall quite readily from the trees.

In the course of the afternoon, the party separated into little groups, and when it was nearly time to return to the wagon, it happened that Jessie and her cousin, lured by the sight of a large b.u.t.ternut-tree in the distance, found themselves apart from all the rest. Near the tree was an old stone-quarry, with numerous lakelets in the hollows from which the stone had been removed. Emily stepped into the quarry, and looked all around. The lakelets, swept by the light breeze, charmed her eye, and turning to her cousin, she cried:

"Jessie, come here! Here are some tiny ponds. Come look at them!"

Jessie joined Emily, and together the little girls stepped over the uneven rocks until they reached one of the lakelets. There they launched small pieces of wood, called them s.h.i.+ps, and stood watching their mimic fleet in great glee.

After spending some time in this way, they heard the voice of Guy calling:

"Halloo! Halloo! Jessie! Emily! Halloo! Halloo!"

"We must go," said Jessie, "I guess they are going back to the wagon."

"No, don't go," replied Emily. "Let us frighten them a little--just a little, by making them think we are lost."

"Wouldn't it be funny!" said Jessie, clapping her hands, and feeling charmed with the idea of getting up an excitement among her companions.

Impulse, the little wizard, had followed her, even into that old quarry!

"It will be first-rate fun," said Emily. "How they will search for us! It will be as good as a game of hide and seek."

"Halloo! Halloo! Jessie! Emily! It's time to go home! Halloo-o!" shouted Guy again from the pasture. The wind being fair, his words were heard quite distinctly by the two girls.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Jessie and Emily Sailing Boats in the Quarry. Page 51.]

"There is a little cave just big enough to hide in," said Emily pointing to an excavation in the highest wall of the quarry. "Let us go into it!"

Still yielding to the voice of the little wizard, and thinking only of the excitement which was to follow the supposition she was lost, Jessie followed her cousin into what she called "a cave." There was water at the bottom, but a flat piece of rock rising above the water enabled them to get to the back part of their "cave," where they were pretty well concealed from view.

Again the voice of Guy shouted Jessie's name. This was now followed by a chorus of voices, all calling--

"Halloo!--halloo!--halloo-oo-oo!"

The voices drew nearer and nearer, until the callers stood on the edge of the quarry.

"Where _can_ they be! I'm afraid they are lost! Oh, dear, what will mother say, if we have to go home without them!" said Guy, distinctly enough for Jessie to hear.

"Perhaps they have fallen into some old well," suggested Norman.

"I think not," said Mr. Sherwood. "I doubt if there is an old well in all these pastures. They have most likely wandered back towards the pond."

"I don't see how that can be," rejoined Guy, "for I saw them running in this direction half an hour ago. Besides, we found their basket under that tree, and they would not have gone to the pond without telling some of us to bring their basket."

"There's no telling what silly things girls will do. I guess they are gone to the pond. Suppose we go and see."

This was Hugh's voice, and as no one proposed any thing else, the party left the quarry, and, hallooing as they went, directed their steps towards the pond.

"Let us run after them!" said Jessie, who now began to feel as if she had carried the joke far enough.

"Hus.h.!.+ you little coward," said Emily, placing her hand over Jessie's mouth. "They aren't half frightened enough about us yet."

Jessie tried to get her mouth away from her cousin's hand. In doing so she stepped backwards, and, losing her balance, fell with a splash into the water.

"Oh!" cried she, in a great fright. But the water was not deep, and the side of the "cave" kept her from falling entirely down. Hence, a thorough fright and wet feet and dress were the only evil results of her misstep.

"Pooh! what a silly little goose you are," said Emily, in a taunting tone of voice. "If you had done as I told you, you wouldn't have got that wetting."

"I'm afraid I have done too much as you told me already," replied Jessie, crying, "and now I'm going right after our party, as fast as I can."

With these words Jessie stepped out of the cave, tripped across the quarry, and ran out into the open pasture; Emily, not liking to play "lost child" all alone, followed her. But their party was no longer either in sight or within hearing, for an elevation in the ground rose between them and the two girls.

"Guy! Hugh! Richard! here we are!" screamed Jessie, at the top of her voice.

Vainly did she scream, however. The wind blew the sounds back upon herself, and she began to run in the direction of the pond.

"Don't be in such a hurry," said Emily, hanging back.

"We _must_ hurry," replied Jessie, "or we shall be really lost. See, it's almost sundown! And it is so damp and chilly that I am s.h.i.+vering with cold. Come, Emily, do make haste, there's a dear, good cousin."

"If I am your _dear, good cousin_, you won't drive off and leave me,"

retorted Emily, still lingering and moving only at a snail's pace.

"Oh dear! what shall I do!" exclaimed Jessie, looking very wretched, and she certainly felt as unhappy as she looked.

"Wait for me!" said Emily, "that's what you _ought_ to do!"

Thus urging her stubborn cousin, Jessie pressed forward as fast as she could get her companion along.

Meanwhile the rest of the party had hastened towards Joe Bunker's stand.

On their arrival they found the old sailor at tea in his little cottage.

Rus.h.i.+ng somewhat wildly into the room, Guy said,--

"Mr. Bunker, have you seen my sister since we left?"

"Your sister, skipper?" said the old salt. "s.h.i.+ver my topsails if I've seen any thing in the shape of a gal, except this old craft of mine here, since you all left your wagon early this afternoon."

"Then she and her cousin are _lost_," said Guy, driving his hands deep down into his pockets, casting his eyes to the ground, knitting his brows, and walking out into the open air again.

"Are they there?" "Has the old cove seen them?" "What does old Timbertoe say?" with half a dozen other questions, greeted Guy as he crossed the threshold.

"Hasn't seen their shadow. They must be lost," replied Guy, doggedly.

"Is that s.p.u.n.ky little Canada thistle you call Charlie in the house?"

inquired Mr. Sherwood.

"I didn't see him. Isn't he in the wagon?"

"No sign of him that I can see," replied Mr. Sherwood; "but here's Mr.

Bunker--Mr. Bunker, where is the little boy we left in your care?"