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Fo de lans sake! murmured Uncle Rufus. Is dat sho nough so, Missie Ruth?
You know I would not mislead you, Uncle Rufus.
Dats right. You would not, agreed the old man. An is dat what dat fool white doctor mean? Ah jes got rheumatics, like Ah always has?
Yes, Uncle Rufus.
Tell me, Missie Ruth, he asked, what do dem doctors want to use sech wods fo, when dere is common wods to use dat a pusson kin understan?
Just for that reason, I fancy, laughed Ruth. So the patient cannot understand. The doctors think it isnt well for the patient to know too much about what ails him, so they call ordinary illnesses by hard names.
Aint it a fac? Aint it a fac? repeated Uncle Rufus, shaking his head. Ah reckon if we knowed too much, we wouldnt want doctors a-tall, eh? Well, now, Missie Ruth, you let dat Lindy gal git ma medicine bottle filled down to de drug store, and Ahll dose up like Ah done befo. If dat white doctors medicine was good fo one time, it ought to be good fo another time.
Uncle Rufus remained in bed, however, and the little girls and Sammy, as well as Neale and Agnes, trooped up to say good-bye to him before they started for the railway station.
The north-bound express train halted at Milton at three minutes past nine, and the Corner House party were in good season for it. Mr. Howbridge joined them on the station platform. Hedden, the lawyers man, having gone ahead to make the path smooth for his employer and his friends, Mr. Howbridge and Neale attended to getting the tickets and to the light baggage; and they made the three older girls, Mrs. MacCall, and the children comfortable in the chair car. Tom Jonah, of course, rode in the baggage car.
It was two hundred miles and more to Culberton, at the foot of Long Lake. The train made very good time, but it was past one oclock when they alighted at the lake city. There was a narrow gauge road here that followed the line of the lake in a northerly direction; but it was little more than a logging road and the trains were so slow, and the schedule so poor, that Mr. Howbridge had planned for other and more novel means of transportation up the lake to the small town from which they would have to strike back into the wilderness by tote-road to Red Deer Lodge. But this new means of transportation, he told the young people, depended entirely upon the wind.
Goodness! gasped Agnes, are we going up the lake by kite?
In a balloon, maybe? Cecile laughed.
Oh! murmured Tess, who was much interested in air traffic, I hope its a big aeroplane.
Nothing like that, Neale assured her. But if we have a good wind youll think were flying, Tess.
Mr. Howbridge had taken the ex-circus boy into his confidence; but the rest of the party were so busy greeting Luke Shepard, who was waiting for them at this point, that they did not consider much how they were to get up the lake. There was no train leaving Culberton over the Lake Branch until evening. Neale disappeared immediately after greeting Luke, and took Tom Jonah with him.
In a few minutes Neale returned to the waiting room of the Culberton railroad station, and said to Mr. Howbridge:
They are about ready. Man says the wind is good, and likely to be fresher, if anything. Favorable time. Hes making em ready.
Whats going on? asked Luke, who was a handsome young collegian particularly interested in Ruth Kenway, and not too serious to be enthusiastic over the secret the lawyer and Neale had between them.
Come on and well show you, Neale said, grinning.
No, no! exclaimed Mr. Howbridge. Let us have lunch first. We have a long, cold ride before us.
In what? Agnes asked. We dont take to the sleigh yet, do we?
Arent the cars on the branch line heated? Ruth asked. You know, we must not let the children get cold and Mrs. MacCall.
Dont mind about me, lassie, returned the Scotchwoman. Ill trust myself to Mr. Howbridge.
Well go to the hotel first of all, said the lawyer. Hedden will have arranged for our comfort there and other things, as well. Do not be afraid for the children, Martha.
But Martha could not help being a bit worried, even if Mrs. MacCall was along. And Neales grin was too impish to be comforting.
I know you men folks are cooking up something, she sighed. And I am not at all sure, Mr. Howbridge, that you consider the needs of small children like Tess and Dot and Sammy.
Huh! grunted Sammy, who overheard this.
I suppose if I had taken my twins home three months ago when Frank Birdsall died, you think I would have learned something about the needs and care of young persons by this time? suggested the lawyer.
Oh, I am sure you would have learned a great deal, agreed Ruth, unable to suppress
a smile.
I wish I had! groaned Mr. Howbridge.
The mystery of the disappearance of Ralph and Rowena Birdsall weighed on Mr. Howbridges mind continually. He did not often let the trouble come to the surface, however, being desirous of giving the young people with him a good time.
The surprise in store for them added zest to the enjoyment of the nice luncheon at the Culberton hotel. At half past two they all trooped out of the hotel, bags in hand, and instead of returning to the railway station, set off down the hill toward the docks.