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"We are better so than we were before, I'll allow," he remarked; "but the gale, when it does begin to blow, will, to my mind, be a regular hurricane, and we shall be glad to run before it under bare poles. Mark my words, Mr D'Arcy!" Boatswains do not always deliver their opinion thus freely about their captain; but old Popples was privileged, at all events with us midshipmen.
Bob could see where the highest water had flung debris among the bushes, and by that he knew that the stream must be already dropping from its freshet. It was now late in the afternoon. The sun dipped behind a cold and austere hill-line. Against the sky showed a fringe of delicate popples, like spray frozen in the rise.
After that the two used often to follow the edges of the hardwood swamps, the creek bottoms, the hillsides of popples, and later in the season the sumac and berry-vine tangles of the old burnings, looking for that king of game-birds, the ruffed grouse.
"Mr Fairman," he said, to the first-lieutenant, "call all hands to shorten sail; put the brig under double-reefed topsails. Whichever way the squall comes, we mustn't be frightened at it this time, eh?" The command was quickly obeyed, but the air remained as stagnant as ever. Still old Popples was not satisfied.
We started out afoot soon after dinner, through a scattering growth of popples that alternately drew the veil of coyness over the blue hills and caught our breath with the delight of a momentary prospect. Deuce, remembering autumn days, concluded partridges, and scurried away on the expert diagonal, his hind legs tucked well under his flanks.
"He sent this blessedness to me, to know his soul is saved, that he is working for Him." I felt queer. That afternoon they met under a ellum tree. He'd found out she wuz there, and asked for a interview, which I see that she granted him. It wuz a pretty spot, clost to the water, with trees of droopin' ellums and some maples, and popples touched with fire and gold.
"I'd rather watch you and Duke," replied Bobby, "than to shoot squirrels. Are there many of them?" "Not up on the ridges," said Mr. Kincaid. "This fellow's rather a straggler. But there's plenty in the swamps and popples. Want to go after them?" "Yes," said Bobby.
I have had mony a thought, that when I fand mysell auld and forfairn, and no able to enjoy God's blessed air ony langer, I wad drag mysell here wi' a pickle ait-meal; and see, there's a bit bonny dropping well that popples that self-same gate simmer and winter; and I wad e'en streek mysell out here, and abide my removal, like an auld dog that trails its useless ugsome carcass into some bush or bracken no to gie living things a scunner wi' the sight o't when it's dead Ay, and then, when the dogs barked at the lone farm-stead, the gudewife wad cry, Whisht, stirra, that'll be auld Edie, and the bits o' weans wad up, puir things, and toddle to the door to pu' in the auld Blue-Gown that mends a' their bonny-dies But there wad be nae mair word o' Edie, I trow."
I made camp a few hundred yards from the road by a creek, along the banks of which grew many willows, and some little groves of box-elders and popples, which latter in this favorable locality grew eight or ten feet tall, and were already breaking out their soft greenish catkins and tender, quivering, pointed leaves: in one of these clumps I hid my wagon, and in the midst of it I kindled my camp-fire.
Bob voiced his marvel, after a time. "It don't," said Welton. "The supplies are all hauled while the ground is frozen. A man goes by hand now." In the swamps and bottom lands it was a case of slip, slide and wallow. The going was trying on muscle and wind. To right and left stretched mazes of white popples and willows tangled with old berry vines and the abattis of the slashings.
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