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Nat came in, shut the door carefully behind him, and said in an eager, anxious tone,
“Dan has come.”
“Who is Dan?”
“He’s a boy I used to know when I fiddled round the streets. He sold papers, and he was kind to me, and I saw him the other day in town, and told him how nice it was here, and he’s come.”
“But, my dear boy, that is rather a sudden visit.”
“Oh, it isn’t a visit; he wants to stay if you let him!” said Nat innocently.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” began Mrs. Bhaer, rather startled by the coolness of the proposition.
“Why, I thought you liked to have poor boys come and live with you, and be kind to them as you were to me,” said Nat, looking surprised and alarmed.
“So I do, but I like to know something about them first. I choose them, because there are so many. I have not room for all.”
“I told him to come because I thought you’d like it. But if there isn’t room he can go away again,” said Nat, sorrowfully.
The boy’s confidence in her hospitality touched Mrs. Bhaer, so she said,
“Tell me about this Dan.”
“I don’t know anything, only he hasn’t got any folks, and he’s poor, and he was good to me, so I’d like to be good to him.”
“But really, Nat, the house is full,” said Mrs. Bhaer.
“He may have my bed, and I can sleep in the barn. It isn’t cold now, and I don’t mind, I used to sleep anywhere with father,” said Nat, eagerly.
Something in his speech and face made Mrs. Jo put her hand on his shoulder, and say in her kindest tone:
“Bring in your friend[11 - Bring in your friend. – Приводи своего друга.], Nat. I think we will find room for him without giving him your place.”
Nat joyfully ran off, and soon returned followed by a boy, who slouched in and stood looking about him, with a half bold, half sullen look.
“This is Dan,” said Nat.
“Nat tells me you will like to come and stay with us,” began Mrs. Jo, in a friendly tone.
“Yes,” was the gruff reply.
“Have you any friends to take care of you?”
“No.”
“Say, ‘No, ma’am,’” whispered Nat.
“How old are you?”
“About fourteen.”
“You look older. What can you do?”
“Almost anything.”
“If you stay here we shall want you to do as the others do, work and study as well as play. Are you willing to agree to that?”
“I can try.”
“Well, you can stay a few days, and we will see how we get on together. Take him out, Nat, and amuse him till Mr. Bhaer comes home,” said Mrs. Jo.
She did not know how to get on with this cool young person, who fixed his big black eyes on her with a hard, suspicious expression, sorrowfully unboyish.
“Come on, Nat,” Dan said.
“Thank you, ma’am,” added Nat, as he followed him.
“The fellows are having a circus[12 - are having a circus – играют в цирк] out in the barn; don’t you want to come and see it?” he asked, as they came down the wide steps on to the lawn.
“Are they big fellows?” said Dan.
“No; the big ones are gone fishing.”
“Let’s go, then,” said Dan.
Nat led him to the great barn and introduced him to the boys. A large circle was marked out with hay on the wide floor, and in the middle stood Demi with a long whip, while Tommy, mounted on Toby, was a monkey.
“You must pay a pin, or you can’t see the show,” said Stuffy, who stood by the wheelbarrow.
“I’ll pay for both,” said Nat, handsomely, as he stuck two crooked pins in the dried mushroom which served as money-box.
With a nod to the company they seated themselves on a couple of boards, and the performance went on. Ned was jumping over an old chair, and running up and down ladders. Then Demi danced a jig. Nat wrestled with Stuffy. After this, Tommy proudly advanced to turn a somersault. His somersault was received with great applause, and he was about to retire, flushed with pride, when he heard a scornful voice,
“Ho! That is nothing!”
“Say that again, will you?” and Tommy bristled up like an angry turkey-cock.
“Do you want to fight?” said Dan, promptly descending from the barrel.
“No, I don’t;” and the candid Thomas retired.
“Fighting isn’t allowed!” cried the others, much excited.
“I see,” sneered Dan.
“If you don’t behave, you won’t stay,” said Nat.
“I’d like to see what he can do, that’s all,” observed Tommy, with a swagger.
“Clear the way, then,” and without the slightest preparation Dan turned three somersaults one after the other and came up on his feet.
The audience were shocked by three more somersaults backwards, and a short promenade on the hands, head down, feet up. Even Tommy joined in the admiring cries which greeted the gymnast. Dan looked at them with an air of calm superiority.
“What will you give me if I’ll teach you?” said Dan.
“My new jack-knife[13 - jack-knife – перочинный ножик]; it’s got five blades, and only one is broken.”
“Give it here, then.”
Tommy handed it over. Dan examined it carefully, then putting it into his pocket, walked off,
saying with a wink,
“Just learn, that’s all.”
A howl of wrath from Tommy was followed by a general uproar. Dan, finding himself in a minority, proposed to play stick-knife[14 - to play stick-knife – поиграть в ножички]. Whichever wins will have the treasure. Tommy agreed, and the game was played in a circle of excited faces. Tommy won and secured the knife in the depth of his safest pocket.
“Let’s have a walk, and I’ll show you round,” said Nat, feeling that he must have a little serious conversation with his friend in private.
What passed between them no one knew, but when they appeared again, Dan was more respectful to the boys, though still gruff in his speech, and rough in his manner. The boys had decided that they did not like him, and so they left him to Nat.
Mr. Bhaer, when he heard the story and saw Dan, shook his head, but only said quietly,
“The experiment may cost us something, but we will try it.”
If Dan felt any gratitude for his protection, he did not show it. He was ignorant, but very quick to learn. He had sharp eyes to watch what went on about him; a saucy tongue, rough manners, and a temper that was fierce and sullen. He played with all his might, and played well at almost all the games. He was silent and gruff. Few really liked him, but they admired his courage and strength, for nothing daunted him. He knocked tall Franz with an ease that caused all the others to keep at a respectful distance from his fists. Mr. Bhaer watched him silently, and did his best to tame the
“Wild Boy,” as they called him, but in private the worthy man shook his head, and said soberly,
“I hope the experiment will turn out well, but I am a little afraid it may cost too much.”
Mrs. Bhaer lost her patience with him half a dozen times a day, yet always insisted that there was something good in the lad, after all. He was kinder to animals than to people, he liked to rove about in the woods, and, best of all, little Ted liked him. Ted called him “My Danny”. Teddy was the only creature to whom Dan showed an affection.
But an unexpected and decidedly alarming event upset all their plans, and banished Dan from Plumfield.
Tommy, Nat, and Demi liked the bad boy. Tommy admired his skill and courage; Nat was grateful for past kindness; and Demi regarded him as a sort of animated story book. Dan could tell his adventures in a most interesting way. It pleased Dan to have the three favorites, and he exerted himself to be agreeable, which was the secret of his success. The Bhaers were surprised.
Mr. Bhaer did not approve of fighting, and did not think it a proof of either manliness or courage for two lads to pommel one another for the amusement of the rest. All sorts of hardy games and exercises were encouraged; but black eyes and bloody noses were forbidden as a foolish and a brutal play. Dan laughed at this rule, and some of the lads desired to know more about fights.
“Don’t tell, and I’ll show you how,” said Dan.
Getting half a dozen of the lads together behind the barn, he gave them a lesson in boxing, which quite satisfied the ardor of most of them. Emil, however, could not submit to be beaten by a fellow younger than himself. Emil was past fourteen and he challenged Dan to a fight. Dan accepted at once, and the others looked on with intense interest.
When Dan and Emil were fighting like a pair of young bulldogs, and the others with fierce, excited faces were cheering them on, Mr. Bhaer walked into the ring, plucked the combatants apart with a strong hand, and said, in the voice they seldom heard,
“I can’t allow this, boys! Stop it at once; and never let me see it again. I keep a school for boys, not for wild beasts. Look at each other and be ashamed of yourselves.”
“You let me go, and I’ll knock him down again,” shouted Dan.
“Come on, come on!” cried Emil.
“Who proposed this?” asked Mr. Bhaer.
“Dan,” answered several voices.
“Don’t you know that it is forbidden?”
“Yes,” growled Dan, sullenly.
“Then why break the rule?”
“They’ll all be molly-coddles[15 - molly-coddles – неженки], if they don’t know how to fight.”
“Have you found Emil a molly-coddle?”
Dan had a black eye, and his jacket was torn to rags. Emil’s face was covered with blood from a cut lip and a bruised nose, while a bump on his forehead was already as purple as a plum.
“Dan, if you break the rules again, you will be sent away. That was the bargain.”
The lads went off, and after a few more words to the spectators, Mr. Bhaer followed to bind up the wounds of the young gladiators. Emil went to bed sick, and Dan was an unpleasant spectacle for a week. But the lawless lad soon transgressed again.
One Saturday afternoon as a party of the boys went out to play, Tommy said,
“Let’s go down to the river, and cut new fish-poles[16 - cut new fish-poles – нарезать новых удилищ].”
“Take Toby to drag them back, and one of us can ride him down,” proposed Stuffy, who hated to walk.
“That means you, I suppose; well, hurry up, lazy-bones,” said Dan.
Away they went, and having got the poles were about to go home, when Demi unluckily said to Tommy, who was on Toby with a long rod in his hand,
“You look like the picture of the man in the bull-fight, only you haven’t got a red cloth, or pretty clothes on.”
“I’d like to see one. There’s old Buttercup in the big meadow, ride at her, Tom, and see her run,” proposed Dan.
“No, you mustn’t,” began Demi.
“Why not, little coward?” demanded Dan.
“I don’t think Uncle Fritz will like it.”
“Did he ever say we must not have a bull-fight?”
“No, I don’t think he ever did,” admitted Demi.
“Then hold your tongue. Drive on, Tom, and here’s a red rag to flap at the old cow. I’ll help you,” and over the wall went Dan, and the rest followed like a flock of sheep; even Demi who watched the fun with interest.
Poor Buttercup was not in a very good mood. Just now she regarded all mankind as her enemies, so when the matadore came towards her with the red handkerchief flying at the end of his long lance, she threw up her head, and gave a most appropriate “Moo!” Tommy rode gallantly at her, and Toby recognizing an old friend, was quite willing to approach. But when the lance came down on her back with a loud whack, both cow and donkey were surprised and disgusted. Toby back with a bray of remonstrance, and Buttercup lowered her horns angrily.
