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2.Life in the Forest
The next morning Jacob rode to the town of Lymington.
There he heard that the King was in prison again and that Cromwell's soldiers were going back to London.
Jacob bought cottage clothes for the children and a few things for the house.
Then he put everything on his horse and walked back home through the forest.
While he walked, he thought about the children.
They were so young, and alone in a dangerous world— he was their only friend.
But he was an old man, and perhaps would not live long.
He knew he must teach them how to find food and do everything for themselves.
After dinner, he called the children round him.
‘Now, remember, you are my grandchildren and your name is Armitage, not Beverley.
‘I've bought you some cottage clothes to wear, and you must all learn to work and live like a forester's children.
‘Edward is the oldest and he must come out with me into the forest and learn how to hunt.
‘Then we'll have meat to eat every day.
‘Humphrey, you must look after the horse and the pigs, and bring water from the river every day.
‘Alice dear, you must light the fire, clean the house and wash the clothes,
‘and you and Humphrey will both learn how to cook.
‘And little Edith will look after the chickens and look for the eggs every morning— will you, Edith?’
‘Yes,’ said Edith. ‘I liked the chickens at Arnwood.’
There was no more meat in the cottage and so the next morning Jacob and Edward, with the dog Smoker, went out into the forest.
They walked quietly and did not speak.
The red deer of the forest could see, hear and smell very well, and it was hard to get near them.
After more than a mile, Jacob dropped down to the ground, and through the trees Edward saw three deer.
Jacob moved silently forward on his hands and knees, and Edward and Smoker followed him.
Slowly they got nearer, but then suddenly the deer, who were quietly eating grass, put up their heads and walked away.
Jacob turned. ‘You see, Edward, hunting is slow work.
‘Now we must go through the woods around the other side of the deer and try again.’
‘What frightened them, do you think?’ asked Edward.
‘When you were following me, I think you put your knee on a piece of stick and it broke.’
‘Yes, but that made only a little noise.’
‘Only a little noise will frighten a red deer,’ said Jacob kindly.
‘But these mistakes can happen to anyone, and you will learn.
‘Now— not a word, and not a sound!’
In half an hour they found the deer again, and again Jacob dropped down to the ground and moved forward without a sound.
At last, he lifted his gun and shot one of the deer behind the shoulder.
The deer dropped to its knees and fell dead, and the other deer ran away.
‘This is a fine deer and the meat will be good,’ said Jacob. ‘We're about five miles from the cottage, Edward,
‘but Smoker will take you home, and you can come back with White Billy. He must carry the meat home for us.’
It was a good beginning to their new life,
and the next day Jacob rode to Lymington to sell some of the meat.
With the money he bought things for the vegetable garden, a big bag of oatmeal for the winter, and a gun for Edward.
That winter was long and cold, and they stayed in the cottage most of the time.
Alice learned how to cook and to mend clothes.
Edith learned to read and write, and to make oatmeal bread and cook it on the stones by the fire.
Humphrey was clever with his hands, and learned how to make things out of wood.
Edward learned how to shoot and to look after his gun.
They were all busy and happy, but Edward sometimes felt angry.
He kept his father's sword by his bed and often cleaned it.
He hated Cromwell and his soldiers, and he wanted to fight for the King.
In the month of May, the leaves came out and the forest began to look green again.
‘And now, Edward,’ said Jacob one day, ‘we need more meat, both to eat and to sell.
‘So let's get our guns and go out. You can shoot first.’
They walked four or five miles before they saw a deer.
‘Stay here, while I go through the trees with Smoker,’ said Jacob quietly.
‘Then I'll stand up, and the deer will run towards you. Remember, shoot it behind the shoulder.’
Edward waited quietly, and after a time the deer ran out of the trees in front of him.
He lifted his gun, shot the deer behind the shoulder, and it fell to the ground.
‘Well done!’ said Jacob, when he came back. ‘You killed your first deer! And it's a fine one, too.
‘Soon I shall leave the hunting to you, and put my gun up on the wall!’
The spring was a busy time for everyone at the cottage.
In the field they planted potatoes and lots of different vegetables.
Little Edith was busy with her chickens, and Humphrey built a chicken-house, and a house for the pigs.
Jacob sold some of the deer meat and bought a little cart.
White Billy was not very happy about this at first,
but he soon learned to pull the cart behind him, and it was a great help with all the farm work.
Humphrey loved the work on the farm.
He was always making plans to do new things, and he was now very clever at building things out of wood.
It was hard work. First he had to cut down a tree, and then cut the wood into pieces for building.
One day he began to build a cow-house.
‘We need a cow to give us milk,’ he said to the others. ‘I'm going to catch one of the forest cows.’
Edward laughed, but Jacob said, ‘The forest cows are very wild, and can be dangerous. You must be careful.’
June arrived, and they began to cut the long grass, to keep for food for the animals in winter.
The girls helped too, and White Billy was busy every day, pulling home the new cart full of summer grass.
Humphrey did not forget about his cow.
He finished building the cow-house and began to spend an hour or more every day out in the forest.
He was watching the wild cows. Early one morning he came running home.
‘Jacob, Edward, come with me! Bring Smoker, too.’
‘Why, what's the matter?’
‘I've found a cow! She's left the other cows because of her new-born calf. So she's alone, and we can catch her.’
‘But how?’ asked Edward.
‘I'll tell you later. I must get White Billy and the cart.’
Jacob and Edward followed him, and soon they were driving the cart through the forest.
‘Smoker will jump up at the cow,’ explained Humphrey,
‘and keep her away from us while we put the calf in the cart.
‘When we drive away, the cow will follow her baby.’
The cow was lying near her calf, but when she saw them, she got up and shook her head angrily from side to side.
‘Go, Smoker, go!’ Jacob called to his dog,
and Smoker jumped at the cow, driving her back into the trees away from her calf.
Edward and Humphrey quickly lifted the calf into the cart, and got in themselves.
Then Jacob hurried back and got in too.
‘Drive off, Humphrey,’ he said. ‘I'll call Smoker now, and the cow will follow us.
‘Here, Smoker, here!’ Smoker came running out of the trees at once.
The cow followed and ran wildly after the cart, calling loudly to her calf.
Before long they were back at the cottage.
‘There's Alice and Edith running out!’ cried Jacob. ‘Go back inside, Alice! The cow is dangerous!’
Humphrey drove the cart into the field.
Smoker kept the cow away while they carried the calf into the cowhouse.
Then they left, and the cow followed its calf inside.
‘There!’ said Humphrey. ‘Let's leave her with the calf. Tomorrow I'll cut some grass for her.’
Every day for a fortnight Humphrey brought grass to the cow, and every day she was a little quieter.
After a month, Humphrey began to take milk from the cow.
‘I have learned how to shoot deer,’ said Edward.
‘But Humphrey has caught a cow and given us milk.
‘You are cleverer than I am, brother!’