Penny and Peter (7 page)

Daddy got in the front. They waved good-bye to Minnie and they were off.

Soon they had left the town and were out in the country. They passed cornfields with corn shocks standing in rows, and fields with large golden pumpkins waiting to be turned into pies. Sometimes the road was cut right through the woods and the leaves fell like great drops of golden rain. A pale blue smoke hung over the whole countryside and the air smelled faintly of burning leaves.

By dusk they had reached the mountains and, as the road climbed higher, the air grew colder.

"Daddy," said Penny, "do you think there are any wild animals up at the cabin?"

"Oh, there are plenty of wild animals in these mountains," replied Daddy.

"Do you think we will see any?" asked Peter.

"I can't say," replied Daddy. "Maybe if we are very quiet, we shall."

"What kind of wild animals do you think we may see?" asked Peter.

"Well, there are beavers and coon and opossums and deer," said Daddy.

"Oh, I hope I can see a deer!" cried Penny. "I would love to see a deer."

At this place the road cut through a dense wood. It was dark and Daddy put on the headlights. The light flooded the road and the dark trees rose like a wall on each side.

Suddenly, a form plunged from the darkness of the wood across the road. For a second, it was lit brilliantly by the headlights of the car. Then it was swallowed up in the darkness of the wood on the opposite side of the road. It all happened in a split second, but everyone in the car had seen that it was a beautiful deer.

The boys sat on the edge of the seat, breathless.

"Well, that was the deer you wanted to see, Penny," said Daddy.

"Wasn't it wonderful!" said Mother, in a whisper.

"Yes," replied Penny, "but I wanted to see it longer. Oh, I would love to see one longer."

"Well, perhaps we will see one tomorrow," said Daddy.

At last they turned into a narrow road that was like a ribbon of light through the woods.

"Are we almost there, Daddy?" asked Peter. "I'm awfully hungry."

"Almost," replied Daddy.

Finally, the car came to a stop in what seemed to Peter and Penny to be the middle of the woods.

Now that the motor of the car was silent, they could hear the gentle
lap, lap
of the water.

"I hear water, Daddy," said Penny.

"That's the lake," replied Daddy.

"Oh, Daddy! I didn't know there was a lake," said Penny.

"Yes, indeed," said Daddy. "The cabin is very near the lake."

Daddy took the flashlight out of the pocket of the car. "You stay in the car," he said, "until I put the lights on in the cabin."

Mother, Peter, and Penny watched Daddy follow the path of the flashlight. Now he was going up some steps. Now he was on a porch. He must be putting the key in the door. Now he was inside.

Then, suddenly, bright lights twinkled in the darkness. They were the lighted windows of the cabin. Penny had been feeling cold but now he felt warm right down into his little toes.

This was like a dream come true. This was the cabin in the woods.

Peter and Penny were delighted when they saw the inside of the cabin. There was a big open fireplace where they soon had a fire burning.

They were as hungry as bears and gobbled up the chicken sandwiches and hot cocoa that Mother fixed for their supper. But they didn't tarry long, they were so anxious to get into the bunk beds. They spent quite some time, however, climbing up and down the ladder that led to the upper bunk. Daddy said that they were like monkeys on a stick.

Both of the boys wanted to sleep in the upper bunk, so it was finally settled that Peter would sleep in it on Friday night and Penny would sleep in it on Saturday night.

This satisfied both Penny and Peter and before long they were tucked away and sound asleep.

In the middle of the night, Penny woke up. He wondered where he was. He sat up in bed and looked around. Everything looked so strange and there was a woody odor. It smelled a little like being in the cedar closet at home.

Penny got up and went to the window. When he looked out of the window, things looked even more strange. A mist lay over everything and moonlight filtered through the mist. Penny felt certain that something was about to happen. Sure enough, in a moment, a beautiful stag appeared between the trees. The moonlight shone on his back and his antlers as he moved silently toward the water. Penny held his breath. Then, in a moment, he saw another deer. This one, he knew, was the doe, for she had no antlers. He watched as she followed the stag to the edge of the water. There they both bent their heads and drank. Then, as quietly as they had come, they disappeared.

Penny let out his breath and turned away from the window. Suddenly, he knew where he was. He was in the cabin in the mountains and that big lump in the bunk up near the ceiling was Peter.

In the morning, he told Peter and Mother and Daddy about the deer he had seen. "It was just like being in a fairy story," said Penny.

"Why didn't you call us?" asked Peter.

"I don't know," said Penny. "I guess I forgot you were here. And I was afraid if I moved, it would all disappear."

When breakfast was over, Peter and Penny went down to the lake. It was too cold to go swimming so they took the rowboat out of the boathouse and rowed out to a little island in the lake. From here they could see a few other cabins, dotted around the edge of the lake. Far away, they heard a dog barking.

The boys explored the little island and then rowed back to the mainland.

At lunch, Peter said, "Daddy, is it all right if we take a walk around the edge of the lake?"

"Certainly," said Daddy, "but don't get so far into the woods that you lose sight of the lake. As long as you keep the lake in view you will know how to come home."

"Okay," said Peter.

"Do you think we will meet any wild animals?" asked Penny.

"Well, keep your eyes open," replied Daddy.

"I would like to explore a stream and find a beaver's dam, wouldn't you, Penny?" said Peter.

"Oh yes!" cried Penny. "What do you think, Daddy? Do you think we could?"

"Suppose we explore a stream tomorrow?" said Daddy.

"All right," said the boys, as they trotted down the path to the lake. Near the edge of the lake, they turned off on a path that led around the lake. They scuffed their feet through the red and yellow leaves. They picked up nuts and pinecones. They heard the crackle of twigs under their feet and the rustle of squirrels in the branches overhead. They were pretty far from home now. They were alone in what seemed to be a very big forest. And then, all of a sudden, they heard a sound. It was a low growl. Peter and Penny looked around. There was another growl.

"What's that?" Penny whispered.

About a foot away, Peter saw an animal. Its eyes shone like big bright marbles. It was a brindle gray color. Its pointed ears stood up and its long plumelike tail switched back and forth.

"It's a wolf!" cried Peter. "Run, Penny!"

The two boys started off as fast as their legs could carry them. The wolf bounded after them.

"Climb a tree!" cried Peter.

Penny ran to the nearest pine tree. The branches were low enough for him to get a foothold. Then up he scrambled. Peter did the same. When they looked for each other, they were in two trees about ten feet apart. Penny was trembling so hard he shook the branches. He looked down for the wolf. There he was, smelling around the base of the trees.

"What shall we do?" said Penny.

"I have a whistle in my pocket," said Peter. "I'll blow it and maybe Daddy will hear it and come."

"But I don't want the wolf to attack Daddy," said Penny.

"Oh no," said Peter. "If Daddy could just bring a gun and shoot it. But if I blow the whistle, he won't know that he is to bring a gun. I guess I had better not blow it."

The wolf sat down and looked up in the trees.

"He has a very vicious face," said Penny. "His eyes are just like fire."

"Now he's licking his chops," said Peter. "And look at his terrible teeth."

"Oh, dear!" cried Penny. "Maybe we'll have to stay here all night." And Penny began to cry.

"Now, don't cry, Penny," said Peter. "Daddy will come to find us."

"But I don't want Daddy to get eaten by a wolf," Penny wailed.

Just then the wolf lifted his head and howled. He howled and he howled.

"Oh, dear!" cried Penny. "He wants to eat us, doesn't he?"

"Maybe Daddy will hear that and bring a gun," said Peter.

"Oh, I hope so," said Penny. "He's a very vicious wolf, isn't he?"

"He sure is," said Peter. "But he can't get up the trees."

The wolf, at this point, quieted. He decided to lie on the ground. He put his head down between his front feet. The boys looked down upon him from the trees.

"Maybe he is going to sleep," said Penny.

Peter said nothing. He just continued to stare down at the animal.

After some little time, he said, "Penny, do you see something shining on the back of the wolf's neck?"

Penny looked down. "Uh-huh!" he said.

"What do you suppose it is?" said Peter.