Enough money to start a new life in a new place. ”

"Call, Charles, do you have to leave now?" Mom asked. It's still so cold and the warm villa is so comfortable

"If you're going to leave this year, you have to leave now." Grandpa said, "As soon as the ice melts, people won't be able to cross the Mississippi River." ”

In this way, the grandfather sold the cottage, as well as the cows and calves. She bent the hickory branches into a bow and stood upright and tied tightly to the carriage. Mom helped her spread the white canvas tent and spread it on top.

In the dim light before dawn, Mom gently woke Mary and Gu Ruxi and asked them to get up on the sofa.

Everything in the hut was moved into the caravan, leaving only the sofa, table and chairs. You don't have to take the furniture with you, because grandpa can make new ones at any time.

There was a thin layer of snow on the ground. The air was cold, the surroundings were silent, and it was dark. Grandpa, grandma, uncles, aunts, and cousins all came.

Mary and Gu Ruxi hugged their rag dolls tightly and said nothing. The cousins stood around and watched them.

Again and again grandma and aunts hugged them, kissed them, and said goodbye to them.

Grandpa hung her gun on a stand on the top of the canvas tent so she could quickly grab it from her seat.

I couldn't see where they lead, and eventually they disappeared without a trace.

Grandpa drove the caravan to the frozen river and followed the ruts. Horseshoe on ice.

Gu Ruxi didn't like this kind of scene, but Grandpa sat in the car seat, and Jack followed behind the car. He knew that as long as Grandpa and Jack were around, there was nothing to worry about.

The caravan finally came to a stop on a dirt slope, and trees could be seen around again. There is also a villa in the woods. In this way, Gu Ruxi's mood is better.

There are no people living in the villa, so everyone can stay in it. The house is small and oddly shopped.

When Grandpa lit a fire in the fireplace, Mary, Gu Ruxi and the baby Linlin slept with their mother on the sofa laid out on the floor in front of the fireplace, while Grandpa slept in the caravan outside the house, guarding the car and horses.

At night, a strange sound woke up Gu Ruxi. It sounded like a gunshot, but it was sharper and longer than that. He heard it again and again.

Mary and Linlin had been sleeping, but Gu Ruxi couldn't sleep, and then her mother's soft voice came from the darkness: "Sleep, Gu Ruxi."

Mom said, "It was just the sound of ice cracking." ”

The next morning, Grandpa said, "Thankfully we crossed the river yesterday, Caroline." It's likely that the ice will crack today.

Everyone just happened to pass in a hurry, and by the time everyone reached the middle of the river, the ice had not yet begun to crack, which was a blessing. ”

"You thought so yesterday, Charles." Mom said softly.

Gu Ruxi hadn't thought about this before, but now he thought to himself: If the ice under the wheels shatters, the whole family will have fallen into the icy river, what can we do! “

I'm scared kids, Charles. Mom said, grandpa hugged Gu Ruxi tightly into her at once

After a few more days, they reached a small hill again. In a mountainous area, the caravan sank into a deep black quagmire.

The next day, Grandpa found a place to camp at the foot of the hill. At this time, the rain stopped, but everyone had to wait a week, until the stream receded and the mud dried up, so that Grandpa could dig up the mud trapped in the wheels and move on.

One day, while everyone was waiting, a tall, thin man came out of the woods on a black pony.

She talked to her grandfather for a while, and then went out into the woods together, and when they returned, they were both riding black ponies.

Grandpa traded the two exhausted brown horses pulling the cart for the two ponies.

These are two pretty ponies, and Grandpa says they are not actually ponies, but the western wild horses gentle. "They have large, supple, gentle eyes with long hideous fur and long tails.

Gu Ruxi asked her grandfather what their names were, and he said that he and Mary could name them.

So Mary named one horse Pate, and Gu Ruxi named the other Patty.

The group traveled a long journey in a caravan from the great forests of Wisconsin.

Kansas is a vast plain with tall grass swaying in the wind. Day after day

One day, everyone was marching on the Kisas steppe.

Pate and Paco kept moving forward all day, trotting and slowing and trotting and trotting, but they could not get out of the middle of the dome.

The next day, the earth was still like that, the sky was still like that, and the trick was still like that. Dolan and Mary are tired of it all, there is nothing new to do or anything new to see.

Every now and then, a large hare will leap high from the undulating grass. Jack didn't pay any attention to the hares.

Grandpa hunched his back, holding the rope loosely in his hands, and the wind blew her long brown beard straight to the ground.

The little baby Linlin slept in a small alcove in the middle of the pile of baggage.

"Ahh Mary yawned, and Gu Ruxi said, "Mom, can you run behind the car for a while?" Your legs are stiff. ”

"No, Gu Ruxi." Mom said.

"Will everyone stop and stay soon?" Gu Ruxi asked. It seemed like a long time had passed since noon, and everyone was sitting on a clean grass in the shadow of the caravan for lunch.

Grandpa said, "It's not time yet." It's too early to stay. ”

"You want to live now! You're so tired. Gu Ruxi said.

Then my mother said, "Gu Ruxi." He didn't say anything else, but that meant that Gu Ruxi shouldn't complain anymore.

His legs hurt and the wind kept blowing his hair. The grass swayed, the wagons jolted, and nothing happened for a long time.

"You're almost going to a stream or a river." Grandpa said, "Little girls, do you see the trees in front of you?" ”

Gu Ruxi stood up and grabbed a wooden strip on the canopy rack. He saw a low dark shadow far ahead. "That's a tree." Grandpa said, "I can tell from the shape of the shadow that it's a tree."

In this area, where there are trees, there is water. That's where everyone stays tonight. ”

The road is slightly undulating, going downhill and then uphill, then downhill and uphill.

The trees seem to be a little closer now, but they haven't gotten any taller. Then, Gu Ruxi was suddenly frightened and couldn't breathe, and clung to the canopy frame.

The road turns a bend here, and there is a short walk along the top of the cliff, followed by a sudden steep downhill. Grandpa pulls on the brake lever.

Later, the caravan once again went to the flat ground. The narrow trench that I had just walked through gradually opened up and became a depression.

Gu Ruxi was a little surprised, because he didn't see a stream. However, the depression is very wide, so I guess I can't see the stream yet.

After walking for a while, those high, graceful laterite cliffs still stand behind the caravan. But by the time Pate and Patty stopped to drink by the stream, the cliffs were almost obscured by the hills and trees.

In the silent air, only the sound of rushing water could be heard. There are big trees growing on both sides of the stream,

The water under the trees was black and sour, but in the middle of the stream, the water flowed very fast, and the waves shone silver and blue.

"The stream is really high," said Grandpa, "but I think everyone can get by." I think this is the beachhead where the water is wading, and the ruts left by the past. What do I think, Carolyn? "I said okay, Charles." Mom replied.

Pate and Patty lifted their wet noses and pricked up their ears forward, looking at the stream; Then they turned their ears back and listened to what Grandpa had to say. They exhale, lean their soft noses together, and whisper to each other. A little up the stream, Jack was licking the stream with his red tongue.

"You have to tie the tarpaulin on the roof." Grandpa said. She climbed out of the saddle, lowered the canvas rolled up on both sides of the caravan, and tied it tightly to the car. Then she tightened the rope behind the car so that the canvas canopy shrank in the middle, leaving only a small round hole through which it was impossible to look out.

Mary curled up on the couch. He did not like to cross the river beach, he was afraid of the rushing current. However, Gu Ruxi was very excited, he liked to splash water. Grandpa climbed into the saddle and said, "The horse may have to go to Surabaya, because the water in the middle of the stream is deep." But you can get over it, Carolyn. Gu Ruxi thought of Jack and said, "You hope Jack can come to the car, grandpa." ”

Grandpa didn't answer. She pulled the rope tightly in her hand. Mom said: "Jack can Surabaya, Gu Ruxi." It's going to be fine. ”

The caravan slowly moved forward on the dirt floor. Splashes began to splash on the wheels, and the splash became louder and louder. The waves hit the caravan, and the caravan shook. Suddenly, the caravan floated, one moment being carried flat by the stream, and the next it swayed from side to side. It's a lot of fun.

The sound of the waves is no longer audible. Mom suddenly screamed, "Lie down, children!" ”

It was as fast as lightning, and Mary and Gu Ruxi immediately lay down on the sofa. Whenever mom uses such 15 little big star series

The ground sounded, and the grandfather also shouted loudly. The whole wagon shook violently, towards the child for a while, and then the batter began, but the wheels began to roll on the ground. Gu Ruxi got up again and grabbed the front compartment. He saw Pate and Pati running beside them on the steep bank, shouting, "Well, Patty! Hey, Pate! Come on! Come on! Awesome, great! ”

They stood silently on the riverbank, panting and dripping with water. The caravan was also safely located in the stream, quietly parked there.

Grandpa stood aside, also panting, also dripping water. Mom shouted, "Ah, Si! ”

Alright, alright, Carolyn. Grandpa said, "Everyone is safe, thanks to the solid body, and the wheels are also tightly connected." You've never seen a stream rise so fast in your life. 1 Te and Patti are both good players in Surabaya, but guess you can't swim if you don't help them. ”

If Grandpa didn't know how to deal with it at that time, or Mom was so frightened that she couldn't control the caravan, and Gu Ruxi and Mary were disobedient and distracted him, then everyone might have been washed away by the water. The stream swept everyone over and over until it was far away, drowning everyone, and no one knew that everyone was white

Something's going on. Maybe no one will walk this road for weeks.

"All right," said Grandpa, "is there any danger." Mom said, "Charles, me." ”

Before Grandpa could answer, Gu Ruxi shouted, "Ah, where is Jack?" ”

Everyone forgot about Jack. Everyone left it on the other side of the terrible stream, and now there is no trace of it. It should have been following everyone and fighting hard in Surabaya, but now there is a shadow of it struggling in the water.

Gu Ruxi swallowed her saliva hard, so that she could hold back her crying. He knows it's your business to cry, but his heart is crying. On the long road after leaving Wisconsin, there may be 18 villa collections

Get on the small

Hurry, out of this stream depression.

Gu Ruxi kept looking back all the way. He knew he would never see Jack again, but he still had a glimmer of hope. But he saw nothing, only the low, low, undulating land between the caravan and the stream, and the strange red earth cliffs on the other side of the stream.

Later, another towering cliff appeared in front of the caravan. There is a crack between these earthen cliff walls, with fuzzy ruts leading inside. Pate and Patty climbed along the path through the chasm, which widened and became a small valley overgrown with grass. Eventually, the valley opened up and saw the steppes on the highlands again.

There are no roads in the grasslands, not even faint ruts or horseshoe prints. This grassland has never been visited, only the high weeds cover the empty and boundless earth, and the top is covered with vast empty cellars. In the distance, the lower end of the sun is gently touching the edge of the earth. The sun was so huge that it was shining back like a beating heart. There was a faint pink glow on the horizon, yellow on top of pink, blue on top of yellow, and no color at all above blue. Purple shadows were gathering across the land, and the wind was whining in a whisper.

Grandpa told the horse to stop. She and her mother got out of the caravan and prepared to camp, and Mary and Gu Ruxi also climbed down the caravan and onto the ground.

"Call, Mom," Gu Ruxi asked as if pleading, "Jack went to heaven, right?" It's such a good dog, can't it go to heaven? ”

Mom didn't know how to answer, but Grandpa said, "Yes, Gu Ruxi, it will go to heaven." God doesn't even forget the little sparrow, and he won't let a dog as good as Jack stay out of heaven. ”

Gu Ruxi just felt a little better. He wasn't happy. Grandpa didn't whistle as usual when he was working, and after a while she said, "You don't know what to do without a good watchdog in such a wilderness." ”

There is a small cup dedicated to themselves, while Mary and Gu Ruxi can only share a tin cup to drink water. They can't drink coffee until they're adults.

As we ate dinner, the purple shadows of the prairie gradually gathered around the campfire. The vast grassland was dark and silent, only the wind blew quietly through the grass. The stars hung in the vast hateless sky and sparkled, looking so big, so low.

In this wide, bleak darkness, the campfire feels comfortable. The marinated meat slices are crunchy and greasy, and the tortillas taste quite good. In the darkness behind the caravan, Pate and Patty were also eating dinner, the sound of them chewing grass creaking.

"You're going to be sleeping here for a day or two." Grandpa said, "Maybe I won't leave." There's good land, there's timber in the creeks, there's a lot of game—there's everything you need. What do I think, Carolyn? ”

"Maybe if you go a little further, the situation will not be as good as here." Mom replied.

"Anyway, you'll have a look around tomorrow." Grandpa said, "Bring a gun and get some fresh meat for everyone to eat." ”

She lit her pipe with a piece of red-hot charcoal and stretched her legs comfortably. The warm smell of brown tobacco mixed with the warmth of a campfire. Mary yawned, slid off the bars of the caravan, and sat down on the grass. Gu Ruxi also yawned. Mom quickly washed the tin plates, tin cups, knives and forks, scrubbed the pan and frying pan, and rinsed the rags for washing dishes.

He paused abruptly, listening to the long wails coming from the dark grassland. Everyone understands what it sounds like. Whenever Gu Ruxi heard this kind of voice, she always felt a chill down her spine and a numb scalp.

Mom shook the rag, then went into the darkness and spread it on the long grass to dry. When he walked back, Grandpa said, "It's wolves." You tell they're half a mile away.

Well, where there are deer, there are always wolves, you hope ......"

It was red, and the entire lower abdomen was covered with mud. Mom gave it a piece of tortilla, and it licked it, and then wagged its tail very politely, and it couldn't eat it. It's so tiring.

"I don't know how long it swam in one breath." "I don't know how far it was washed downstream before it climbed ashore." When it finally found everyone, Gu Ruxi also said that it was a wolf, and grandpa threatened to shoot it.

But Jack understands that people don't mean to do that. Gu Ruxi asked it: "I understand that everyone didn't mean it, right, Jack?" Jack wagged his tail, and it understood.

It's past the time to go to bed on the couch. Grandpa tied Pate and Patty to the back of the wagon and told them to eat the corn in the feed box. Xiao Linlin fell asleep again, and her mother helped Mary and Gu Ruxi take off their clothes, and then put the long nightgown on their heads, and let them put their arms into their sleeves and pull them down later. They buttoned their collars themselves and fastened the straps of their nightcaps under their chins. Jack rolled over three times in weariness under the caravan, then lay down to sleep.

Gu Ruxi and Mary prayed bedtime in the caravan and then climbed onto their small couch. Mom kissed them and said goodnight.

Outside the caravan, Pate and Patty are eating corn. Patty put her head into the feed box and ate quickly, the sound seemed to ring in Gu Ruxi's ears. There was a slight rustle of small animals sprinting in the grass; In the trees by the stream, an owl called: "Whew! A little farther away, another owl replied, "Chir-chirping, chirping-chirping." Farther down the meadow, wolves were howling, and Jack "rang" in a deep chest voice under the caravan. Everything in the caravan makes people feel so safe and comfortable.

Looking through the opening on the roof of the caravan, you can see the sky densely covered with large twinkling stars. Gu Ruxi thought to herself, grandpa would definitely be able to catch these stars. On the line with the stars hanging from the sky, he hoped that his grandfather would pluck the largest one and give it to him. He felt awake and didn't want to sleep at all, but he was suddenly shocked that the big star was winking at him!

When he woke up from his sleep, it was already the next morning.