osc.am1.seventhson-第38部分

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　　〃Maybe　that　stranger　knew　something　about　the　powers　that　can　work　inside　a　man's　heart；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃Do　you　think　so？〃
　　〃Oh；　I　can't　be　sure；　but　maybe　that　stranger　also　saw　how　much　that　father　loved　the　boy。　Maybe　the　stranger　was　confused　for　a　long　time；　but　finally　began　to　realize　that　the　child　was　extraordinary；　with　powerful　enemies。　And　then　maybe　he　came　to　understand　that　no　matter　how　many　enemies　the　boy　had；　his　father　wasn't　one　of　them。　Wasn't　an　enemy。　And　he　wanted　to　say　something　to　that　father。〃
　　〃What　did　he　want　to　say？〃　Miller　brushed　his　eyes　with　his　sleeve　again。　〃What　do　you　think　that　stranger　might　want　to　say？〃
　　〃Maybe　he　wanted　to　say；　'You've　done　all　you　can　do；　and　now　it's　too　strong　for　you。　Now　you　ought　to　send　that　boy　away。　To　relatives　back　east；　maybe；　or　as　a　prentice　in　some　town。'　That　might　be　a　hard　thing　for　the　father　to　do；　since　he　loves　the　boy　so　much；　but　he'll　do　it　because　he　knows　that　real　love　is　to　take　the　boy　out　of　danger。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Miller。
　　〃For　that　matter；〃　said　Taleswapper；　〃maybe　you　ought　to　do　something　like　that　with　your　own　boy；　Alvin。〃
　　〃Maybe；〃　said　Miller。
　　〃He's　in　some　danger　from　the　water　around　here；　wouldn't　you　say？　Somebody's　protecting　him；　or　something。　But　maybe　if　Alvin　weren't　living　here〃
　　〃Then　some　of　the　dangers　would　go　away；〃　said　Miller。
　　〃Think　about　it；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃It's　a　terrible　thing；〃　said　Miller；　〃to　send　your　boy　away　to　live　with　strangers。〃
　　〃It's　a　worse　thing；　though；　to　put　him　in　the　ground。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Miller。　〃That's　the　worst　thing　in　the　world。　To　put　your　child　in　the　ground。〃
　　They　didn't　talk　any　more；　and　after　a　while　they　both　slept。
　　The　morning　was　cold；　with　a　heavy　frost；　but　Miller　wouldn't　even　let　Al　Junior　e　up　to　the　rock　until　the　sun　burned　it　away。　Instead　they　all　spent　the　morning　preparing　the　ground　from　the　cliff　face　to　the　sledge；　so　they　could　roll　the　stone　down　the　mountain。
　　By　now；　Taleswapper　was　sure　that　Al　Junior　used　a　hidden　power　to　get　the　millstone　away　from　the　cliff　face；　even　if　he　didn't　realize　it　himself。　Taleswapper　was　curious。　He　wanted　to　see　just　how　powerful　this　power　was；　so　he　could　understand　more　about　its　nature。　And　since　Al　Junior　didn't　realize　what　he　was　doing；　Taleswapper's　experiment　had　to　be　subtle；　too。　〃How　do　you　dress　your　stone？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　Miller　shrugged。　〃Buhr　Stone　is　what　I　used　before。　They　all　e　with　sickle　dress。〃
　　〃Can　you　show　me？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　Using　a　corner　of　the　rake；　Miller　drew　a　circle　in　the　frost。　Then　he　drew　a　series　of　arcs；　radiating　from　the　center　of　the　circle　out　to　the　edges。　Between　each　pair　of　arcs　he　drew　a　shorter　arc；　which　began　at　the　edge　but　never　came　closer　than　two…thirds　of　the　way　toward　the　center。　〃Like；　that；〃　said　Miller。
　　〃Most　millstones　in　Pennsylvania　and　Suskwahenny　are　quarter　dress；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃You　know　that　cut？〃
　　〃Show　me。〃
　　So　Taleswapper　drew　another　circle。　It　didn't　show　up　as　well；　since　the　frost　was　burning　off　now；　but　it　was　good　enough。　He　drew　straight　lines　instead　of　curved　ones　from　the　center　to　the　edge；　and　the　shorter　lines　branched　directly　from　the　long　ones　and　ran　straight　to　the　edge。　〃Some　millers　like　this　better；　because　you　can　keep　it　sharp　longer。　Since　all　the　lines　are　straight；　you　get　a　nice　even　draw　when　you're　tooling　the　stone。〃
　　〃I　can　see　that；〃　said　Miller。　〃I　don't　know；　though。　I'm　used　to　those　curvy　lines。〃
　　〃Well；　suit　yourself；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃I've　never　been　a　miller；　so　I　don't　know。　I　just　tell　stories　about　what　I've　seen。〃
　　〃Oh；　I　don't　mind　you　showing　me；〃　said　Miller。　〃Don't　mind　a　bit。〃
　　Al　Junior　stood　there；　studying　both　circles。
　　〃I　think　if　we　once　get　this　stone　home；〃　said　Miller　〃I'll　try　that　quarter　dress　on　it。　Looks　to　me　like　it　might　be　easier　to　keep　up　a　clean　grind。〃
　　Finally　the　ground　was　dry；　and　Al　Junior　walked　to　the　cliff　face。　The　other　boys　were　all　down　below；　breaking　camp　or　bringing　the　horses　up　to　the　quarry。　Only　Miller　and　Taleswapper　watched　as　Al　Junior　finally　carried　his　hammer　to　the　cliff　face。　He　had　a　little　more　cutting　to　do；　to　get　the　circle　to　its　full　depth　all　around。
　　To　Taleswapper's　surprise；　when　Al　Junior　set　the　chisel　in　place　and　gave　a　whang　with　the　hammer；　a　whole　section　of　stone；　some　six　inches　long；　split　away　from　the　cliff　face　and　crumbled　to　the　ground。
　　〃Why；　that　stone's　as　soft　as　coal；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃What　kind　of　millstone　can　it　make；　if　it's　as　weak　as　that？〃
　　Miller　grinned　and　shook　his　head。
　　Al　Junior　stepped　away　from　the　stone。　〃Oh；　Taleswapper；　it's　hard　stone；　unless　you　know　just　the　right　place　to　crack　it。　Give　it　a　try；　you'll　see。〃
　　He　held　out　the　chisel　and　hammer。　Taleswapper　took　them　and　approached　the　rock。　Carefully　he　laid　the　chisel　onto　the　stone；　a　slight　angle　away　from　perpendicular。　Then；　after　a　few　trial　taps；　he　laid　on　a　blow　with　the　hammer。
　　The　chisel　practically　jumped　out　of　his　left　hand；　and　the　shock　of　impact　was　so　great　that　he　dropped　the　hammer。　〃Sorry；〃　he　said；　〃I've　done　this　before；　but　I　must　have　lost　the　skill〃
　　〃Oh；　it's　just　the　stone；〃　said　Al　Junior。　〃It's　kind　of　temperamental。　It　only　likes　to　give　in　certain　directions。〃
　　Taleswapper　inspected　the　place　where　he　had　tried　to　cut。　He　couldn't　find　the　spot。　His　mighty　blow　had　left　no　mark　at　all。
　　Al　Junior　picked　up　the　tools　and　laid　the　chisel　against　the　stone。　It　looked　to　Taleswapper　as　though　he　put　it　in　exactly　the　same　place。　But　Al　acted　as　though　he　had　placed　it　quite　differently。　〃See；　it's　getting　just　the　angle　on　it。　Like　this。〃
　　He　whanged　with　the　hammer；　the　iron　rang　out；　there　was　a　cracking　of　stone；　and　once　again　crumbled　stone　pattered　on　the　ground。
　　〃I　can　see　why　you　have　him　do　all　the　cutting；〃　Taleswapper　said。
　　〃Seems　like　the　best　way；〃　said　Miller。
　　In　only　a　few　minutes；　the　stone　was　fully　rounded。　Taleswapper　said　nothing；　just　watched　to　see　what　Al　would　do。
　　He　set　down　his　tools；　walked　to　the　millstone；　and　embraced　it。　His　right　hand　curled　around　the　lip　of　it。　His　left　hand　probed　back　into　the　cut　on　the　other　side。　Alvin's　cheek　pressed　against　the　stone。　His　eyes　were　closed。　It　looked　for　all　the　world　as　though　he　were　listening　to　the　rock。
　　He　began　to　hum　softly。　A　mindless　little　tune。　He　moved　his　hands。　Shifted　his　position。　Listened　with　the　other　ear。
　　〃Well；〃　Alvin　said；　〃I　can't　hardly　believe　it。〃
　　〃Believe　what？〃　asked　his　father。
　　〃Those　last　few　cuts　must　have　set　up　a　real　shiver　in　the　rock。　The　back　is　already　split　right　off。〃
　　〃You　mean　that　millstone　is　standing　free？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　〃I　think　we　can　rock　it　forward　now；〃　said　Alvin。　〃It　takes　a　little　rope　work；　but　we'll　get　it　out　of　there　without　too　much　trouble。〃
　　The　brothers　arrived　with　the　ropes　and　horses。　Alvin　passed　a　rope　back　behind　the　stone。　Even　though　not　a　single　cut　had　been　made　against　the　back；　the　rope　dropped　easily　into　place。　Then　another　rope；　and　another；　and　soon　they　were　all　tugging；　first　left；　then　right；　as　they　slowly　walked　the　heavy　stone　out　of　its　bed　in　the　cliff　face。
　　〃If　I　hadn't　seen　it；〃　murmured　Taleswapper。
　　〃But　you　did；〃　said　Miller。
　　It　was　only　a　few　inches　clear　when　they　changed　the　ropes；　passing　four　lines　through　the　center　hole　and　hitching　them　to　a　team　of　horses　uphill　of　the　stone。　〃It'll　roll　on　downhill　just　fine；〃　Miller　explained　to　Taleswapper。　〃The　horses　are　there　as　a　drag；　pulling　against　it。〃
　　〃It　looks　heavy。〃
　　〃Just　don't　lie　down　in　front　of　it；〃　said　Miller。
　　They　started　it　rolling；　very　gently。　Miller　took　hold　of　Alvin's　shoulder　and　kept　the　boy　well　back　from　the　stone　　and　uphill　of　it；　too。　Taleswapper　helped　with　the　horses；　so　he　didn't　get　a　good　look　at　the　back　surface　of　the　stone　until　it　was　down　on　level　ground　by　the　sledge。
　　It　was　smooth　as　a　baby's　backside。　Flat　as　ice　in　a　basin。　Except　that　it　was　scored　in　a　quarter　dress　pattern；　straight　lines　radiating　fro