United States or Bahrain ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
It was two or three miles to the ravens' gathering, and, as before, it proved to be over a cedar brake where was a deer yard. Skookum knew all about it. He rushed into the woods, filled with the joy of martial glory. But speedily came running out again as hard as he could, yelling "yow, yow, yowl" for help, while swiftly following, behind him were a couple of gray wolves.
"Come back, you little fool!" cried Rolf. But Skookum had a mind of his own. He trotted ahead, then stopped, paused, and sniffed at something in the snow. The Indian picked it up. It was the pocket jackscrew that every bear trapper carries to set the powerful trap, and without which, indeed, one man cannot manage the springs. He held it up with "Ugh! Hoag in trouble now."
In ten minutes there was a sharp "yap, yap," and Skookum bounded out of the woods to leap and bark around Rolf, as though he knew all about it; while a few minutes later, came Quonab striding. "Ho, boy," he said, with a quiet smile, and took Rolf's hand. "Ugh! That was good," and he nodded to the smoke fire. "I knew you were in trouble." "Yes," and Rolf pointed to the swollen ankle.
They went on a mile or two and realized in so doing that, however poor a trapper the enemy might be, he was a good tramper and knew the country. At sundown they came to their half-way shelter and put up there for the night. Once when Rolf went out to glimpse the skies before turning in, he heard a far tree creaking and wondered, for it was dead calm. Even Skookum noticed it.
Twenty miles they made that day and twenty-five the next, for now they were on good roads, and their packs were lighter. More than once they found kind farmer folk who gave them a meal. But many times Skookum made trouble for them. The farmers did not like the way he behaved among their hens.
In a remote and sheltered place he built a wigwam of his own. Skookum was divided in his allegiance, but he solved the puzzle by dividing his time between them. He did not change much, but he did rise in a measure to the fundamental zoological fact that hens are not partridges; and so acquired a haughty toleration of the cackle-party throng that assembled in the morning at Annette's call.
Now they were fat and the fur was yet prime; in a month they would be thin and shedding. Now is the time for bear hunting with either trap or dog. Doubtless Skookum thought the party most fortunately equipped in the latter respect, but no single dog is enough to bay a bear. There must be three or four to bother him behind, to make him face about and fight; one dog merely makes him run faster.
"Success to you; he was one of the best we had," said the general, as the Indian left, then added: "Take a couple of men along, and, here, take this," and he held out a flask. Thus it was that the dawning saw Rolf on a stretcher carried by his three scouting partners, while Skookum trotted ahead, looking this way and that they should surely not be ambushed this time.
Quonab said, "no; my father said you must not kill the Kahk, except you make sacrifice and use his quills for household work. It is bad medicine to kill the Kahk." So the spiny one was left alone in the place he had so ably fought for. But Skookum, what of him? He was set free at last. To be wiser?
Quickly the first rallied and sprang on his other leg with all the force of its puny paws, and powerful jaws. Meanwhile Quonab was laughing aloud and holding back Skookum, who, breathing fire and slaughter, was mad to be in the fight. "Ho! a good fight! good musquas! Ho, Skookum, you must not always take care of him, or he will not learn to go alone.
Word Of The Day