United States or Chile ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"We can't afford to use rifle ammunition to shoot birds, but if we can get this boy to go along on a goose-hunt we may have a new sort of fun, and maybe get some game." The young Aleut showed no disposition to return to his own people, and when at length, after they had all eaten heartily, the three friends turned toward the door of the barabbara, he followed them as though he had been invited.
"Natu salmon," said Skookie one morning, poking his head in at the door of the barabbara, where the others still sat, washing up the breakfast dishes. "What's that he says, John?" asked Rob, who seemed less ready than the younger boy to pick up the native speech. "Natu means nothing or no or not," interpreted John. "What's the matter with the salmon, Skookie?"
These natives nearly always hunt in districts where they know there can be found a barabbara or so, and such huts are used as common property by all who find them, although the loose title of ownership probably rests in the man or family who first erected them.
We'll call it 'Cripples' Castle, but hope that our luck will be better in it." "Come on, let's go inside," said Jesse. So they crawled into the ragged hole in the wall which they had left for a door. They found the interior spacious enough for their needs, and the roof in the centre was stronger than that of their old barabbara.
They did not talk a great deal as they returned to the barabbara at the close of their disastrous day. The pain which Rob suffered gave them all concern. It was Skookie once more who proved himself resourceful. Without asking leave of any one, he crossed the lagoon on the stepping-stones and disappeared in the thicket beyond.
Next he found a spreader, or tapering board, under the eaves of the barabbara, and over this he stretched his fox-skin, inside out, setting it away in the back part of the barabbara, where it would slowly dry without being exposed to the fire. "Well, he certainly is a trapper, all right," said John, admiringly. "Now I believe we could do that sort of thing ourselves.
Sure enough, when the boys entered the barabbara to look after their rifles, and began to rummage among the piles of klipsies which they found thrown back under the eaves, they unearthed a broken cast-iron frying-pan and, what caused them even greater delight, a little, dirty sack, which contained perhaps three or four pounds of salt.
He seemed overjoyed that there was no longer any sign of the hostile party which had come in pursuit of him. At least the boys guessed that was what he felt, and guessed also that he had been coming down to the stream at night and not in the daytime, perhaps thus sustaining the fall which had hurt his leg. They were hungry that night as they cooked their evening meal in the smoky barabbara.
Look over there at that rock face on the other side of the creek; that would be a fine place to build another house. I think it would be fun." "But look at us, all crippled up as we are," said Rob. "We never were in as bad shape to go to work." "Oh, well," demurred Jesse, "we wouldn't have to do it all in one day. I think, too, it would be some fun to build a barabbara all of our own."
If they do get him, it's very likely they'll squat down here to eat him up, and that would take all summer! I must confess I don't like the look of it very much." "And there's Jimmy " began John. "That's so! We must go and see about him." Quietly they edged their way out of the excited throng of natives and hurried across the sea-wall to the barabbara. Opening the door they peered cautiously in.
Word Of The Day