rolf in the woods-第18节

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movement。　　Quonab　took　a　stout　stick　and　threw　the　porcupine　out

of　its　retreat；　（Rolf　supposed　to　kill　it　when　the　head　was

exposed；）　but　the　spiny　one；　finding　a　new　and　stronger　enemy；

wasted　no　time　in　galloping　at　its　slow　lumbering　pace　to　the

nearest　small　spruce　tree　and　up　that　it　scrambled　to　a　safe

place　in　the　high　branches。



Now　the　hunters　called　the　dog。　　He　was　a　sorry…looking　object；

pawing　at　his　muzzle；　first　with　one　foot；　then　another；　trying

to　unswallow　the　quills　in　his　tongue；　blinking　hard；　uttering

little　painful　grunts　and　whines　as　he　rubbed　his　head　upon　the

ground　or　on　his　forelegs。　　Rolf　held　him　while　Quonab；　with　a

sharp　jerk；　brought　out　quill　after　quill。　　Thirty　or　forty　of

the　poisonous　little　daggers　were　plucked　from　his　trembling

legs；　head；　face；　and　nostrils；　but　the　dreadful　ones　were　those

in　his　lips　and　tongue。　　Already　they　were　deeply　sunk　in　the

soft；　quivering　flesh。　　One　by　one　those　in　the　lips　were　with…

drawn　by　the　strong　fingers　of　the　red　man；　and　Skookum　whimpered

a　little；　but　he　shrieked　outright　when　those　in　the　tongue　were

removed。　　Rolf　had　hard　work　to　hold　him；　and　any　one　not　knowing

the　case　might　have　thought　that　the　two　men　were　deliberately

holding　the　dog　to　administer　the　most　cruel　torture。



But　none　of　the　quills　had　sunk　very　deep。　　All　were　got　out　at

last　and　the　little　dog　set　free。



Now　Rolf　thought　of　vengeance　on　the　quill…pig　snugly　sitting　in

the　tree　near　by。



Ammunition　was　too　predous　to　waste；　but　Rolf　was　getting　ready

to　climb　when　Quonab　said：　〃No；　no；　you　must　not。　　Once　I　saw

white　man　climb　after　the　Kahk；　it　waited　till　he　was　near；　then

backed　down；　lashing　its　tail。　He　put　up　his　arm　to　save　his

face。　　It　speared　his　arm　in　fifty　places　and　he　could　not　save

his　face；　so　he　tried　to　get　down；　but　the　Kahk　came　faster；

lashing　him；　then　he　lost　his　hold　and　dropped。　　His　leg　was

broken　and　his　arm　was　swelled　up　for　half　a　year。　　They　are　very

poisonous。　He　nearly　died。〃



〃Well；　I　can　at　least　chop　him　down；〃　and　Rolf　took　the　axe。



〃Wah！〃　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？　　Alas；　no！　before　one　hour　he　met　with　another

porcupine　and　remembering　only　his　hate　of　the　creature　repeated

the　same　sad　mistake；　and　again　had　to　have　the　painful　help；

without　which　he　must　certainly　have　died。　　Before　night；

however；　he　began　to　feel　his　real　punishment　and　next　morning　no

one　would　have　known　the　pudding…headed　thing　that　sadly　followed

the　hunters；　for　the　bright　little　dog　that　a　day　before　had　run

so　joyously　through　the　woods。　　It　was　many　a　long　day　before　he

fully　recovered　and　at　one　time　his　life　was　in　the　balance；　and

yet　to　the　last　of　his　days　he　never　fully　realized　the　folly　of

his　insensate　attacks　on　the　creature　that　fights　with　its　tail。



〃It　is　ever　so；〃　said　the　Indian。　　〃The　lynx；　the　panther；　the

wolf；　the　fox；　the　eagle；　all　that　attack　the　Kahk　must　die。

Once　my　father　saw　a　bear　that　was　killed　by　the　quills。　　He　had

tried　to　bite　the　Kahk；　it　filled　his　mouth　with　quills　that　he

could　not　spit　out。　　They　sunk　deeper　and　his　jaws　swelled　so　he

could　not　open　or　shut　his　mouth　to　eat；　then　he　starved。　　My

people　found　him　near　a　fish　pond　below　a　rapid。　　There　were　many

fish。　　The　bear　could　kill　them　with　his　paw　but　not　eat；　so　with

his　mouth　wide　open　and　plenty　about　him　he　died　of　starvation　in

that　pool。



〃There　is　but　one　creature　that　can　kill　the　Kahk　that　is　the

Ojeeg　the　big　fisher　weasel。　　He　is　a　devil。　　He　makes　very

strong　medicine；　the　Kahk　cannot　harm　him。　He　turns　it　on　its

back　and　tears　open　its　smooth　belly。　It　is　ever　so。　　We　not

know；　but　my；　father　said；　that　it　is　because　when　in　the　flood

Nana　Bojou　was　floating　on　the　log　with　Kahk　and　Ojeeg；　Kahk　was

insolent　and　wanted　the　highest　place；　but　Ojeeg　was　respectful

to　Nana　Bojou；　he　bit　the　Kahk　to　teach　him　a　lesson　and　got

lashed　with　the　tail　of　many　stings。　　But　the　Manito　drew　out　the

quills　and　said：　'It　shall　be　ever　thus；　the　Ojeeg　shall　conquer

the　Kahk　and　the　quills　of　Kahk　shall　never　do　Ojeeg　any　harm。'〃







Chapter　25。　The　Otter　Slide



It　was　late　now　and　the　hunters　camped　in　the　high　cool　woods。

Skookum　whined　in　his　sleep　so　loudly　as　to　waken　them　once　or

twice。　　Near　dawn　they　heard　the　howling　of　wolves　and　the

curiously　similar　hooting　of　a　horned　owl。　　There　is；　indeed；

almost　no　differece　between　the　short　opening　howl　of　a　she…wolf

and　the　long　hoot　of　the　owl。　　As　he　listened；　half　awake；　Rolf

heard　a　whirr　of　wings　which　stopped　overhead；　then　a　familiar

chuckle。　　He　sat　up　and　saw　Skookum　sadly　lift　his　misshapen　head

to　gaze　at　a　row　of　black…breasted　grouse　partridge　on　a　branch

above；　but　the　poor　doggie　was　feeling　too　sick　to　take　any

active　interest。　　They　were　not　ruffed　grouse；　but　a　kindred

kind；　new　to　Rolf。　　As　he　gazed　at　the　perchers；　he　saw　Quonab

rise　gently；　go　to　nearest　willow　and　cut　a　long　slender　rod　at

least　two　feet　long；　on　the　top　of　this　he　made　a　short　noose　of

cord。　Then　he　went　cautiously　under　the　watching　grouse；　the

spruce　partridges；　and　reaching　up　slipped　the　noose　over　the

neck　of　the　first　one；　a　sharp　jerk　then　tightened　noose；　and

brought　the　grouse　tumbling　out　of　the　tree　while　its　companions

merely　clucked　their　puzzlement；　made　no　effort　to　escape。



A　short；　sharp　blow　put　the　captive　out　of　pain。　　The　rod　was

reached　again　and　a　second；　the　lowest　always；　was　jerked　down；

and　the　trick　repeated　till　three　grouse　were　secured。　　Then　only

did　it　dawn　on　the　others　that　they　were　in　a　most　perilous

neighbourhood；　so　they　took　flight。



Rolf　sat　up　in　amazement。　　Quonab　dropped　the　three　birds　by　the

fire　and　set　about　preparing　breakfast。



〃These　are　fool　hens；〃　he　explained。　　〃You　can　mostly　get　them

this　way；　sure；　if　you　have　a　dog　to　help；　but　ruffed　grouse　is

no　such　fool。〃



Rolf　dressed　the　birds　and　as　usual　threw　the　entrails　Skookum。

Poor　little　dog！　he　was；　indeed；　a　sorry　sight。　He　looked　sadly

out　of　his　bulging　eyes；　feebly　moved　swollen　jaws；　but　did　not

touch　the　food　he　once　would　have　pounced　on。　　He　did　not　eat

because　he　could　not　open　his　mouth。



At　camp　the　trappers　made　a　log　trap　and　continued　the　line　with

blazes　and　deadfalls；　until；　after　a　mile；　they　came　to　a　broad

tamarack　swamp；　and；　skirting　its　edge；　found　a　small；　outflowing

stream　that　brought　them　to　an　eastward…facing　hollow。

Everywhere　there　were　signs　game；　but　they　were　not　prepared　for

the　scene　that　opened　as　they　cautiously　pushed　through　the

thickets　into　a　high；　hardwood　bush。　　A　deer　rose　out　of　the

grass　and　stared　curiously　at　them；　then　another　and　another

until　nearly　a　dozen　were　in　sight；　still　farther　many　others

appeared；　to　the　left　were　more；　and　movements　told　of　yet　others

to　the　right。　Then　their　white　flags　went　up　and　all　loped　gently

away　on　the　slope　that　rose　to　the　north。　There　may　have　been

twenty　or　thirty　deer　in　sight；　but　the　general　effect　of　all

their　white　tails；　bobbing　away；　was　that　the　woods　were　full　of

deer。　　They　seemed　to　be　there　by　the　hundreds　and　the　joy　of

seeing　so　many　beautiful　live　things　was　helped　in　the　hunters　by

the　feeling　that　this　was　their　own　hunting…ground。　　They　had；

indeed；　reached　the　land　of　plenty。



The　stream　increased　as　they　marched；　many　springs　and　some

important　rivulets　joined　on。　　They　found　some　old　beaver　signs

but　none　new；　and　they　left　their　deadfalls　every　quarter　mile　or　less。



The　stream　began　to　descend　more　quickly　until　it　was　in　a　long；

narrow　valley　with　steep　clay　sides　and　many　pools。　　Here　they

saw　again　and　again　the　tracks　and　signs　of　otter　and　coming

quietly　round　a　turn　that　opened　a　new　reach　they　heard　a　deep

splash；　then　another　and　another。



The　hunters'　first　thought　was　to　tie　up　Skookum；　but　a　glance

showed　that　this　was　unnecessary。　　They　softly　dropped　the　packs

and　the　sick　dog　lay　meekly　down　beside　them。　　Then　they　crept

forward　with　hunter　caution；　favoured　by　an　easterly　breeze。

Their　first　thought　was　of　beaver；　but　they　had　seen　no　recent

sign；　nor　was　there　anything　that　looked　like　a　beaver　pond。　The

measured　splash；　splash；　splash　　was　not　so　far　ahead。　It　might

be　a　bear　snatching　fish；　or　　no；　that　was　too　unpleasant　　a

man　baling　out　a　canoe。　　Still　the　slow　splash；　splash；　went　on

at　intervals；　not　quite　regular。



Now　it　seemed　but　thirty　yards　ahead　and　in　the　creek。



With　the　utmost　care　they　crawled　to　the　edge　of　the　clay　and

opposite　they　saw　a　sight　but　rarely　glimpsed　by　man。　　Here　were

six　otters；　two　evident