rolf in the woods-第22章

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at　the　camp　just　as　darkness　and　a　heavy　rainfall　began。



〃Good；〃　said　Quonab；　〃our　deadfalls　are　ready；　we　have　done　all

the　work　our　fingers　could　not　do　when　the　weather　is　very　cold；

and　the　ground　too　hard　for　stakes　to　be　driven。　　Now　the　traps

can　get　weathered　before　we　go　round　and　set　them。　　Yet　we　need

some　strong　medicine；　some　trapper　charm。〃



Next　morning　he　went　forth　with　fish…line　and　fish…spear；　he　soon

returned　with　a　pickerel。　　He　filled　a　bottle　with　cut…up　shreds

of　this；　corked　it　up；　and　hung　it　on　the　warm；　sunny　side　of　the

shanty。　　〃That　will　make　a　charm　that　every　bear　will　come　to；　〃

he　said；　and　left　it　to　the　action　of　the　sun。







Chapter　27。　Sick　Dog　Skookum



Getting　home　is　always　a　joy；　but　walking　about　the　place　in　the

morning　they　noticed　several　little　things　that　were　wrong。

Quonab's　lodge　was　down；　the　paddles　that　stood　against　the

shanty　were　scattered　on　the　ground；　and　a　bag　of　venison　hung

high　at　the　ridge　was　opened　and　empty。



Quonab　studied　the　tracks　and　announced　〃a　bad　old　black　bear；　he

has　rollicked　round　for　mischief；　upsetting　things。　　But　the

venison　he　could　not　reach；　that　was　a　marten　that　ripped　open

the　bag。〃



〃Then　that　tells　what　we　should　do；　build　a　storehouse　at　the　end

of　the　shanty；　〃　said　Rolf；　adding；　〃it　must　be　tight　and　it　must

be　cool。〃



〃Maybe！　sometime　before　winter；〃　said　the　Indian；　〃but　now　we

should　make　another　line　of　traps　while　the　weather　is　fine。〃



〃No；〃　replied　the　lad；　〃Skookum　is　not　fit　to　travel　now。　　We

can't　leave　him　behind；　and　we　can　make　a　storehouse　in　three

days。〃



The　unhappy　little　dog　was　worse　than　ever。　　He　could　scarcely

breathe；　much　less　eat　or　drink；　and　the　case　was　settled。



First　they　bathed　the　invalid's　head　in　water　as　hot　as　he　could

stand　it。　　This　seemed　to　help　him　so　much　that　he　swallowed

eagerly　some　soup　that　they　poured　into　his　mouth。　　A　bed　was

made　for　him　in　a　sunny　place　and　the　hunters　set　about　the　new

building。



In　three　days　the　storehouse　was　done；　excepting　the　chinking。

It　was　October　now；　and　a　sharp　night　frost　warned　them　of　the

hard　white　moons　to　come。　　Quonab；　as　he　broke　the　ice　in　a　tin

cup　and　glanced　at　the　low…hung　sun；　said：　〃The　leaves　are

falling　fast；　snow　comes　soon；　we　need　another　line　of　traps。〃



He　stopped　suddenly；　stared　across　the　lake。　　Rolf　looked；　and

here　came　three　deer；　two　bucks　and　a　doe；　trotting；　walking；　or

lightly　clearing　obstacles；　the　doe　in　advance；　the　others；　rival

followers。　　As　they　kept　along　the　shore；　they　came　nearer　the

cabin。　　Rolf　glanced　at　Quonab；　who　nodded；　then　slipped　in；　got

down　the　gun；　and　quickly　glided　unseen　to　the　river　where　the

deer　path　landed。　　The　bucks　did　not　actually　fight；　for　the

season　was　not　yet　on；　but　their　horns　were　clean；　their　necks

were　swelling；　and　they　threatened　each　other　as　they　trotted

after　the　leader。　　They　made　for　the　ford　as　for　some　familiar

path；　and　splashed　through；　almost　without　swimming。　　As　they

landed；　Rolf　waited　a　clear　view；　then　gave　a　short　sharp　〃Hist！〃

It　was　like　a　word　of　magic；　for　it　turned　the　three　moving　deer

to　three　stony…still　statues。　　Rolf's　sights　were　turned　on　the

smaller　buck；　and　when　the　great　cloud　following　the　bang　had

deared　away；　the　two　were　gone　and　the　lesser　buck　was　kicking　on

the　ground　some　fifty　yards　away。



〃We　have　found　the　good　hunting；　the　deer　walk　into　camp；〃　said

Quonab；　and　the　product　of　the　chase　was　quickly　stored；　the

first　of　the　supplies　to　be　hung　in　the　new　storehouse。



The　entrails　were　piled　up　and　covered　with　brush　and　stones。

〃That　will　keep　off　ravens　and　jays；　then　in　winter　the　foxes

will　come　and　we　can　take　their　coats。〃



Now　they　must　decide　for　the　morning。　　Skookum　was　somewhat

better；　but　still　very　sick；　and　Rolf　suggested：　〃Quonab；　you

take　the　gun　and　axe　and　lay　a　new　line。　　I　will　stay　behind　and

finish　up　the　cabin　for　the　winter　and　look　after　the　dog。〃　　So

it　was　agreed。　　The　Indian　left　the　camp　alone　this　time　and

crossed　to　the　east　shore　of　the　lake；　there　to　follow　up　another

stream　as　before　and　to　return　in　three　or　four　days　to　the　cabin。







Chapter　28。　Alone　in　the　Wilderness



Rolf　began　the　day　by　giving　Skookum　a　bath　as　hot　as　he　could

stand　it；　and　later　his　soup。　For　the　first　he　whined　feebly　and

for　the　second　faintly　wagged　his　tail；　but　clearly　he　was　on　the

mend。



Now　the　chinking　and　moss…plugging　of　the　new　cabin　required　all

attention。　　That　took　a　day　and　looked　like　the　biggest　job　on

hand；　but　Rolf　had　been　thinking　hard　about　the　winter。　　In

Connecticut　the　wiser　settlers　used　to　bank　their　houses　for　the

cold　weather；　in　the　Adiron…　dacks　he　knew　it　was　far；　far

colder；　and　he　soon　decided　to　bank　the　two　shanties　as　deeply　as

possible　with　earth。　A　good　spade　made　of　white　oak；　with　its

edge　hardened　by　roasting　it　brown；　was　his　first　necessity；　and

after　two　days　of　digging　he　had　the　cabin　with　its　annex　buried

up　to　〃the　eyes〃　in　fresh；　clean　earth。



A　stock　of　new；　dry　wood　for　wet　weather　helped　to　show　how　much

too　small　the　cabin　was；　and　now　the　heavier　work　was　done；　and

Rolf　had　plenty　of　time　to　think。



Which　of　us　that　has　been　left　alone　in　the　wilderness　does　not

remember　the　sensations　of　the　first　day！　　The　feeling　of

self…dependency；　not　unmixed　with　unrestraint；　the　ending　of

civilized　thought；　the　total　reversion　to　the　primitive；　the

nearness　of　the　wood…folk；　a　sense　of　intimacy；　　a　recurrent

feeling　of　awe　at　the　silent　inexorability　of　all　around；　and　a

sweet　pervading　sense　of　mastery　in　the　very　freedom。　　These　were

among　the　feelings　that　swept　in　waves　through　Rolf；　and　when　the

first　night　came；　he　found　such　comfort　　yes；　he　had　to　confess

it　　in　the　company　of　the　helpless　little　dog　whose　bed　was　by

his　own。



But　these　were　sensations　that　come　not　often；　in　the　four　days

and　nights　that　he　was　alone　they　lost　all　force。



The　hunter　proverb　about　〃strange　beasts　when　you　have　no　gun〃

was　amply　illustrated　now　that　Quonab　had　gone　with　their　only

firearm。　　The　second　night　before　turning　in　（he　slept　in　the

shanty　now）；　he　was　taking　a　last　look　at　the　stars；　when　a

large；　dark　form　glided　among　the　tree　trunks　between　him　and　the

shimmering　lake；　stopped；　gazed　at　him；　then　silently　disappeared

along　the　shore。　　No　wonder　that　he　kept　the　shanty　door　closed

that　night；　and　next　morning　when　he　studied　the　sandy　ridges　he

read　plainly　that　his　night　visitor　had　been　not　a　lynx　or　a　fox；

but　a　prowling　cougar　or　panther。



On　the　third　morning　as　he　went　forth　in　the　still　early　dawn　he

heard　a　snort；　and　looking　toward　the　spruce　woods；　was　amazed　to

see　towering　up；　statuesque；　almost　grotesque；　with　its　mulish

ears　and　antediluvian　horns；　a　large　bull　moose。



Rolf　was　no　coward；　but　the　sight　of　that　monster　so　close　to　him

set　his　scalp　a…prickling。　　He　felt　so　　helpless　without　any

firearms。　　He　stepped　into　the　cabin；　took　down　his　bow　and

arrows；　then　gave　a　contemptuous　　〃Humph；　all　right　for　partridge

and　squirrels；　but　give　me　a　rifle　for　the　woods！〃　　He　went　out

again；　there　was　the　moose　standing　as　before。　　The　lad　rushed

toward　it　a　few　steps；　shouting；　it　stared　unmoved。　　But　Rolf　was

moved；　and　he　retreated　to　the　cabin。　　Then　remembering　the

potency　of　fire　he　started　a　blaze　on　the　hearth。　　The　thick

smoke　curled　up　on　the　still　air；　hung　low；　made　swishes　through

the　grove；　until　a　faint　air　current　took　a　wreath　of　it　to　the

moose。　　The　great　nostrils　drank　in　a　draught　that　conveyed

terror　to　the　creature's　soul；　and　wheeling　it　started　at　its

best　pace　to　the　distant　swamp；　to　be　seen　no　more。



Five　times；　during　these　four　days；　did　deer　come　by　and　behave

as　though　they　knew　perfectly　well　that　this　young　human　was

harmless；　entirely　without　the　power　of　the　far…kill