rolf in the woods-第28章

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became　expert。　　After　watching　a　fairly　successful　attempt　at　a

box　to　hold　fish…hooks　and　tackle；　Quonab　said：　〃In　my　father's

lodge　these　would　bear　quill　work　in　colours。〃



〃That's　so；〃　said　Rolf；　remembering　the　birch…bark　goods　often

sold　by　the　Indians。　　〃I　wish　we　had　a　　porcupine　now。〃



〃Maybe　Skookum　could　find　one；〃　said　the　Indian；　with　a　smile。



〃Will　you　let　me　kill　the　next　Kahk　we　find？〃



〃Yes；　if　you　use　the　quills　and　burn　its　whiskers。〃



〃Why　burn　its　whiskers？〃



〃My　father　said　it　must　be　so。　　The　smoke　goes　straight　to　the

All…above；　then　the　Manito　knows　we　have　killed；　but　we　have

remembered　to　kill　only　for　use　and　to　thank　Him。〃



It　was　some　days　before　they　found　a　porcupine；　and　when　they

did；　it　was　not　necessary　for　them　to　kill　it。　　But　that　belongs

to　another　chapter。



They　saved　its　skin　with　all　its　spears　and　hung　it　in　the

storehouse。　　The　quills　with　the　white　bodies　and　ready…　made

needle　at　each　end　are　admirable　for　embroidering；　but　they　are

white　only。



〃How　can　we　dye　them；　Quonab？



〃In　the　summer　are　many　dyes；　in　winter　they　are　hard　to　get。　　We

can　get　some。〃



So　forth　he　went　to　a　hemlock　tree；　and　cut　till　he　could　gather

the　inner　pink　bark；　which；　boiled　with　the　quills；　turned　them　a

dull　pink；　similarly；　alder　bark　furnished　rich　orange；　and

butternut　bark　a　brown。　　Oak　chips；　with　a　few　bits　of　iron　in

the　pot；　dyed　black。



〃Must　wait　till　summer　for　red　and　green；〃　said　the　Indian。　　〃Red

comes　only　from　berries；　the　best　is　the　blitum。　　We　call　it

squaw…berry　and　mis…caw…wa；　yellow　comes　from　the　yellow　root

（Hydrastis）。



But　black；　white；　orange；　pink；　brown；　and　a　dull　red　made　by　a

double　dip　of　orange　and　pink；　are　a　good　range　of　colour。　　The

method　in　using　the　quills　is　simple。　　An　awl　to　make　holes　in

the　bark　for　each；　the　rough　parts　behind　are　concealed　afterward

with　a　lining　of　bark　stitched　over　them；　and　before　the　winter

was　over；　Rolf　had　made　a　birch…bark　box；　decorated　lid　and　all；

with　por…　cupine　quill　work；　in　which　he　kept　the　sable　skin　that

was　meant　to　buy　Annette's　new　dress；　the　costume　she　had　dreamed

of；　the　ideal　and　splendid；　almost　unbelievable　vision　of　her

young　life；　ninety…five　cents'　worth　of　cotton　print。



There　was　one　other　point　of　dangerous　friction。　　Whenever　　it

fell　to　Quonab　to　wash　the　dishes；　he　simply　set　them　on　the

ground　and　let　Skookum　lick　them　off。　　This　economical

arrangement　was　satisfactory　to　Quonab；　　delightful　to　Skookum；

and　apparently　justified　by　the　finished　product；　but　Rolf

objected。　　The　Indian　said：　〃Don't　he　eat　the　same　food　as　we　do？

You　cannot　tell　if　you　do　not　see。〃



Whenever　he　could　do　so；　Rolf　washed　the　doubtful　dishes　over

again；　yet　there　were　many　times　when　this　was　impossible；　and

the　situation　became　very　irritating。　　But　he　knew　that　the　man

who　loses　his　temper　has　lost　the　first　round　of　the　fight；　so；

finding　the　general　idea　of　uncleanness　without　avail；　he　sought

for　some　purely　Indian　argument。　As　they　sat　by　the　evening　fire；

one　day；　he　led　up　to　talk　of　his　mother　　of　her　power　as　a

medicine　woman；　of　the　many　evil　medicines　that　harmed　her。　　〃It

was　evil　medicine　　for　her　if　a　dog　licked　her　hand　or　touched

her　food。　A　dog　licked　her　hand　and　the　dream　dog　came　to　her

three　days　before　she　died。〃　　After　a　long　pause；　he　added；　〃In

some　ways　I　am　like　my　mother。〃



Two　days　later；　Rolf　chanced　to　see　his　friend　behind　the　shanty

give　Skookum　the　pan　to　clean　off　after　they　had　been　frying　deer

fat。　　The　Indian　had　no　idea　that　Rolf　was　near；　nor　did　he　ever

learn　the　truth　of　it。



That　night；　after　midnight；　the　lad　rose　quietly；　lighted　the

pine　splints　that　served　them　for　a　torch；　rubbed　some　charcoal

around　each　eye　to　make　dark　rings　that　should　supply　a

horror…stricken　look。　　Then　he　started　in　to　pound　on　Quonab's

tom…tom；　singing：



〃Evil　spirit　leave　me；

Dog…face　do　not　harm　me。〃



Quonab　sat　up　in　amazement。　　Rolf　paid　no　heed；　but　went　on；

bawling　and　drumming　and　staring　upward　into　vacant　space。　　After

a　few　minutes　Skookum　scratched　and　whined　at　the　shanty　door。

Rolf　rose；　took　his　knife；　cut　a　bunch　of　hair　from　Skookum's

neck　and　burned　it　in　the　torch；　then　went　on　singing　with　horrid

solemnity：



〃Evil　spirit　leave　me；

Dog…face　do　not　harm　me。〃



At　last　he　turned；　and　seeming　to　discover　that　Quonab　was

looking　on；　said：



〃The　dream　dog　came　to　me。　　I　thought　I　saw　him　lick　deer　grease

from　the　frying　pan　behind　the　shanty。　　He　laughed；　for　he　knew

that　he　made　evil　medicine　for　me。　I　am　trying　to　drive　him　away；

so　he　cannot　harm　me。　　I　do　not　know。　　I　am　like　my　mother。　　She

was　very　wise；　but　she　died　after　it。〃



Now　Quonab　arose；　cut　some　more　hair　from　Skookum；　added　a　pinch

of　tobacco；　then；　setting　it　ablaze；　he　sang　in　the　rank　odour　of

the　burning　weed　and　hair；　his　strongest　　song　to　kill　ill　magic；

and　Rolf；　as　he　chuckled　and　sweetly　sank　to　sleep；　knew　that　the

fight　was　won。　　His　friend　would　never；　never　more　install　Skookum

in　the　high　and　sacred　post　of　pot…licker；　dishwasher；　or　final　polisher。







Chapter　35。　Snaring　Rabbits



The　deepening　snow　about　the　cabin　was　marked　in　all　the　thickets

by　the　multitudinous　tracks　of　the　snowshoe　rabbits　or　white

hares。　　Occasionally　　the　hunters　saw　them；　but　paid　little　heed。

Why　should　they　look　at　rabbits　when　deer　were　plentiful？



〃You　catch　rabbit？〃　asked　Quonab　one　day　when　Rolf　was　feeling

fit　again。



〃I　can　shoot　one　with　my　bow；〃　was　the　answer；　〃but　why　should　I；

when　we　have　plenty　of　deer？〃



〃My　people　always　hunted　rabbits。　　Sometimes　no　deer　were　to　be

found；　then　the　rabbits　were　food。　　Sometimes　　in　the　enemy's

country　it　was　not　safe　to　hunt；　except　rabbits；　with　blunt

arrows；　and　they　were　food。　Sometimes　only　squaws　and　children　in

camp　　nothing　to　eat；　no　guns；　then　the　rabbits　were　food。〃



〃Well；　see　me　get　one；〃　and　Rolf　took　his　bow　and　arrow。　　He

found　many　white　bunnies；　but　always　in　the　thickest　woods。

Again　and　again　he　tried；　but　the　tantalizing　twigs　and　branches

muffled　the　bow　and　turned　the　arrow。　　It　was　hours　before　he

returned　with　a　fluffy　snowshoe　rabbit。



〃That　is　not　our　way。〃　　Quonab　led　to　the　thicket　and　selecting　a

place　of　many　tracks　he　cut　a　lot　of　brush　and　made　a　hedge

across　with　half　a　dozen　openings。　　At　each　of　these　openings　he

made　a　snare　of　strong　cord　tied　to　a　long　pole；　hung　on　a

crotch；　and　so　arranged　that　a　tug　at　the　snare　would　free　the

pole　which　in　turn　would　hoist　the　snare　and　the　creature　in　it

high　in　the　air。



Next　morning　they　went　around　and　found　that　four　of　the　snares

had　each　a　snow…white　rabbit　hanging　by　the　neck。　　As　he　was

handling　these；　Quonab　felt　a　lump　I　on　the　hind　leg　of　one。　　He

carefully　cut　it　open　and　turned　out　a　curious…looking　object

about　the　size　of　an　acorn；　flattened；　made　of　flesh　and　covered

with　hair；　and　nearly　the　shape　of　a　large　bean。　　He　gazed　at　it；

and；　turning　to　Rolf；　said　with　intense　meaning：



〃Ugh！　we　have　found　the　good　hunting。　　This　is　the

Peeto…wab…oos…once；　the　little　medicine　rabbit。　　Now　we　have

strong　medicine　in　the　lodge。　　You　shall　see。〃



He　went　out　to　the　two　remaining　snares　and　passed　the　medicine

rabbit　through　each。　　An　hour　later；　when　they　retumed；　they

found　a　rabbit　taken　in　the　first　snare。



〃It　is　ever　so；〃　said　the　Indian。　　〃We　can　always　catch　rabbits

now。　　My　father　had　the　Peeto…wab…i…ush　once；　the　little　medicine

deer；　and　so　he　never　failed　in　hunting　but　twice。　　Then　he　found

that　his　papoose；　Quonab；　had　stolen　his　great　medcine。　　He　was　a

very　wise　papoose。　He　killed　a　chipmunk　each　of　those　days。〃



〃Hark！　what　is　that？〃　　A　faint　sound　of　rustling　branches；　and

some　short　animal　noises　in　the　woods　had　caught　Rolf's　ear；　and

Skookum's；　too；　for　he　was　off　li