rolf in the woods-第34章

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and　displaced　the　stick；　the　jerk　it　gave　the　line　sent　the

song…drum　with　hollow　bumping　to　the　ground。　　The　boy　stooped　to

replace　it；　as　he　did；　Quonab　grunted　and　Rolf　turned　to　see　his

hand　stretched　for　the　drum。　　Had　Rolf　officiously　offered　it；　it

would　have　been　refused；　now　the　Indian　took　it；　tapped　and

warmed　it　at　the　fire；　and　sang　a　song　of　the　Wabanaki。　　It　was

softly　done；　and　very　low；　but　Rolf　was　close；　for　almost　the

first　time　in　any　long　rendition；　and　he　got　an　entirely　new

notion　of　the　red　music。　　The　singer's　face　brightened　as　he

tummed　and　sang　with　peculiar　grace　notes　and　throat　warbles　of

〃Kaluscap's　war　with　the　magi；〃　and　the　spirit　of　his　people；

rising　to　the　sweet　magic　of　melody；　came　shining　in　his　eyes。

He　sang　the　lovers'　song；　〃The　Bark　Canoe。〃　（See　F。　R。　Burton's

〃American　Primitive　Music。）



〃While　the　stars　shine　and　falls　the　dew；　I　seek　my　love　in　bark　canoe。〃



And　then　the　cradle　song；



〃The　Naked　Bear　Shall　Never　Catch　Thee。〃



When　he　stopped；　he　stared　at　the　fire；　and　after　a　long　pause

Rolf　ventured；　〃My　mother　would　have　loved　your　songs。〃



Whether　he　heard　or　not；　the　warm　emanation　surely　reached　the

Indian；　and　he　began　to　answer　the　question　of　an　hour　before：



〃Her　name　was　Gamowini；　for　she　sang　like　the　sweet　night　bird　at

Asamuk。　　I　brought　her　from　her　father's　house　at　Saugatuck。　　We

lived　at　Myanos。　　She　made　beautiful　baskets　and　moccasins。　　I

fished　and　trapped；　we　had　enough。　　Then　the　baby　came。　　He　had

big　round　eyes；　so　we　called　him　Wee…wees；　'our　little　owl；'　and

we　were　very　happy。　　When　Gamowini　sang　to　her　baby；　the　world

seemed　full　of　sun。　　One　day　when　Wee…wees　could　walk　she　left

him　with　me　and　she　went　to　Stamford　with　some　baskets　to　sell。

A　big　ship　was　in　the　harbour。　　A　man　from　the　ship　told　her　that

his　sailors　would　buy　all　her　baskets。　She　had　no　fear。　　On　the

ship　they　seized　her　for　a　runaway　slave；　and　hid　her　till　they

sailed　away。



〃When　she　did　not　come　back　I　took　Wee…wees　on　my　shoulder　and

went　quickly　to　Stamford。　　I　soon　found　out　a　little；　but　the

people　did　not　know　the　ship；　or　whence　she　came；　or　where　she

went；　they　said。　　They　did　not　seem　to　care。　　My　heart　grew

hotter　and　wilder。　　I　wanted　to　fight。　　I　would　have　killed　the

men　on　the　dock；　but　they　were　many。　　They　bound　me　and　put　me　in

jail　for　three　months。　　'When　I　came　out　Wee…wees　was　dead。　　They

did　not　care。　　I　have　heard　nothing　since。　　Then　I　went　to　live

under　the　rock；　so　I　should　not　see　our　first　home。　I　do　not

know；　she　may　be　alive。　　But　I　think　it　killed　her　to　lose　her　baby。〃



The　Indian　stopped；　then　rose　quickly。　　His　face　was　hard　set。

He　stepped　out　into　the　snowstorm　and　the　night。　　Rolf　was　left

alone　with　Skookum。



Sad；　sad；　everything　seemed　sad　in　his　friend's　life；　and　Rolf；

brooding　over　it　with　wisdom　beyond　his　years；　could　not　help

asking：　〃Had　Quonab　and　Gamowini　been　white　folk；　would　it　have

happened　so？　　Would　his　agony　have　been　received　with　scornful

indifference？　　Alas！　he　knew　it　would　not。　　He　realized　it　would

have　been　a　very　different　tale；　and　the　sequent　questions　that

would　not　down；　were；　〃Will　this　bread　cast　on　the　waters　return

after　many　days？〃　〃Is　there　a　God　of　justice　and　retribution？〃

〃On　whom　will　the　flail　of　vengeance　fall　for　all　these　abominations？〃



Two　hours　later　the　Indian　returned。　　No　word　was　spoken　as　he

entered。　　He　was　not　cold。　　He　must　have　walked　far。　　Rolf

prepared　for　bed。　　The　Indian　stooped；　picked　up　a　needle　from

the　dusty　ground；　one　that　had　been　lost　the　day　before；　silently

handed　it　to　his　　companion；　who　gave　only　a　recognizant　〃Hm；〃

and　dropped　it　into　the　birch…bark　box。







Chapter　44。　The　Lost　Bundle　of　Furs



There　had　been　a　significant　cessation　of　robbery　on　their　trap

line　after　the　inconclusive　visit　to　the　enemy's　camp。　　But　a　new

and　extreme　exasperation　　arose　in　the　month　of　March；　when　the

alternation　　of　thaw　and　frost　had　covered　the　snow　with　a　hard

crust　that　rendered　snowshoes　unnecessary　and　made　it　easy　to　run

anywhere　and　leave　no　track。



They　had　gathered　up　a　fisher　and　some　martens　before　they

reached　the　beaver　pond。　　They　had　no　beaver　traps　now；　but　it

was　interesting　to　call　and　see　how　many　of　the　beavers　were

left；　and　what　they　were　doing。



Bubbling　springs　on　the　bank　of　the　pond　had　made　open　water　at

several　places；　now　that　the　winter　frost　was　weakening。　　Out　of

these　the　beavers　often　came；　as　was　plainly　seen　in　the　tracks；

so　the　trappers　approached　them　carefully。



They　were　scrutinizing　one　of　them　from　behind　a　log；　Quonab　with

ready　gun；　Rolf　holding　the　unwilling　Skookum；　　when　the　familiar

broad；　flat　head　appeared。　　A　large　beaver　swam　around　the　hole；

sniffed　and　looked；　then　silently　climbed　the　bank；　evidently

making　for　a　certain　aspen　tree　that　he　had　already　been　cutting。

He　was　in　easy　range；　and　the　gunner　was　about　to　fire　when　Rolf

pressed　his　arm　and　pointed。　　Here；　wandering　through　the　wood；

came　a　large　lynx。　　It　had　not　seen　or　smelt　any　of　the　living

creatures　ahead；　as　yet；　but　speedily　sighted　the　beaver　now

working　away　to　cut　down　his　tree。



As　a　pelt；　the　beaver　was　worth　more　than　the　lynx；　but　the

naturalist　is　strong　in　most　hunters；　and　they　watched　to　see

what　would　happen。



The　lynx　seemed　to　sink　into　the　ground；　and　was　lost　to　sight　as

soon　as　he　knew　of　a　possible　prey　ahead。　　And　now　he　began　his

stalk。　　The　hunters　sighted　him　once　as　he　crossed　a　level

opening　in　the　snow。　　He　seemed　less　than　four　inches　high　as　he

crawled。　　Logs；　ridges；　trees；　or　twigs；　afforded　ample

concealment；　till　his　whiskers　appeared　in　a　thicket　within

fifteen　feet　of　the　beaver。



All　this　was　painfully　exciting　to　Skookum；　who；　though　he　could

not　see；　could　get　some　thrilling　whiffs；　and　he　strained　forward

to　improve　his　opportunities。　　The　sound　of　this　slight　struggle

caught　the　beaver's　ear。　　It　stopped　work；　wheeled；　and　made　for

the　water　hole。　　The　lynx　sprang　from　his　ambush；　seized　the

beaver　by　the　back；　and　held　on；　but　the　beaver　was　double　the

lynx's　weight；　the　bank　was　steep　and　slippery；　the　struggling

animals　kept　rolling　down　hill；　nearer　and　nearer　the　hole。

Then；　on　the　very　edge；　the　beaver　gave　a　great　plunge；　and

splashed　into　the　water　with　the　lynx　clinging　to　its　back。　At

once　they　disappeared；　and　the　hunters　rushed　to　the　place；

expecting　them　to　float　up　and　be　an　easy　prey；　but　they　did　not

float。　　At　length　it　was　clear　that　the　pair　had　gone　under　the

ice；　for　in　water　the　beaver　was　master。



After　five　minutes　it　was　certain　that　the　lynx　must　be　dead。

Quonab　cut　a　sapling　and　made　a　grappler。　　He　poked　this　way　and

that　way　under　the　ice；　until　at　length　he　felt　something　soft。

With　the　hatchet　they　cut　a　hole　over　the　place　and　then　dragged

out　the　body　of　the　lynx。　The　beaver；　of　course；　escaped　and　was

probably　little　the　worse。



While　Quonab　skinned　the　catch；　Rolf　prowled　around　the　pond　and

soon　came　running　back　to　tell　of　a　remarkable　happening。



At　another　open　hole　a　beaver　had　come　out；　wandered　twenty　yards

to　a　mound　which　he　had　castorized；　then　passed　several　hard　wood

trees　to　find　a　large　poplar　or　aspen；　the　favourite　food　tree。

This　he　had　begun　to　fell　with　considerable　skill；　but　for　some

strange　reason；　perhaps　because　alone；　he　had　made　a

miscalculation；　and　when　the　tree　came　crashing　down；　it　had

fallen　across　his　back；　killed　him；　and　pinned　him　to　the　ground。



It　was　an　easy　matter　for　the　hunters　to　remove　the　log　and

secure　his　pelt；　so　they　left　the　beaver　pond；　richer　than　they

had　expected。



Next　night；　when　they　reached　their　half…way　shanty；　they　had　the

best　haul　they　had　taken　on　this　line　since　the　memorable　day

wben　they　got　six　beavers。



The　morning　dawned　clear　and　bright。　　As　they　breakfasted；　　they