rolf in the woods-第6章

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not　seen　her。　　At　once　she　shrank　back；　but　on　recovering

sufficiently　to　again　peer　down；　she　saw　something　roasting

before　the　fire　　〃a　tiny　arm　with　a　hand　that　bore

five　fmgers；〃　as　she　afterward　said；　and　〃a　sickening

horror　came　over　her。　　〃　Yes；　she　had　heard　of　such　things。

If　she　could　only　get　home　in　safety！　　Why　had　she

tempted　Providence　thus？　　She　backed　softly　and　prayed

only　to　escape。　　What；　and　never　even　deliver　the　Bible？

〃It　would　be　wicked　to　return　with　it！〃　　In　a　cleft　of

the　rock　she　placed　it；　and　then；　to　prevent　the　wind

blowing　off　loose　leaves；　she　placed　a　stone　on　top；　and

fled　from　the　dreadful　place。



That　night；　when　Quonab　and　Rolf　had　finished　their

meal　of　corn　and　roasted　coon；　the　old　man　climbed　the

rock　to　look　at　the　sky。　　The　book　caught　his　eye　at　once；

evidently　hidden　there　carefully；　and　therefore　in　cache。

A　cache　is　a　sacred　thing　to　an　Indian。　　He　disturbed　it

not；　but　later　asked　Rolf；　〃That　yours？〃



〃No。〃



It　was　doubtless　the　property　of　some　one　who　meant

to　return　for　it；　so　they　left　it　untouched。　　It　rested

there　for　many　months；　till　the　winter　storms　came　down；

dismantling　the　covers；　dissolving　the　pages；　but　leaving

such　traces　as；　in　the　long　afterward；　served　to　identify

the　book　and　give　the　rock　the　other　name；　the　one　it

bears　to…day　…　〃Bible　Rock；　where　Quonab；　the　son　of

Cos　Cob；　used　to　live。〃







Chapter　8。　The　Law　of　Property　Among　Our　Four…Footed　Kin



Night　came　down　on　the　Asamuk　woods；　and　the　two　in　the　wigwam

were　eating　their　supper　of　pork；　beans；　and　tea；　for　the　Indian

did　not；　by　any　means　object　to　the　white　man's　luxuries；　when　a

strange　〃yap…yurr〃　was　heard　out　toward　the　plain。　The　dog　was　up

at　once　with　a　growl。　　Rolf　looked　inquiringly；　and　Quonab　said；

〃Fox；〃　then　bade　the　dog　be　still。



〃Yap…yurr；　yap…yurr；〃　and　then；　〃yurr；　yeow；〃　it　came　again　and

again。　　〃Can　we　get　him？〃　said　the　eager　young　hunter。　　The

Indian　shook　his　head。



〃Fur　no　good　now。　　An'　that's　a　she…one；　with　young　ones　on　the

hillside。〃



〃How　do　you　know？〃　was　the　amazed　inquiry。　〃I　know　it's　a

she…one；　'cause　she　says：



〃Yap…yurr〃　（high　pitched）



If　it　was　a　he…one　he'd　say：



〃Yap…yurr〃　（low　pitched）



〃And　she　has　cubs；　'cause　all　have　at　this　season。　　And　they　are

on　that　hillside；　because　that's　the　nearest　place　where　any　fox

den　is；　and　they　keep　pretty　much　to　their　own　hunting　grounds。

If　another　fox　should　come　hunting　on　the　beat　of　this　pair；　he'd

have　to　fight　for　it。　　That　is　the　way　of　the　wild　animals；　each

has　his　own　run；　and　for　that　he　will　fight　an　outsider　that　he

would　be　afraid　of　at　any　other　place。　　One　knows　he　is　right　

that　braces　him　up；　the　other　knows　he　is　wrong　　and　that

weakens　him。〃　　Those　were　the　Indian's　views；　expressed　much　less

connectedly　than　here　given；　and　they　led　Rolf　on　to　a　train　of

thought。　　He　remembered　a　case　that　was　much　to　the　point。



Their　little　dog　Skookum　several　times　had　been　worsted　by　the

dog　on　the　Horton　farm；　when；　following　his　master；　he　had　come

into　the　house　yard。　　There　was　no　question　that　the　Horton　dog

was　stronger。　　But　Skookum　had　buried　a　bone　under　some　brushes

by　the　plain　and　next　day　the　hated　Horton　dog　appeared。　　Skookum

watched　him　with　suspicion　and　fear；　until　it　was　no　longer

doubtful　that　the　enemy　had　smelled　the　hidden　food　and　was　going

for　it。　　Then　Skookum；　braced　up　by　some　instinctive　feeling；

rushed　forward　with　bristling　mane　and　gleaming　teeth；　stood　over

his　cache；　and　said　in　plainest　dog；　〃You　can't　touch　that　while

I　live！〃



And　the　Horton　dog　　accustomed　to　domineer　over　the　small

yellow　cur　　growled　contemptuously；　scratched　with　his　hind

feet；　smelled　around　an　adjoining　bush；　and　pretending　not　to　see

or　notice；　went　off　in　another　direction。



What　was　it　that　robbed　him　of　his　courage；　but　the　knowledge

that　he　was　in　the　wrong？



Continuing　with　his　host　Rolf　said；　〃Do　you　think　they　have　any

idea　that　it　is　wrong　to　steal？〃



〃Yes；　so　long　as　it　is　one　of　their　own　tribe。　　A　fox　will　take

all　he　can　get　from　a　bird　or　a　rabbit　or　a　woodchuck；　but　he

won't　go　far　on　the　hunting　grounds　of　another　fox。　　He　won't　go

into　another　fox's　den　or　touch　one　of　its　young　ones；　and　if　he

finds　a　cache　of　food　with　another　fox's　mark　on　it；　he　won't

touch　it　unless　he　is　near　dead　of　hunger。〃



〃How　do　you　mean　they　cache　food　and　how　do　they　mark　it？〃



〃Generally　they　bury　it　under　the　leaves　and　soft　earth；　and　the

only　mark　is　to　leave　their　body　scent。　But　that　is　strong

enough；　and　every　fox　knows　it。〃



〃Do　wolves　make　food　caches？〃



〃Yes；　wolves；　cougars；　weasels；　squirrels；　bluejays；　crows；　owls；

mice；　all　do；　and　all　have　their　own　way　of　marking　a　place。〃



〃Suppose　a　fox　finds　a　wolf　cache；　will　he　steal　from　it？〃



〃Yes；　always。　　There　is　no　law　between　fox　and　wolf。　They　are

always　at　war　with　each　other。　　There　is　law　only　between　fox　and

fox；　or　wolf　and　wolf。〃



〃That　is　like　ourselves；　ain't　it？　　We　say；　'Thou　shalt　not

steal；'　and　then　when　we　steal　the　Indian's　land　or　the

Frenchman's　ships；　we　say；　'Oh；　that　don't　mean　not　steal　from

our　enemies；　they　are　fair　game。'〃



Quonab　rose　to　throw　some　sticks　on　the　fire；　then　went　out　to

turn　the　smoke　flap　of　the　wigwam；　for　the　wind　was　changed　and

another　set　was　needed　to　draw　the　smoke。　They　heard　several

times　again　the　high…pitched　〃yap　yurr；〃　and　once　the　deeper

notes；　which　told　that　the　dog　fox；　too；　was　near　the　camp；　and

was　doubtless　seeking　food　to　carry　home。







Chapter　9。　Where　the　Bow　Is　Better　Than　the　Gun



Of　all　popular　errors　about　the　Indians；　the　hardest　to　down　is

the　idea　that　their　women　do　all　the　work。　　They　do　the

housework；　it　is　true；　but　all　the　heavy　labour　beyond　their

strength　is　done　by　the　men。　　Examples　of　this　are　seen　in　the

frightful　toil　of　hunting；　canoeing；　and　portaging；　besides　a

multitude　of　kindred　small　tasks；　such　as　making　snowshoes；　bows；

arrows；　and　canoes。



Each　warrior　usually　makes　his　own　bow　and　arrows；　and　if；　as

often　happens；　one　of　them　proves　more　skilful　and　turns　out

better　weapons；　it　is　a　common　thing　for　others　to　offer　their

own　specialty　in　exchange。



The　advantages　of　the　bow　over　the　gun　are　chiefly　its

noiselessness；　its　cheapness；　and　the　fact　that　one　can　make　its

ammunition　anywhere。　　As　the　gun　chiefly　used　in　Quonab's　time

was　the　old…fashioned；　smooth…bore　flint…lock；　there　was　not　much

difference　in　the　accuracy　of　the　two　weapons。　　Quonab　had　always

made　a　highclass　bow；　as　well　as　high…class　arrows；　and　was　a

high…　class　shot。　　He　could　set　up　ten　clam　shells　at　ten　paces

and　break　all　in　ten　shots。　　For　at　least　half　of　his　hunting　he

preferred　the　bow；　the　gun　was　useful　to　him　chiefly　when　flocks

of　wild　pigeons　or　ducks　were　about；　and　a　single　charge　of

scattering　shot　might　bring　down　a　dozen　birds。



But　there　is　a　law　in　all　shooting　　to　be　expert；　you　must

practise　continually　　and　when　Rolf　saw　his　host　shoot　nearly

every　day　at　some　mark；　he　tried　to　join　in　the　sport。



It　took　not　many　trys　to　show　that　the　bow　was　far　too　strong　for

him　to　use；　and　Quonab　was　persuaded　at　length　to　make　an　outfit

for　his　visitor。



From　the　dry　store　hole　under　the　rock；　he　produced　a　piece　of

common　red　cedar。　　Some　use　hickory；　it　is　less　liable　to　break

and　will　stand　more　abuse；　but　it　has　not　the　sharp；　clean　action

of　cedar。　　The　latter　will　send　the　arrow　much　farther；　and　so

swiftly　does　it　leave　the　string　that　it　baffles　the　eye。　　But

the　cedar　bow　must　be　cared　for　like　a　delicate　machine；

overstring　it；　and　it　breaks；　twang　it　without　an　arrow；　and　it

sunders　the　cords；　scratch　it；　and　it　may　splinter；　wet　it；　and

it　is　dead；　let　it　lie　on　the　ground；　even；　and　it　is　weakened。

But　guard　it　and　it　will　serve　you　as　a　matchl