rolf in the woods-第29章

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

Skookum's；　too；　for　he　was　off　like　one　whose　life　is　bound　up　in

a　great　purpose。



〃Yap；　yap；　yap；〃　came　the　angry　sound　from　Skookum。　Who　can　say

that　animals　have　no　language？　　His　merry　〃yip；　yip；　yip；〃　for

partridge　up　a　tree；　or　his　long；　　hilarious；　〃Yow；　yow；　yow；〃

when　despite　all　orders　he　chased　some　deer；　were　totally

distinct　from　the　angry　〃Yap；　yap；〃　he　gave　for　the　bear　up　the

tree；　or　the　　〃Grrryapgrryap；〃　with　which　he　voiced　his　hatred　of

the　　porcupine。



But　now　it　was　the　〃Yap；　yap；〃　as　when　he　had　treed　the　bears。



〃Something　up　a　tree；〃　was　the　Indian's　interpretation；　as　they

followed　the　sound。　　Something　up　a　tree！　　A　whole　menagerie　it

seemed　to　Rolf　when　they　got　there。　Hanging　by　the　neck　in　the

remaining　snare；　and　limp　now；　was　a　young　lynx；　a　kit　of　the

year。　　In　the　adjoining　　tree；　with　Skookum　circling　and　yapping

'round　the　base；　was　a　savage　old　lynx。　　In　the　crotch　above　her

was　another　young　one；　and　still　higher　was　a　third；　all　looking

their　unutterable　disgust　at　the　noisy　dog　below；　the　mother；

indeed；　expressing　it　in　occasional　hisses；　but　none　of　them

daring　to　come　down　and　face　him。　　The　lynx　is　very　good　fur　and

very　easy　prey。　　The　Indian　brought　the　old　one　down　with　a　shot；

then；　as　fast　as　he　could　reload；　the　others　were　added　to　the

bag；　and；　with　the　one　from　the　snare；　they　returned　laden　to　the

cabin。



The　Indian's　eyes　shone　with　a　peculiar　light。　　〃Ugh！　Ugh！　　My

father　told　me；　it　is　great　medicine。　　You　see；　now；　it　does　not

fail。







Chapter　36。　Something　Wrong　at　the　Beaver　Traps



Once　they　had　run　the　trap　lines；　and　their　store　of　furs

was　increasing　finely。　They　had　taken　twenty…five　beavers　and

counted　on　getting　two　or　three　each　time　they　went　to　the　ponds。

But　they　got　an　unpleasant　surprise　in　December；　on　going　to　the

beaver　grounds；　to　find　all　the　traps　empty　and　unmistakable

signs　that　some　man　had　been　there　and　had　gone　off　with　the

catch。　　They　followed　the　dim　trail　of　his　snowshoes；　half　hidden

by　a　recent　wind；　but　night　came　on　with　more　snow；　and　all　signs

were　lost。



The　thief　had　not　found　the　line　yet；　for　the　haul　of　marten　and

mink　was　good。　　But　this　was　merely　the　beginning。



The　trapper　law　of　the　wilderness　is　much　like　all　primitive

laws；　first　come　has　first　right；　provided　he　is　able　to　hold　it。

If　a　strong　rival　comes　in；　the　first　must　fight　as　best　he　can。

The　law　justifies　him　in　anything　he　may　do；　if　he　succeeds。　　The

law　justifies　the　second　in　anything　he　may　do；　except　murder。

That　is；　the　defender　may　shoot　to　kill；　the　offender　may　not。



But　the　fact　of　Quonab's　being　an　Indian　and　Rolf　supposedly　one；

would　turn　opinion　against　them　in　the　Adirondacks；　and　it　was

quite　likely　that　the　rival　　considered　them　trespassers　on　his

grounds；　although　the　fact　that　he　robbed　their　traps　without

removing　them；　and　kept　out　of　sight；　rather　showed　the　guilty

conscience　of　a　self…accused　　poacher。



He　came　in　from　the　west；　obviously；　probably　the　Racquet　River

country；　was　a　large　man；　judging　by　his　foot　and　stride；　and

understood　trapping；　but　lazy；　for　he　set　no　traps。　　His

principal　object　seemed　to　be　to　steal。



And　it　was　not　long　before　he　found　their　line　of　marten　traps；

so　his　depredations　increased。　　Primitive　emotions　are　near　the

surface　at　all　times；　and　under　primitive　　conditions　are　very

ready　to　appear。　　Rolf　and　Quonab　felt　that　now　it　was　war。







Chapter　37。　The　Pekan　or　Fisher



There　was　one　large　track　in　the　snow　that　they　saw　several　times

　it　was　like　that　of　a　marten；　but　much　larger。　　〃Pekan；〃　said

the　Indian；　〃the　big　marten；　the　very　strong　one；　that　fights

without　fear。〃



〃When　my　father　was　a　papoose　he　shot　an　arrow　at　a　pekan。　　He

did　not　know　what　it　was；　it　seemed　only　a　big　black　marten。　　It

was　wounded；　but　sprang　from　the　tree　on　my　father's　breast。　　It

would　have　killed　him；　but　for　the　dog；　then　it　would　have　killed

the　dog；　but　my　　grandfather　was　near。



〃He　made　my　father　eat　the　pekan's　heart；　so　his　heart　might　be

like　it。　　It　sought　no　fight；　but　it　turned；　when　struck；　and

fought　without　fear。　　That　is　the　right　way；　seek　peace；　but

fight　without　fear。　　That　was　my　father's　heart　and　mine。〃　　Then

glancing　toward　the　west　he　continued　in　a　tone　of　menace：　〃That

trap　robber　will　find　it　so。　　We　sought　no　fight；　but　some　day　I

kill　him。〃



The　big　track　went　in　bounds；　to　be　lost　in　a　low；　thick　woods。

But　they　met　it　again。



They　were　crossing　a　hemlock　ridge　a　mile　farther　on；　when　they

came　to　another　track　which　was　first　a　long；　deep　furrow；　some

fifteen　inches　wide；　and　in　this　were　the　wide…spread　prints　of

feet　as　large　as　those　of　a　fisher。



〃Kahk；〃　said　Quonab；　and　Skookum　said　〃Kahk；〃　too；　but　he　did　it

by　growling　and　raising　his　back　hair；　and　doubtless　also　by

sadly　remembering。　　His　discretion　seemed　as　yet　embryonic；　so

Rolf　slipped　his　sash　through　the　dog's　collar；　and　they　followed

the　track；　for　the　porcupine　　now　stood　in　Rolf's　mind　as　a　sort

of　embroidery　outfit。



They　had　not　followed　far　before　another　track　joined　on　　the

track　of　the　fisher…pekan；　and　soon　after　they　heard　in　the　woods

ahead　scratching　sounds；　as　of　something　　climbing；　and　once　or

twice　a　faint；　far；　fighting　snarl。



Quickly　tying　the　over…valiant　Skookum　to　a　tree；　they　crept

forward；　ready　for　anything；　and　arrived　on　the　scene　of　a　very

peculiar　action。



Action　it　was；　though　it　was　singularly　devoid　of　action。　First；

there　was　a　creature；　like　a　huge　black　marten　or　a　short…legged

black　fox；　standing　at　a　safe　distance；　while；　partly　hidden

under　a　log；　with　hind　quarters　and　tail　only　exposed；　was　a

large　porcupine。　　Both　were　very　still；　but　soon　the　fisher

snarled　and　made　a　forward　lunge。　　The　porcupine；　hearing　the

sounds　or　feeling　the　snow　dash　up　on　that　side；　struck　with　its

tail；　but　the　fisher　kept　out　of　reach。　　Next　a　feint　was　made　on

the　other　side；　with　the　same　result；　then　many；　as　though　the

fisher　were　trying　to　tire　out　the　tail　or　use　up　all　its　quills。



Sometimes　the　assailant　leaped　on　the　log　and　teased　the

quill…pig　to　strike　upward；　while　many　white　daggers　already　sunk

in　the　bark　showed　that　these　tactics　had　been　going　on　for　some

time。



Now　the　two　spectators　saw　by　the　trail　that　a　similar　battle　had

been　fought　at　another　log；　and　that　the　　porcupine　trail　from

that　was　spotted　with　blood。　　How　the　fisher　had　forced　it　out

was　not　then　clear；　but　soon　became　so。



After　feinting　till　the　Kahk　would　not　strike；　the　pekan　began　a

new　manceuvre。　　Starting　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　log　that

protected　the　spiny　one's　nose；　he　burrowed　quickly　through　the

snow　and　leaves。　　The　log　was　about　three　inches　from　the　ground；

and　before　the　porcupine　　could　realize　it；　the　fisher　had　a

space　cleared　and　seized　the　spiny　one　by　its　soft；　unspiny　nose。

Grunting　and　squealing　it　pulled　back　and　lashed　its　terrible

tail。　To　what　effect？　　Merely　to　fill　the　log　around　with　quills。

With　all　its　strength　the　quill…pig　pulled　and　writhed；　but　the

fisher　was　stronger。　　His　claws　enlarged　the　hole　and　when　the

victim　ceased　from　exhaustion；　the　fisher　made　a　forward　dash　and

changed　his　hold　from　the　tender　nose　to　the　still　more　tender

throat　of　the　porcupine。　　His　hold　was　not　deep　enough　and　square

enough　to　seize　the　windpipe；　　but　he　held　on。　　For　a　minute　or

two　the　struggles　of　Kahk　were　of　desperate　energy　and　its

lashing　tail　began　to　be　short　of　spines；　but　a　red　stream

trickling　from　the　wound　was　sapping　its　strength。　　Protected　by

the　log；　the　fisher　had　but　to　hold　on　and　play　a　waiting　game。



The　heaving　and　backward　pulling　of　Kahk　were　very　feeble　at

length；　the　fisher　had　nearly　finished　the　fight。　　But　he　was

impatient　of　fur