rolf in the woods- 第18部分

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…killing　mystery。



How　intensely　Rolf　wished　for　a　gun。　　How　vividly　came　back　the

scene　in　the　trader's　store；　　when　last　month　he　had　been

offered　a　beautiful　rifle　for　twenty…five　dollars；　to　be　paid　for

in　fur　next　spring；　and　savagely　he　blamed　himself　for　not

realizing　what　a　chance　it　was。　　Then　and　there　he　made　resolve

to　be　the　owner　of　a　gun　as　soon　as　another　chance　came；　and　to

make　that　chance　come　right　soon。



One　little　victory　he　had　in　that　time。　　The　creature　that　had

torn　open　the　venison　bag　was　still　around　the　camp；　that　was

plain　by　the　further　damage　on　the　bag　hung　in　the　storehouse；

the　walls　of　which　were　not　chinked。　Mindful　of　Quonab's　remark；

he　set　two　marten　traps；　one　on　the　roof；　near　the　hole　that　had

been　used　as　entry；　the　other　on　a　log　along　which　the　creature

must　climb　to　reach　the　meat。　　The　method　of　setting　is　simple；　a

hollow　is　made；　large　enough　to　receive　the　trap　as　it　lies　open；

on　the　pan　of　the　trap　some　grass　is　laid　smoothly；　on　each　side

of　the　trap　a　piece　of　prickly　brush　is　placed；　so　that　in

leaping　over　these　the　creature　will　land　on　the　lurking　snare。

The　chain　was　made　fast　to　a　small　log。



Although　so　seldom　seen　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　marten　comes

out　chiefly　by　day。　　That　night　the　trap　remained　unsprung；　next

morning　as　Rolf　went　at　silent　dawn　to　bring　water　from　the　lake；

he　noticed　a　long；　dark　line　that　proved　to　be　ducks。　　As　he　sat

gazing　he　heard　a　sound　in　the　tree　beyond　the　cabin。　　It　was

like　the　scratching　of　a　squirrel　climbing　about。　　Then　he　saw

the　creature；　a　large；　dark　squirrel；　it　seemed。　　It　darted　up

this　tree　and　down　that；　over　logs　and　under　brush；　with　the

lightning　speed　of　a　lightning　squirrel；　and　from　time　to　time　it

stopped　still　as　a　bump　while　it　gazed　at　some　far　and　suspicious

object。　　Up　one　trunk　it　went　like　a　brown　flash；　and　a　moment

later；　out；　　cackling　from　its　top；　flew　two　partridges。　　Down　to

the　ground；　sinuous；　graceful；　incessantly　active　flashed　the

marten。　　Along　a　log　it　raced　in　undulating　leaps；　in　the　middle

it　stopped　as　though　frozen；　to　gaze　intently　into　a　bed　of

sedge；　with　three　billowy　bounds　its　sleek　form　reached　the

sedge；　flashed　in　and　out　again　with　a　mouse　in　its　snarling

jaws；　a　side　leap　now；　and　another　squeaker　was　squeakless；　and

another。　　The　three　were　slain；　then　thrown　aside；　as　the　brown

terror　scanned　a　flight　of　ducks　passing　over。　　Into　a　thicket　of

willow　it　disap…　peared　and　out　again　like　an　eel　going　through

the　mud；　then　up　a　tall　stub　where　woodpecker　holes　were　to　be

seen。　Into　the　largest　it　went　so　quickly　Rolf　could　scarcely　see

how　it　entered；　and　out　in　a　few　seconds　bearing　a　flying

squirrel　whose　skull　it　had　crushed。　　Dropping　the　squirrel　　it

leaped　after　it；　and　pounced　again　on　the　quivering　form　with　a

fearsome　growl；　then　shook　it　savagely；　tore　it　apart；　cast　it

aside。　　Over　the　ground　it　now　undulated；　its　shining　yellow

breast　like　a　target　of　gold。　　Again　it　stopped。　　Now　in　pose

like　a　pointer；　exquisitely　graceful；　but　oh；　so　wicked！　　Then

the　snaky　neck　swung　the　cobra　head　in　the　breeze　and　the　brown

one　sniffed　and　sniffed；　advanced　a　few　steps；　tried　the　wind　and

the　ground。　Still　farther　and　the　concentrated　interest　showed　in

its　outstretched　neck　and　quivering　tail。　　Bounding　into　a

thicket　it　went；　when　out　of　the　other　side　there　leaped　a

snowshoe　rabbit；　away　and　away　for　dear　life。　Jump；　jump；　jump；

twelve　feet　at　every　stride；　and　faster　than　the　eye　could

follow；　with　the　marten　close　behind。　　What　a　race　it　was；　and

how　they　twinkled　through　the　brush！　The　rabbit　is；　indeed；

faster；　but　courage　counts　for　much；　and　his　was　low；　but　luck

and　his　good　stars　urged　him　round　to　the　deer　trail　crossing　of

the　stream；　once　there　he　could　not　turn。　　There　was　only　one

course。　　He　sprang　into　the　open　river　and　swam　for　his　life。

And　the　mar