CHAPTER XXV. THE PLACE OF THE BIG BUCK... 229
N exclamation of disgust left the Woodranger's lips, and at the same moment his long rifle leaped to his shoulder. No sooner had his eye ran along its barrel than the ringing report of the firearm awoke the solitude of the forest. So swiftly had one act followed another, that the triumphant cry of the nimble assailant ended in a howl of pain, while it made a second involuntary leap into the air in the struggles of death. It fell about midway between the little group of spectators and the now lifeless turkey.
" Rob me o' my dinner in that way, will ye, ye sneaking thief! I reckon it will be the last turkey you'll ever try to carry off afore my eyes."
With these words, showing more excitement than was his wont, the Woodrangcr began to leisurely reload his weapon.
" What is it ? " asked Johnny, without stopping to look at the creature ; " and where did the turkeys go to so quick ?"
" It's a cat, lad, and a monster. It thought to cheat us o' our dinner, but I reckon Ol Danger gin it a dinner it won't digest. Let's take a peep at the creatur'."
As the Woodranger had said, the wildcat, for such it was, was a big one, and as it lay there, though harmless enough then, the boys could not help shuddering. They found the turkey dead, too, though its slayer had not mutilated its body.
" It'll make us a good dinner," declared the Woodranger, "and half a mile yon is a fit spot for us to make our nooning. First I'm going to skin the cat. While I'm doing it, you might pluck the gobbler."
The spot selected by the Woodranger for a stopping-place was in one of the most beautiful valleys they had ever seen. Through the centre a good-sized brook ran merrily on its way, while a pine-clad hill on the north completely sheltered them from the cold wind, and the sun shone down upon the spot with a genial warmth. The boys at once set about gathering some dried wood with which to build a fire. During one of these searching trips, Norman ran upon an apple-tree standing in a sheltered nook, which was still laden with fruit. These apples were uncommonly large and fair for wild fruit, and so well had the tree been protected from the frosts that they still retained their flavour. Upon tasting one of them and finding it so good, Norman called to the others to join him.
Such a feast of fruit followed as none of them had ever enjoyed, while the Woodranger was nothing loath to eat his share. In the joy of this find, the turkey feast was put in the background, and baked apples became an important part of that festive meal.
"I wonder if the Injuns ever eat any apples?" said Billy, regardless of his grammar.
" Weel, lad, do not flatter yourself that they have never been to this very tree. I have heerd o' there being sich a tree somewhere in these parts, but I ne'er had the good fortune to stumble upon it. Apples and nuts made a goodish part o' the living o' the reds during the autumn. I must say these are the best apples I ever tasted. Neither does this turkey require much effort to swallow. It was a plump creature."
" Do wildcats often attack turkeys in that way?" asked Billy, as they finally moved bark from their dinner, to seek comfortable resting-places for half an hour before resuming their wanderings.
"That is the cat's favourite way," replied the Woodranger, as he made himself comfortable at the foot of an ash which threw out its gnarled roots in such a way as to afford arms upon which to rest. " In fact, it is their only successful way. The turkey is a wary bird, and the wildcat is its worst enemy. Still, the four-footed creatur' stands but leetle chance o' ketching even a young turkey, so cautious is it by instinct, and so fleet o' foot. You have seen how it can get out o' the way o' danger, to-day. Afore you could wink an eye, every one was out o' sight, and a goodish hunt you would have had to find one of 'em. The cat knows that its only chance o' ketching a turkey is by springing from a tree, so it resorts to a trick. Ah! the cat is as full o' quirks and quibbles as a porkypine is o' quills.
" Getting its evil eye on a brood o' turkeys, instead o' trying to keep them from knowing it is round, it takes particular pains to be seen. It steals up behind 'em, until it is seen, when it steals away with well-feigned sheepishness. Then it reappears, and, after having got the attention o' the turkeys, skulks out o' sight ag'in. This it keeps doing until it has got the direction the turkeys are going fixed in its cunning head. After that, it steals away by a roundabout course and conceals itself in the path of the turkeys, where it waits till they come along. Thinking their enemy is behind them, the turkeys are not so watchful in front, and so they fall into the trap. You have seen the result o' the cat's manoeuvring to-day. It is not often at this season one sees such a brood o' turkeys still together, but these were, doubtless, on their way to the sea-coast, where they like to spend their winters, to return in the spring."
After a short rest, the party again were on the move, and, having now fairly entered the game-lands, were wide-awake for sport and adventure. The incidents of that afternoon were rapid and exciting enough to satisfy their most prodigal desires, but it would be scarcely interesting to detail them all. Norman and Rob each shot a deer, while of smaller game they got more than they could well care for. The deer they dressed, and the Woodranger spitted the meat upon tall, slender saplings, from whence it could be taken home whenever they could do so, while in the meantime it was safe from the clutches of prowling beasts.
Finally, as the sunlight was fading from the corrugated crest of Mount Pawtuckaway, toward which they had been going all day, the Woodranger halted at the foot of a high, moss-covered cliff, near the base of the mountain, saying, as he cast his keen eyes about him :
"I ne'er think we shall find a likelier place to pitch our camp. It is well protected from the north and west; there be plenty o' pines to get your boughs for your bed ; and here be a goodish fountain o' the purest water in the world. I see no need to go farther, and I jedge you lads are tired enough to be glad to hear the news."
| A |
N exclamation of disgust left the Woodranger's lips, and at the same moment his long rifle leaped to his shoulder. No sooner had his eye ran along its barrel than the ringing report of the firearm awoke the solitude of the forest. So swiftly had one act followed another, that the triumphant cry of the nimble assailant ended in a howl of pain, while it made a second involuntary leap into the air in the struggles of death. It fell about midway between the little group of spectators and the now lifeless turkey.
" Rob me o' my dinner in that way, will ye, ye sneaking thief! I reckon it will be the last turkey you'll ever try to carry off afore my eyes."
With these words, showing more excitement than was his wont, the Woodrangcr began to leisurely reload his weapon.
" What is it ? " asked Johnny, without stopping to look at the creature ; " and where did the turkeys go to so quick ?"
" It's a cat, lad, and a monster. It thought to cheat us o' our dinner, but I reckon Ol Danger gin it a dinner it won't digest. Let's take a peep at the creatur'."
As the Woodranger had said, the wildcat, for such it was, was a big one, and as it lay there, though harmless enough then, the boys could not help shuddering. They found the turkey dead, too, though its slayer had not mutilated its body.
" It'll make us a good dinner," declared the Woodranger, "and half a mile yon is a fit spot for us to make our nooning. First I'm going to skin the cat. While I'm doing it, you might pluck the gobbler."
The spot selected by the Woodranger for a stopping-place was in one of the most beautiful valleys they had ever seen. Through the centre a good-sized brook ran merrily on its way, while a pine-clad hill on the north completely sheltered them from the cold wind, and the sun shone down upon the spot with a genial warmth. The boys at once set about gathering some dried wood with which to build a fire. During one of these searching trips, Norman ran upon an apple-tree standing in a sheltered nook, which was still laden with fruit. These apples were uncommonly large and fair for wild fruit, and so well had the tree been protected from the frosts that they still retained their flavour. Upon tasting one of them and finding it so good, Norman called to the others to join him.
Such a feast of fruit followed as none of them had ever enjoyed, while the Woodranger was nothing loath to eat his share. In the joy of this find, the turkey feast was put in the background, and baked apples became an important part of that festive meal.
"I wonder if the Injuns ever eat any apples?" said Billy, regardless of his grammar.
" Weel, lad, do not flatter yourself that they have never been to this very tree. I have heerd o' there being sich a tree somewhere in these parts, but I ne'er had the good fortune to stumble upon it. Apples and nuts made a goodish part o' the living o' the reds during the autumn. I must say these are the best apples I ever tasted. Neither does this turkey require much effort to swallow. It was a plump creature."
" Do wildcats often attack turkeys in that way?" asked Billy, as they finally moved bark from their dinner, to seek comfortable resting-places for half an hour before resuming their wanderings.
"That is the cat's favourite way," replied the Woodranger, as he made himself comfortable at the foot of an ash which threw out its gnarled roots in such a way as to afford arms upon which to rest. " In fact, it is their only successful way. The turkey is a wary bird, and the wildcat is its worst enemy. Still, the four-footed creatur' stands but leetle chance o' ketching even a young turkey, so cautious is it by instinct, and so fleet o' foot. You have seen how it can get out o' the way o' danger, to-day. Afore you could wink an eye, every one was out o' sight, and a goodish hunt you would have had to find one of 'em. The cat knows that its only chance o' ketching a turkey is by springing from a tree, so it resorts to a trick. Ah! the cat is as full o' quirks and quibbles as a porkypine is o' quills.
" Getting its evil eye on a brood o' turkeys, instead o' trying to keep them from knowing it is round, it takes particular pains to be seen. It steals up behind 'em, until it is seen, when it steals away with well-feigned sheepishness. Then it reappears, and, after having got the attention o' the turkeys, skulks out o' sight ag'in. This it keeps doing until it has got the direction the turkeys are going fixed in its cunning head. After that, it steals away by a roundabout course and conceals itself in the path of the turkeys, where it waits till they come along. Thinking their enemy is behind them, the turkeys are not so watchful in front, and so they fall into the trap. You have seen the result o' the cat's manoeuvring to-day. It is not often at this season one sees such a brood o' turkeys still together, but these were, doubtless, on their way to the sea-coast, where they like to spend their winters, to return in the spring."
After a short rest, the party again were on the move, and, having now fairly entered the game-lands, were wide-awake for sport and adventure. The incidents of that afternoon were rapid and exciting enough to satisfy their most prodigal desires, but it would be scarcely interesting to detail them all. Norman and Rob each shot a deer, while of smaller game they got more than they could well care for. The deer they dressed, and the Woodranger spitted the meat upon tall, slender saplings, from whence it could be taken home whenever they could do so, while in the meantime it was safe from the clutches of prowling beasts.
Finally, as the sunlight was fading from the corrugated crest of Mount Pawtuckaway, toward which they had been going all day, the Woodranger halted at the foot of a high, moss-covered cliff, near the base of the mountain, saying, as he cast his keen eyes about him :
"I ne'er think we shall find a likelier place to pitch our camp. It is well protected from the north and west; there be plenty o' pines to get your boughs for your bed ; and here be a goodish fountain o' the purest water in the world. I see no need to go farther, and I jedge you lads are tired enough to be glad to hear the news."
posted by Don at 8:37 AM
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