The Greatest Works of Emerson Hough – 19 Books in One Volume (Illustrated Edition). Emerson Hough
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you miss him?” asked John, excitedly.
“Well,” said Rob, “I suppose you’d call it a miss — he was running up the bank there about half a mile away. You can see him going yet, for that matter.”
Sure enough, they could, the animal by this time seeming not larger than a dog as it scrambled up among the bushes on the top of the steep precipice which lined the bank of the river.
“He must have been feeding somewhere below,” said Rob, “and I suppose heard us talking. He ran up that bank pretty fast. I didn’t know it was so hard to shoot from a moving boat. Anyhow, I didn’t get him.”
“He’ll was too far off,” said Moise. “But those boy she’ll shoot right on his foot all the time. I think she’ll hit him there.”
“Never mind, Mr. Rob,” said Alex. “We’ve got plenty of river below us, and we’re sure to see more bear. This river is one of the best countries for black bear there is this side of the Hay or the Liard.”
Both boats proceeded at a leisurely pace for the remainder of this stage, no one being anxious to complete the journey to the Peace River Landing any earlier than was necessary, for the journey down the river was of itself interesting and pleasant. All the landscape continued green, although it was late in the summer. The water, however, was now less brilliant and clear than it had been in the mountains, and had taken on a brownish stain.
They encamped that night at a little beach which came down to the river and offered an ideal place for their bivouac. Tall pines stood all about, and there was little undergrowth to harbor mosquitoes, although by this time, indeed, that pest of the Northland was pretty much gone. The feeling of depression they sometimes had known in the big mountains had now left the minds of our young travelers, and they were disposed, since they found themselves well within reach of their goal, to take their time and enjoy themselves.
“Moise, tell us another story,” demanded Jesse, after they had finished their evening meal.
“What kind of story you’ll want?” inquired Moise.
“I think we’d rather have something about your own country, about animals, the same as you told us back in the mountains, perhaps.”
“Well,” said Moise, “I’ll told you the story of how the ermine he’ll got the end of his tail black.”
XXV
HOW THE ERMINE GOT HIS TAIL BLACK
“Long tam ’go,” said Moise, “before my onkle he’ll been born, all peoples lived in the woods, and there was no Companee here for trade. In those day there was no tobacco an’ no rifle — those was long tam ’go — I don’ know how long.
“In those tam all the people he’ll talk with Wiesacajac, an’ Wiesacajac he’ll be friendly all tam with these peoples. All the animal that’ll live in the wood he’ll do all right, too. Only one animal he was bad animal, and those was what you call wissel (weasel). This wissel is what you call ermine some tam. He’ll be mighty smart animal. In summer-tam, when grass an’ rock is brown, he’ll go aroun’ brown, sam as the rock an’ the leaf. In summer-tam the wissel he’ll caught the hare an’ the partridge, an’ he’ll live pretty good, heem.
“Now, in the winter-tam most all the animals in the wood he’ll go white. Those hare, he’ll get white just same color as the snow. Those picheu, those lynx, he’ll get gray, almost white. The ptarmigan, he’ll get white, too, so those owl won’ see heem on the snow; an’ the owl he’ll get white, so nothing will see heem when he goes on the snow. Some tam up north the wolf he’ll be white all over, an’ some fox he’ll also be white all same as the snow.
“But the Cigous, or wissel, he’ll stay brown, with white streak on his neck, same like he’ll been in the summer-tam. When he’ll go on the hont, those rabbeet, she’ll saw Cigous come, an’ he’ll ron off, so Cigous he’ll go hongree.
“Now, Cigous he’ll get this on his min’, an’ he’ll sit down one tam an’ he’ll make a pray to Kitchai-Manitou, an’ also to Wiesacajac, an’ he’ll pray that some tam he’ll be white in the winter-tam, the same as the snow, the same as those other animal, so he’ll catch the meat an’ not go hongree.
“‘Oh, Wiesacajac,’ he’ll pray, ‘what for you’ll make me dark this a-way, when I’ll been hongree? Have pity on me!’
“Well, Wiesacajac, he’ll been kin’ in his heart, an’ he’ll hear those Cigous pray, an’ he’ll say, ‘My frien’, I s’pose you’ll not got any meat, an’ you’ll ask me to take pity on you. The reason why I’ll not make you white like other animal is, you’ll been such thief! Oh, Cigous, s’pose you’ll go live two week all right, an’ not steal, an’ not tell any lie to me, then I’ll make you white, all same like other animals.’
“‘Oh, Wiesacajac,’ say Cigous, ‘it’s ver’ hard to be good for two week an’ not steal, an’ not tell lie. But I’ll try to do this thing, me!’
“Now, in two week all the family of Cigous he’ll not got anything to eat, an’ he’ll almost starve, an’ he’ll come in out of the woods an’ sit aroun’ on the village where the people live. But all the people can see Cigous an’ his family because he’ll all be brown, an’ he’ll show on the snow, plain.
“Now, Cigous he’ll got very hongree, an’ he’ll got under the blanket in the lodge where the people live. Bimeby he’ll smell something cook on the fire. Then he’ll go out in the bush, an’ he’ll pray again to Wiesacajac, an’ he’ll say, ‘Oh, Wiesacajac, I’m almost white now, so I can get meat. But it’s ver’ hard tam for me!’
“Wiesacajac, he’ll tol’ heem to go back in an’ not lie an’ not steal, an’ then see what he’ll got.
“Cigous, he’ll been happy this tam, an’ he’ll go back on the lodge an’ smell that cooking some more. He’ll not know it, but by this tam Wiesacajac has made heem all white, tail an’ all. But Cigous he’ll smell something cook in the pot, an’ he’ll say, ‘I wonder what is cook in that pot on the fire.’
“He’ll couldn’t stan’ up high to reach his foots in the pot, so he say, ‘Ah, ha! My tail he’s longer than my foots. I’ll stick my tail in the pot, an’ see what is cook that smells so good.’
“Now, Cigous not know his tail is all white then. But Wiesacajac, he’ll see Cigous all the tam, an’ he’ll turn the meat in the pot into pitch, and make it boil strong; so Cigous when he’ll stick his tail in the pot, he’ll stick it in the pitch, an’ when he’ll pull out the end of his tail, the end of it will be all black!
“Then Cigous he’ll go out on the snow, an’ he’ll look aroun’, an’ bimeby Wiesacajac he’ll seen heem an’ he’ll say, ‘Ah, Cigous, what’s on your tail, because I’ll see it is all black on the end?’
“Cigous he’ll turn aroun’ an’ ron aroun’ an’ aroun’ on a reeng, but all the tam he’ll see the black spot on his tail, an’ it won’t come off.
“‘Now, Cigous,’ says Wiesacajac, ‘I’ll been good spirit, else surely I’ll punish you plenty for stealing when you tol’ me you’ll be good animal. Already I’ll made you white, all but your tail. Now that the people may always know you for a thief, you an’ all your family must have black spot on tail in the winter-tam. I would make you black all over, Cigous, but I have take pity on your family, who must not starve. Maybe so you could caught meat, but all the tam your tail will mark you for a thief!’
“From that time,” said Moise, concluding, “the ermine, Cigous, has always been