"'We, Dwellers within the Boundaries, swear by the Spirit of
Wiesahkechack, who is God of the Indians and all Animals, that, come
Trap, come Ironstick, come White-powdered Bait, come Snare, come Arrow,
come what soe'er may, we will help each other, and warn each other, and
keep ward for each other; in the Star-time and the Sun-time, in the
Flower-time and the Snow-time; that the call of one for help shall be
the call of all; and the fight of one shall be the fight of all; and the
enemy of one shall be the enemy of all.
"'By the Mark that is on the tail of each of us, we swear this. By the
White Tip that is on the tail of Fox; by the Black Gloss that is on the
tail of Marten; by the Perfume that is on the tail of Sikak; by the
great, bushy tail of Blue Wolf, and the short tail of Bear; the broad,
hairless tail of Beaver, and the strong tapered tail of Otter; by the
Kink that is in the tail of Mink; by the much-haired tail of Fisher; the
white Cotton-tail of Rabbit, the fawn-coloured tail of Mooswa, and the
Bob-tail of Lynx; by the feathered tail of Whisky-Jack: and all others
according to their Tail-mark, we swear it.'"
"Now," said Black King, "Francois will have his work cut out, for we are
many against one."
"You forget The Boy, Your Majesty," interrupted Carcajou.
"Oh, he doesn't count," cried Jack, disdainfully. "He's a Moneas--which
means a greenhorn. He's new to the Forest--has lived where the paths of
Man are more plentiful than the Run-ways in Wapoos's Muskeg.
"Of course, personally, I don't mind their coming--like it; it means
free food without far flying. Oh, but The Boy is a wasteful greenhorn.
When he fried the white fat-meat, which is from the animal that dwells
with Man, the Hog, he poured the juice out on the leaves, and the cold
turned it into food like butter--white butter. Such rich living will
make my voice soft. The Man-cub has a voice like mine--full of rich,
sweet notes. Did any of you ever hear a Man or Man-cub sing 'Down upon
the Suwanee River'? That's what The Boy sang this morning. But I don't
know that river--it's not about here; and in my time I have flown far
and wide over more broad streams than I have toes to my feet."
"Be still, empty-head!" cried the King, angrily. "You chatter as though
the saving of our lives were good fun. Brother Carcajou, Francois needs
no help. For five years he has followed me for my Black Coat--for five
Winters I have eluded his Traps, and his Baits, and the cough of his
Ironstick. But one never knows when the evil day is to come. Last
Winter Francois trapped on Hay River. I was there; as you know, it is a
great place for Black Currants."
"Do you eat the bitter, sour Berries, Your Majesty?" queried Marten.
"No, Silly; except for the flavour of them that is in the flesh of Gay
Cock, the Pheasant. But it is in every child's book of the Fox tribe,
that where Berries are thick, the Birds are many."
"How comes Francois here to the Pelican this year, then?" growled Blue
Wolf.
"Because of the thing Men call Fate," answered Black King, learnedly;
"though they do not understand the shape of it. We call it the Whisper
of Wiesahkechack. Wiesahke whispered to me that because of the fire
there were no Berries at Hay River, that the Birds had all come to the
Pelican; and I have no doubt that He, who is the King of evil Mischief
Makers, has also talked in thought-words to Francois, that here is much
fur to be had for the killing."
"I should like to see Francois," exclaimed Nekik, the Otter.
"And The Boy!" suggested Mooswa. "It's years since I saw a Man-cub."
"W-h-e-u-f-f-!" ejaculated Muskwa. "I saw a Man once--Nichemous. Did I
tell you about--"
"Save me from Owls!" interrupted Whisky-Jack; "that's your stock-story,
old Squeaky Nose. I've heard it fifty times in the last two years."
The Bear stood rocking his big body back and forth while the saucy bird
chattered.
"But I should like to see more of Man," he continued, when Jay had
finished. "Tell me, Jack, do they always walk on their hind-legs--or
only when they are going to kill or fight--as I do? I think we must be
cousins," he went on, meditatively.
"You ought to be ashamed of it, then!" snapped the Bird.
"They leave a trail just like mine," proceeded Muskwa, paying no
attention to the Jay. "I once saw a Man's track on the mud bank of the
river; I could have sworn it was one of my family had passed--a long
foot-print with a heel."
"Perhaps it was your own track--you are so terribly stupid at times,"
suggested Jack.
"You might have made that mistake," retorted Muskwa, "for you can't
scent; but when I investigated with my nose, I knew that it was Man.
There was the same horrible smell that came to me once as two of these
creatures passed down the river in a canoe, whilst I was eating Berries
by the water's edge. But you spend most of your time begging a living
from these Men, Jack--tell me if they generally walk as I do, on all
fours?"
"Long ago they did, Muskwa; when their brains were small, like yours.
Then they developed, and got more sense, and learned to balance
themselves on their hind-legs."
"What's the use of having four legs and only using two?" grunted Bear,
with a dissatisfied air.
"You'll find out, my Fat Friend, if you come within range of the
Ironstick--what did Nichemous try to do? After that you won't ask silly
questions, for Francois will take your skin, dry it in the sun, and put
your brainless head on a tree as a Medicine Offering to the Hunt Spirit;
and he'll take your big carcass home, and The Boy will help him eat it.
Don't bother me about Man--if you want to know his ways, come and see
for yourself."
"I'd like to, Clerk," answered Bear, humbly.
"They're going to build a house," asserted Whisky-Jack.
"A lodge!" exclaimed Beaver. "Oh, I must see that."
"What say you, Black King?" queried Carcajou. "May we all go to-morrow,
and see this Trapper and The Boy--think you it's safe?"
"Better now than when the Traps are set and Firestick loaded."
So they arranged amongst themselves to go at dawn the next day, and
watch from the bush Francois and Roderick.
Then the meeting broke up.