KIL-FANG STARTLES TIMBERTANGLE
The news that Kil-fang and his pack were returning to the Black Hills
was a startling surprise for all who gathered about Sandy, but they
showed no fear, for all knew how to keep out of the way of the pack and
all had faith in the power of Cho-gay. Now they wanted to hear what he
would say.
“Where do you get the news, and where is proof that it is true?”
Cho-gay asked.
“Yap-kii, the coyote, got the news secretly from one of the coyotes
that live in the north. He told Rip and Rip told me. They say that the
pack will come through the north canyon when the moon is again full.”
“Where is Yap-kii?” asked Cho-gay, turning to the coyotes.
“Hunting,” said Fearful, who led the clan while Yap-kii was away. “He
has said nothing to us about the coming of Kil-fang, but he has said
that before the moon was again full we would all go over into the broad
valley to the east, where there would soon be fine hunting.”
“That is proof enough for me,” said Kaw.
“Why is it proof?” asked Cho-gay.
“Yap-kii knows that with the coming of Kil-fang all small animals will
run to get out of the way of the pack, and they will run eastward into
the broad valley, as that is the easiest way out.”
“I believe the news must be true,” said Cho-gay, who placed great faith
in the wisdom of his old friend Kaw.
“Is it good then that I brought the news to you?” asked Sandy timidly.
“It is good, and all people of the Black Hills will be glad that you
have brought me the news,” said Cho-gay.
“Not _all_,” said Sandy. “For what will become of my brother that is
kept shut up in the rocks?”
This surprising question puzzled Cho-gay and he scarcely knew how to
reply.
“What do you say, brothers?” he asked. “Shall a thief who has twice
stolen without cause be freed before he has been punished?”
“Kindness is greater than the law in this case,” said Kaw, “and Sandy
has shown kindness to us all by bringing this news. It may be that the
thief will be honest and steal no more.”
“Free him,” advised Wongo.
“Free him! Free him!” echoed the coyotes.
At this Cho-gay, followed by Sandy, went up to the little cave of the
imprisoned fox.
“Will you remember the law and steal no more if I set you free?” asked
Cho-gay of his prisoner.
“Yes, I steal no more,” was the reply.
As Sandy and his brother trotted down the trail, Fearful and the
remainder of his followers (for most of them had slipped away, one
by one, to tell the great news to their friends) vanished into the
sagebrush.
When Cho-gay had returned to the rock in front of the cave, Kaw asked,
“What will you do about the coming of Kil-fang and his pack? The moon
will be full again in fewer than a dozen days.”
“I shall kill him and all his pack,” said Cho-gay. “I will make many
arrows and an extra bow, and I will have food and water in my cave to
last until the wolves are all dead. I shall have big rocks at the door
of my cave and I’ll shoot through the rocks, and cut with the knife all
who try to enter.”
“All that might be very well,” said Kaw, slowly, “and you might kill
them all. But Kil-fang with a dozen followers, and Kil-fang with a pack
of fifty wolves of the north, are two different things. Why have a
fight and kill and kill? Why should we let our old enemy return to our
hills to scare all the game away? Why not have a little fun with him
and give him such a scare that he and his pack will be glad to go back
into the north and stay there?”
“That is easy to say, but how could it be done?” asked Cho-gay.
Wongo, who was for the first time having his ever-present curiosity
satisfied without asking questions, looked confidently up at Kaw, for
he knew, from past experience, that the wise old crow never suggested
a thing unless he himself had thought of a way in which it could be
carried out.
“Well,” said Kaw, “my plan would be this: You remember that this end
of the north canyon, where it opens into the valley, is very narrow.
Kil-fang will come through the canyon because it is the easiest way and
the other end is wide and full of small game. We will get a number of
bears to help you, and you can roll some big rocks down into the narrow
place at this end, until there will be left only a space where one wolf
can pass through at a time. That you can do to-morrow, so that any
fresh earth that is torn up will look old and dry when the pack comes.
Nothing will scare wolves or coyotes like a big noise, if they are not
expecting it, so we will make a big drum.”
[Illustration: _Wongo, Cho-gay and Kaw plan to scare Kil-fang_]
“What is that?” asked Cho-gay.
“It’s just the thing?” exclaimed Wongo, who remembered the drums used
by the Indian men when old Grouch was captured.
“We’ll tell you what a drum is and how to make it,” replied Kaw. “Up
the valley, a little way from here, is a nice piece of a hollow log
lying beside the trail.”
“I remember it,” said Wongo.
“Can you roll it down here this afternoon?” asked Kaw.
“Yes, easily,” replied the little bear.
Then, turning to Cho-gay, Kaw continued:
“You will have to kill a young buck--which you will need for meat
anyway--for you must have a fresh skin and one large enough to supply a
piece of hide for each end of the log. When you kill the buck and Wongo
brings the log I will be there to tell you how to finish the drum.
“When Kil-fang and his pack come down the canyon, he will be in the
lead. It will be moonlight, for the pack will not travel in our country
by day. We will have all the bears and coyotes we can get, hidden
behind the big rocks that stand just this side of the narrow passage of
the canyon, and it is there you can be stationed with the drum.
“We will let one of the biggest bears stand on the wall of the canyon
just above the narrow passage with some big, round rocks, and after
Kil-fang and three or four of the pack have passed through into the
valley, the big bear can roll in enough rocks to fill the passage and
separate the pack from their leader. _Then_ we’ll all let loose the big
noise and chase Mr. Kil-fang down the valley and over the mountains.
A pack without a leader is easily confused and the noise we make will
scare them out of their skins.”
“It all sounds as if it could be done,” said Cho-gay. “I will hunt for
a buck this afternoon and if you are here to-morrow we can make this
thing that makes the noise.”
“I will be here,” replied Kaw, “and as I also have much to do, if this
plan is carried out, I will be going.”
With this parting remark, Kaw left his companions and flew away down
the valley in search of old Rip. As he flew along he talked to himself:
“If I can get the old rascal to do what I tell him to, we’ll have more
fun than a cat fight. First--I’ll find him some food and get him in a
good humor. I’ll tell him that he’ll be looked upon as a hero by all,
if he will join in my plan.” And he chuckled as he thought of it.