and Mother Wolf gave a sigh of relief when she found no one ahead of
her. She drew up her little circle of young ones in the shadow of a
clump of birches on the right of the council rock, and then dropped
down to rest.
All was quiet in the woods. Not even Hoot the Owl or Whip-Poor-Will
was abroad to disturb the silence of the great woods. Occasionally a
shadow drifted across the flat rock, and a wolf would take his place
in front or on one side of it. The moon rose slowly until it cast a
flood of white light upon the top of the rock. Almost at the same
moment there was a howl nearby, and out of the thickets sprang Black
Wolf, the leader. He stood a moment looking at the crouching pack, and
then he leaped to the top of the council rock. The whole pack rose as
one and gave vent to their hunting cry.
This was their way of recognizing their leader. Black Wolf stood a
moment, a tall, gaunt, powerful creature, in the white moonlight, as
if challenging any opposition, and then he dropped down with his front
paws curled under him.
"The council is open," he announced. "Has any one a message for the
pack? We're all here."
Sneaky rose from his position near Mother Wolf, and trotted in front
of the rock. "O Black Wolf, noble leader of the pack," he began, "I
bring my cubs for your inspection. May they please you, and prove
worthy of their sire."
"Bring them forth!" replied Black Wolf. "They should be good cubs if
they take after you, Sneaky."
The different members of the pack craned their heads forward to see
Sneaky's cubs, which, at the bidding of their parent, filed out in a
row and stood before the council rock. Black Wolf surveyed them in
silence, inspecting them with his fierce dark eyes.
"You have done well by the pack, Sneaky," he announced finally. "I
name the first one Curly because his beautiful fur curls backward at
the tips. The second one shall be known as Spotted Wolf, for I see
gray spots under his neck. And the last one shall be known as Tiger
Wolf because of the fierceness of his eyes. I have named them, and so
shall they be known to the pack."
He stopped and looked hard at Sneaky, as if expecting him to say more;
but Sneaky was pleased with his presentation, and backed slowly away.
"Is there any more, Sneaky?" the leader asked.
Before Sneaky could reply, a tall, gaunt figure of a wolf rose from
the shadows of the birch trees. It was Mother Wolf. She was going to
speak for her foster child, and not let Sneaky introduce him. She
trotted to the front, and swung around to face the pack an instant,
and then turned to the council rock again.
"O Black Wolf, mighty leader of our pack," she began, "I have another
child, which I have nursed and brought up in my den, and I wish to
admit him to the pack. A foster child brought to me one day by Sneaky.
I have cared for him and loved him as my own. I have taught him the
ways of our people, and with us he must hunt, for his own people have
cast him out."
All the wolves pricked up their ears at this strange announcement, and
Black Wolf half rose from his sitting attitude; but his eyes had
narrowed and darkened, for he knew from what Sneaky had told him that
this thing might occur.
"O Mother Wolf, you have spoken well, but we must see this foster
child of yours," he said. "Is he a wolf cub from another pack?"
"What matters it if he's from another pack or no pack at all?" replied
Mother Wolf. "A mother's love is great enough to take to herself any
child that is homeless and friendless. Is it not on record that long
ago a Mother Wolf nursed and brought up a man child, giving to him as
much as she gave to her own offspring? Then, if she can adopt a man
child, why can she not take the offspring of any other animal of the
woods--of Puma the Mountain Lion, for instance, or--"
"Puma's offspring would bring disaster to us if we adopted him,"
replied Black Wolf hastily, and the others shuddered at the mere
mention of Puma's name. "No, we could never admit a Puma as a member
of the hunting pack."
"No! No!" cried many voices.
They jumped to their feet, ready to enforce their protest by actions.
A young Puma would stand little chance in that company of angry
wolves.
"It is not Puma's offspring," replied Mother Wolf, smiling. "I could
never learn to love anything that came out of Puma's den."
"What animal is it then? Where is this foster child?" several cried.
"You hear them," added Black Wolf. "What have you to say? Where is
this one you plead for?"
"He is yonder in the shadow of the birches. I shall call him out if
you'll give him protection. If not--"
"He shall be protected," interrupted the leader. "It is the law of the
council."
Mother Wolf turned her head ever so slightly, and called: "Little
Brother, come here!"
Washer, with his heart beating fast, but confident that Mother Wolf
would protect him, emerged slowly from the shadows and trotted toward
her. At first the wolves could see nothing, so small was he, and then
they could make out only a shadow that seemed to drift between them
and the woods. But when Washer reached the foot of the council rock,
the bright moonlight fell full upon him.
"Here is my foster child!" exclaimed Mother Wolf proudly. "And my love
for him is as great as for my own cubs. He is as wise as they, as
brave, and as quick-witted. Look at him, and accept him."
Black Wolf rose to his feet and stared down at Washer. All the other
wolves leaped to their feet and closed in to get a better view. Then
suddenly, before their leader could speak, a howl of derision went up
from a score of throats.
"A raccoon!" they shouted in merriment. "A raccoon! And he wishes to
hunt with the pack!"
For a moment the gale of merriment was so great that no one could be
heard. Black Wolf tried to preserve order and his own dignity. Washer
felt suddenly abashed and frightened, and wished there was a tree near
that he could climb. In the next story the wolf pack try to kill
Washer, but Mother Wolf comes to the rescue.
STORY TWELVE
BLACK WOLF DEFIES THE PACK
Mother Wolf was even more annoyed and dismayed than Washer by the
sudden outbreak of merriment when the pack caught sight of the raccoon
standing before the council rock. Sneaky, from a position behind
apparently enjoyed the embarrassment of his mate, for a broad grin
spread over his face and he chuckled with the others. The young cubs
stood by their father, but as the scene was a little puzzling to them
they remained silent and motionless.
"Give me the raccoon for my hunting companion!" shouted a big gray
wolf. "I won't go far then for my dinner!"
The others began crowding around the council rock. "No! No! We want
him!" they cried. "Turn him over to the pack!"
Mother Wolf swung around and faced the circle of wolves, displaying
her teeth and growling angrily.
Black Wolf arose to his hind legs and let out a roar that brought the
whole pack to its senses. The cries stopped, and every member slunk
back to his position. The big leader glared hard at them and waited a
full minute to see if any dared oppose his authority.
Then he turned slowly to Sneaky, and said: "Sneaky, do you bring this
raccoon as your foster child?"
"No, O mighty leader, he is none of mine," was the prompt reply. "I
brought him to my den for food one day after I'd fished him out of the
river. I wanted to kill him for the children, but Mother Wolf
protested. I had nothing to do with his rearing. He would have died
long ago if I'd had my way."
The members of the pack nodded their heads, and Black Wolf turned to
Mother Wolf. He looked at her in silence for some time. Then, in a low
voice, he said: "No foster child can hunt with the pack unless he's a
wolf. It's against the law of the woods. If we permitted it Puma the
Mountain Lion would be filling our homes with his young so they might
grow up with us and destroy us. And Loup the Lynx would do the same so
that he could betray our hiding places. There would be no safety for
us after that."
"But Little Brother is a raccoon," pleaded Mother Wolf. "Surely you're
not afraid of the raccoons. They could not hurt us nor betray us."
The whole pack sniffed in disgust at the idea of the raccoon tribe
hurting the wolves.
"That is true, O Mother Wolf," replied Black Wolf, "but if we let you
introduce a raccoon as a foster child, we could not prevent another
bringing a young Puma or Lynx. We must obey the laws of our tribe, and
keep from it all other animals."
A great sadness settled on Mother Wolf's face. She looked down at
Washer and began licking his head. She knew that Black Wolf's words
were law, and she could not defy them.
"Then must I give up my foster child?" she asked.
"No," replied the leader, "you can take him home and keep him, but he
is not under the protection of the pack. If they hunt him down and
kill him you can blame no one. I cannot interfere."
There was a murmur of applause, and every wolf began licking his lips
as if in anticipation of the feast ahead. The sight of their cruel
greediness aroused Mother Wolf. She raised her head proudly, and said:
"They will not dare touch him in my cave--not one of them! I shall
protect him!"
There was an ugly, defiant look in the eyes which made more than one
wolf cower and slink back out of sight. Mother Wolf was a big, gaunt,
powerful creature, and no one cared to measure his strength with her
when she was defending her young.
"The council is ended then?" she added, turning to the leader. "You
refuse to accept Little Brother in the pack?"
"It is so decided, Mother Wolf. And the law cannot be changed."
"Then I shall go home. Come, Little Brother, we must start at once
before the moon grows dark. It is a long way, but--"
"One moment!" cried a big gray wolf. "Does the law of the woods give
us the right to hunt for our food now? We're hungry, and if the
council has ended we may begin the hunt at once. Is it not true, O
Black Wolf?"
Now the leader and Mother Wolf both understood the meaning of this
challenge. The pack wanted to pounce upon Washer at once and devour
him before he could ever reach the cave. Even Washer knew what was
coming, and a great trembling seized him. He looked around him, but
there was no tree near the council rock, and the whole pack stood
between him and the woods. He had no chance to escape them.
Black Wolf seemed troubled by the gray wolf's questions, for he knew
that he had no authority to change the law. Once his decision was
given there was nothing more for him to do. The whole pack had a
right to fall upon Washer and kill him in sight of Mother Wolf. It was
a dangerous situation.
But Mother Wolf suddenly changed her attitude. She backed up against
the council rock, with Washer behind her, and bared her white teeth to
the pack. The hair stood up straight on her head, and the bushy tail
began swishing slowly back and forth. The yellow eyes were so luminous
in the moonlight that they seemed to shoot sparks of fire.
"If you're hungry," she growled, "and want to eat Little Brother, you
must do so over my dead body. Not one of you shall touch him until
you've felt the sting of my teeth. Come on now, Gray Wolf, and I'll
show you what mother love can do to save her young!"
Gray Wolf hesitated, backing off a little, for Mother Wolf was a
powerful antagonist. Alone he could not overcome her. Indeed, in her
present frame of mind, she could probably whip two or three ordinary
wolves. She was crouching for the spring, with dripping jaws snapping
defiantly.
"Why should we be defied by one wolf!" cried the big gray fellow. "We
must have the raccoon. Close in on him on all sides. Sneaky, you lead
on that side, and I'll do the same here."
Mother Wolf cast a look at Sneaky that made him hesitate, but at the
same time the wolves on the outside of the circle began crowding in.
They pushed and shoved until the circle was narrowed. Those in the
front came within a few feet of Mother Wolf.
With a growl she snapped at the nearest and caught him by the front
paw. With a howl of pain, the wolf leaped over the backs of the others
and disappeared in the woods. Mother Wolf sprang at another and sunk
her sharp teeth in his neck.
But in spite of all this the circle was growing smaller. The pack was
clamoring for the blood of Washer, and it was only a question of time
before they would overcome Mother Wolf. She could not hope to fight
off the whole pack. She seemed to realize this, but she was determined
to die in the defense of her foster child.
"Close in!" cried Gray Wolf. "Come on, Sneaky, do your part, or we'll
believe you love the raccoon too."
Now the battle would have ended shortly if something hadn't happened
to surprise all. With a roar of rage and challenge, Black Wolf leaped
from the top of the rock and landed by the side of Mother Wolf. Facing
the pack, he cried:
"Not as your leader, but as one fighting for fair play, I shall defend
Mother Wolf. The first one that touches her shall pay with his life.
Back now, or fight me!"
There was a moment of silence; then a low murmur of voices as the
circle broke and fell back, leaving only Gray Wolf and Sneaky in the
front. Finding themselves deserted by the pack, they quickly ran, too,
and disappeared in the woods. In the next story Mother Wolf takes
Washer to the Silver Birch grove where his people live.
STORY THIRTEEN
WASHER GOES TO THE SILVER BIRCH GROVE
Black Wolf's unexpected defense of Mother Wolf and Washer saved them
from what might have been sure death to the latter and serious injury
to the former. None of the pack dared to offer battle to their leader,
and the moment he sided with Mother Wolf they broke ranks and ran off
into the woods.
When they were gone, Mother Wolf turned gratefully to the big leader,
and said: "You have saved my life, Black Wolf. What can I do to repay
you?"
"Hurry home with your foster child, Mother Wolf, before the pack
changes its mind and returns. I will accompany you."
More than ever grateful now for seeing that she got back to her den in
safety, Mother Wolf led the way through the woods, with Washer close
behind her, and the leader of the pack bringing up the rear. Silently
and noiselessly they stole single file through the woods, with eyes
and ears alert to catch any unusual sound.
But nothing happened on the way. They reached the cave in safety,
where Black Wolf stopped. "I'll not go in," he said. "Now you're home
you'll know how to defend yourself."
"Yes, I can defend my home," she replied. "I'll not need any help now.
Thank you a thousand times for helping me."
"I did it, Mother Wolf," replied the leader, "because I remember how
we used to play together when young, and because I wanted to see
justice done. But now that you've got your foster child home, what are
you going to do with him? He can't hunt with the pack, and not being
under their protection they will hunt him down and kill him. Wherever
he goes they will follow. You can't always stay in the den watching
him. You must hunt with the pack at times to get your share of food.
If you stay here alone you'll starve."
Mother Wolf looked troubled, and said nothing. She knew how true Black
Wolf's words were, and she had not taken them lightly. When he finally
left her, she walked into the cave with Washer by her side. It was
empty. Sneaky and the cubs had not yet returned.
"They're out hunting, and won't return until morning," she said. "Now,
Little Brother, we can find some rest."
But Washer was not anxious for rest--not in the Wolf's den. He felt
that the nights adventure had broken up his old home. There could no
longer be any ties to hold him to it. In time the cubs would side with
pack and turn upon him.
"I can never stay here," he said suddenly. "If I do I'm in constant
danger, and you, too, will be in trouble. The whole pack will turn
against you. I must leave."
"But where can you go, Little Brother?" asked Mother Wolf anxiously.
"I must return to my own people."
"But they won't have you. Didn't you say one of them bit you and
threatened your life?"
"Yes, but he didn't know me. I must find one of my real brothers, and
he will understand."
Mother Wolf sat down and considered. After a while she got up and
paced back and forth in the den. "Maybe you're right," she said
finally, stopping before him. "There would be nothing but danger here
for you, and in time my own children would drive you out and perhaps
kill you. Yes, it's better that you should return to your own people.
But if they won't have you, I'll still protect you."
Washer rose excitedly to his feet. "Then I must go at once--before the
cubs and Sneaky return. They must find me gone, and if you don't tell
them where I am they'll never know."
"That's true, Little Brother. But where shall we go tonight?"
"To the Silver Birch grove where my people live. It's above the falls
where I fell in the water. Take me there, and I'll watch and wait for
them."
"But suppose some of the wolves found you in the Silver Birch Grove?"
"What matter's that?" laughed Washer. "I can climb a tree which is
more than any of the wolves can do. I'll go up the biggest tree, and
laugh at them."
"Yes, Little Brother, you can do that. I'd forgotten that your people
are tree climbers. Well," sighing heavily, "it's the only thing to do,
but it makes me sad to lose you. I shall mourn you every day you're
away."
"Not more than if you saw me killed by your own people," added Washer,
smiling up into her face.
She nodded her head and began licking his fur. In a short time she was
ready to accompany him to the grove of Silver Birches. This was some
distance from the cave, and they had to be wary in their movements,
for the whole wolf pack was abroad on the hunt. They heard their
distant howls on the clear night air, but by keeping away from them
they soon got beyond their echo.
They trotted along through the moonlight, following the river toward
the falls. Just below them they stopped, while Washer pointed out
where Sneaky had found him when he jumped ashore from his raft.
"That must have been a terrible adventure, Little Brother," Mother
Wolf said. "I never heard of any animal coming over the falls and
living. It must be you have a charmed life."
"If so it's because I've had such a good foster mother," replied
Washer. "You saved me from Sneaky, and tonight you saved me from the
pack. You're as brave as you are kind and loving. I shall never forget
you."
Mother Wolf was greatly affected by these words, and she showed her
gratitude in her eyes. Once more she slicked down the soft fur of her
foster child and murmured gentle words of love. Then they started off
once more on their journey.
They climbed the steep rocks that led to the upper part of the falls,
and once on their summit they headed directly for the grove of Silver
Birches. In the soft moonlight the birches glistened and shone like
twinkling stars, the leaves showing white and silvery. It was almost
like a fairy scene, and Washer raised his head in delight. He was
near his original home, in the land of his own people, and his little
heart beat with excitement.
What would his own people do? Would they receive him or drive him
away? The very thought of this made him shiver. He would then be
without a home or country of his own. He would be an outcast, which is
the worst thing that can be said of man or animal.
"I shall wait here in this big birch until some of my people appear,"
Washer said when they stole silently under the shadow of the grove. "I
am safe here. I shall climb up in that crotch and sleep until morning.
No wolf can get me."
"No, not even Black Wolf could reach you up there. None of my people
could jump that high. Are you quite sure you can climb that high?"
"I'll show you," laughed Washer. "You never saw me climb a tree
before."
He wanted to show her how well he could run up the tree, and he was
proud of his accomplishment when she watched him in silence, and then
said: "Wonderful, Little Brother! I wish my cubs could do as well.
Now, if you're safe I'll go. Good-bye!"
Washer waved a paw to her until she had disappeared from sight, and
then with a sigh of contentment he curled up in a round ball and went
to sleep. He was very tired after the night's adventure, and was glad
to get a few hours of sleep before morning dawned. He was safe from
the wolves. In the morning he would see if he was safe among his own
people. In the next story Washer meets an enemy that can climb trees.
[Illustration: WASHER WAVED A PAW AT HER]
STORY FOURTEEN
WASHER IS TREED BY STRANGERS
Now Washer had not been sleeping long, although it seemed a great
while to him, when a peculiar rustling noise below awakened him. With
one eye still closed, and the other only half opened, he called
sleepily:
"Is that you, Mother Wolf?"
There was no answer, and Washer opened both eyes. If it was Mother
Wolf who had made the rustling sound, she would have answered his
question immediately. Washer concluded that it was somebody else. Then
he thought of the cubs. It would be like them not to answer, but try
to steal upon him to give him a fright.
"I know you're down there, Brothers," he added. "You can't frighten
me. I'm up the tree, and no wolf can climb up here."
There was still no response, and the silence of the woods suddenly
made Washer a little afraid. He became wide awake. He remembered now
what had happened to him; how he had been rejected by the wolves, and
how Mother Wolf had brought him to the grove of Silver Birches to find
his own people.
He also remembered that the wolf pack had declared they would hunt him
down and kill him. They were thirsting for his blood, and now that
Mother Wolf had left him they had followed his tracks and treed him.
Yes, down below there were undoubtedly many of the wolves--the whole
pack for all he knew--and the moment he came down they would pounce
upon him. Washer shivered, and crawled to a higher crotch. The moon
had gone down, and the woods were wrapped in darkness. It was
impossible for him to see anything below; but the thought that wolves
could not climb trees brought a sense of security. He was safe there
from Sneaky, Gray Wolf and the whole pack.
He waited a long time for a repetition of the noise, and then decided
that he would resume his sleep. If the wolves couldn't climb the tree
what was the use of worrying about them? He closed his eyes with a
sigh of relief.
Then came the rustling noise again--this time much nearer the trunk of
the tree. It came nearer, and finally reached the tree itself. There
was a slight jar that made the leaves tremble. Washer thought it was a
wolf leaping up, trying to reach the lower branches; but it was
followed by a steady rustling, scraping noise that puzzled him.
For a long time he was uncertain what to make of it, but when it came
nearer and nearer, and finally seemed to be in the tree itself, he
grew terribly frightened. Somebody or something was climbing the tree!
When Washer made this discovery his alarm was genuine. With a little
squeak of fear he ran to the top branch of the tree. But the scraping,
rustling noise followed him. It first came from the lower branches;
then from the middle ones, and now it was approaching the top.
Washer strained his eyes in the darkness to see this unknown creature
that was slowly crawling toward him. In time he could make out a dark
form; then another and another. There were three creatures climbing
the tree!
Washer's terror reached a climax. He ran so far out on a branch that
it threatened to break with him. He was panic-stricken! It would not
have been at all surprising if he had lost his hold and fallen to the
ground below. There was no other tree near enough for him to reach,
and it was either a matter of holding on and fighting his enemies up
there among the top-most branches or dropping to the ground thirty
feet below.
"Who is that?" he demanded between chattering teeth.
Then in a little panicky voice he added: "If you don't get away I'll
call Mother Wolf, and she'll eat you up."
That threat had the effect of loosening the tongue of one of the
animals, for a voice said in a low growl: "Hear him! Didn't I tell you
he was a friend of the wolves? Now he's going to call them to kill us.
But wolves can't climb trees. Come on, we'll catch him! He can't get
away!"
Now Washer recognized that voice at once. It was that of
the raccoon he had saved from the cubs, and who in return for his
kindness had bitten him. In some way he had discovered Washer's
presence in the tree, and had summoned his friends to kill him. For a
moment Washer was more afraid of his own people than of the wolves.
Then he decided he would make matters plain to them.
"Please don't come any further," he said in a shaking voice. "You just
listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you."
"Listen to that!" sniffed the big raccoon. "He promises not to hurt
us. Well, I don't think we'll give him a chance. But we'll hurt you."