The wapiti was carefully skinned, and the skin spread out to dry. Since their mishap2 our voyageurs had been very short of clothing. The three skins of the woodland caribou3 had made only a pair of jackets, instead of full hunting-shirts, and even these were pinched fits. For beds and bed-clothes they had nothing but the hides of buffaloes4, and these, although good as far as they went, were only enough for two. Lucien, the most delicate of the party, appropriated one, as the others insisted upon his so doing. François had the other. As for Basil and Norman, they were forced each night to lie upon the naked earth, and but for the large fires which they kept blazing all the night, they would have suffered severely6 from cold. Indeed, they did suffer quite enough; for some of the nights were so cold, that it was impossible to sleep by the largest fire without one-half of their bodies feeling chilled. The usual practice with travellers in the Far West is to lie with their feet to the fire, while the head is at the greatest distance from it. This is considered the best mode, for so long as the feet are warm, the rest of the body will not suffer badly; but, on the contrary, if the feet are allowed to get cold, no matter what state the other parts be in, it is impossible to sleep with comfort. Of course our young voyageurs followed the well-known practice of the country, and lay with their feet to the fire in such a manner that, when all were placed, their bodies formed four radii7 of a circle, of which the fire was the centre. Marengo usually lay beside Basil, whom he looked upon as his proper master.
Notwithstanding a bed of grass and leaves which they each night spread for themselves, they were sadly in want of blankets, and therefore the skin of the wapiti, which was a very fine one, would be a welcome addition to their stock of bedding. They resolved, therefore, to remain one day where they had killed it, so that the skin might be dried and receive a partial dressing8. Moreover, they intended to “jerk” some of the meat—although elk-venison is not considered very palatable9 where other meat can be had. It is without juice, and resembles dry short-grained beef more than venison. For this reason it is looked upon by both Indians and white hunters as inferior to buffalo5, moose, caribou, or even the common deer. One peculiarity10 of the flesh of this animal is, that the fat becomes hard the moment it is taken off the fire. It freezes upon the lips like suet, and clings around the teeth of a person eating it, which is not the case with that of other species of deer. The skin of the wapiti, however, is held in high esteem11 among the Indians. It is thinner than that of the moose, but makes a much better article of leather. When dressed in the Indian fashion—that is to say, soaked in a lather12 composed of the brains and fat of the animal itself, and then washed, dried, scraped, and smoked—it becomes as soft and pliable13 as a kid-glove, and will wash and dry without stiffening14 like chamois leather. That is a great advantage which it has, in the eyes of the Indians, over the skins of other species of deer, as the moose and caribou—for the leather made from these, after a wetting, becomes harsh and rigid15 and requires a great deal of rubbing to render it soft again.
Lucien knew how to dress the elk-hide, and could make leather out of it as well as any Indian squaw in the country. But travelling as they were, there was not a good opportunity for that; so they were content to give it such a dressing as the circumstances might allow. It was spread out on a frame of willow-poles, and set up in front of the fire, to be scraped at intervals16 and cleared of the fatty matter, as well as the numerous parasites17 that at this season adhere to the skins of the wapiti.
While Lucien was framing the skin, Basil and Norman occupied themselves in cutting the choice pieces of the meat into thin slices and hanging them up before the fire. This job being finished, all sat down to watch Lucien currying18 his hide.
“Ho, boys!” cried François, starting up as if something had occurred to him; “what about the wolverene? It’s a splendid skin—why not get it too?”
“True enough,” replied Norman, “we had forgotten that. But the beasts gone to the bottom—how can we get at him?”
“Why, fish him up, to be sure,” said François. “Let’s splice19 one of these willow-poles to my ramrod, and I’ll screw it into him, and draw him to the surface in a jiffy. Come!”
“We must get the canoe round, then,” said Norman. “The bank’s too steep for us to reach him without it.”
“Of course,” assented20 François, at the same time going towards the willows21; “get you the canoe into the water, while I cut the sapling.”
“Stay!” cried Basil, “I’ll show you a shorter method. Marengo!”
As Basil said this, he rose to his feet, and walked down to the bluff22 where they had shot the wolverene. All of them followed him as well as Marengo, who bounded triumphantly23 from side to side, knowing he was wanted for some important enterprise.
“Do you expect the dog to fetch him out?” inquired Norman.
“No,” replied Basil; “only to help.”
“How?”
“Wait a moment—you shall see.”
Basil flung down his ’coon-skin cap, and stripped off his caribou jacket, then his striped cotton shirt, then his under-shirt of fawn24 skin, and, lastly, his trousers, leggings, and mocassins. He was now as naked as Adam.
“I’ll show you, cousin,” said he, addressing himself to Norman, “how we take the water down there on the Mississippi.”
So saying, he stepped forward to the edge of the bluff; and having carefully noted25 the spot where the wolverene had gone down, turned to the dog, and simply said—
“Ho! Marengo! Chez moi!” The dog answered with a whimper, and a look of intelligence which showed that he understood his master’s wish.
Basil again pointed26 to the lake, raised his arms over his head, placing his palms close together, launched himself out into the air, and shot down head-foremost into the water.
Marengo, uttering a loud bay, sprang after so quickly that the plunges27 were almost simultaneous, and both master and dog were for some time hidden from view. The latter rose first, but it was a long time before Basil came to the surface—so long that Norman and the others were beginning to feel uneasy, and to regard the water with some anxiety. At length, however, a spot was seen to bubble, several yards from where he had gone down, and the black head of Basil appeared above the surface. It was seen that he held something in his teeth, and was pushing a heavy body before him, which they saw was the wolverene.
Marengo, who swam near, now seized hold of the object, and pulled it away from his master, who, calling to the dog to follow, struck out towards a point where the bank was low and shelving. In a few minutes Basil reached a landing-place, and shortly after Marengo arrived towing the wolverene, which was speedily pulled out upon the bank, and carried, or rather dragged, by Norman and François to the camp. Lucien brought Basil’s clothes, and all four once more assembled around the blazing fire.
There is not a more hideous-looking animal in America than the wolverene. His thick body and short stout28 legs, his shaggy coat and bushy tail, but, above all, his long curving claws and doglike jaws29, give him a formidable appearance. His gait is low and skulking30, and his look bold and vicious. He walks somewhat like a bear, and his tracks are often mistaken for those of that animal. Indians and hunters, however, know the difference well. His hind-feet are plantigrade, that is, they rest upon the ground from heel to toe; and his back curves like the segment of a circle. He is fierce and extremely voracious—quite as much so as the “glutton31,” of which he is the American representative. No animal is more destructive to the small game, and he will also attack and devour32 the larger kinds when he can get hold of them; but as he is somewhat slow, he can only seize most of them by stratagem33. It is a common belief that he lies in wait upon trees and rocks to seize the deer passing beneath. It has been also asserted that he places moss34, such as these animals feed upon, under his perch35, in order to entice36 them within reach; and it has been still further asserted, that the arctic foxes assist him in his plans, by hunting the deer towards the spot where he lies in wait, thus acting37 as his jackals. These assertions have been made more particularly about his European cousin, the “glutton,” about whom other stories are told equally strange—one of them, that he eats until scarce able to walk, and then draws his body through a narrow space between two trees, in order to relieve himself and get ready for a fresh meal. Buffon and others have given credence38 to these tales upon the authority of one “Olaus Magnus,” whose name, from the circumstance, might be translated “great fibber.” There is no doubt, however, that the glutton is one of the most sagacious of animals, and so, too, is the wolverene. The latter gives proof of this by many of his habits; one in particular fully1 illustrates39 his cunning. It is this. The marten-trappers of the Hudson Bay territory set their traps in the snow, often extending over a line of fifty miles. These traps are constructed out of pieces of wood found near the spot, and are baited with the heads of partridges, or pieces of venison, of which the marten (Mustela martes) is very fond. As soon as the marten seizes the bait, a trigger is touched, and a heavy piece of wood falling upon the animal, crushes or holds it fast. Now the wolverene enters the trap from behind, tears the back out of it before touching40 the bait, and thus avoids the falling log! Moreover, he will follow the tracks of the trapper from one to another, until he has destroyed the whole line. Should a marten happen to have been before him, and got caught in the trap, he rarely ever eats it, as he is not fond of its flesh. But he is not satisfied to leave it as he finds it. He usually digs it from under the log, tears it to pieces, and then buries it under the snow. The foxes, who are well aware of this habit, and who themselves greedily eat the marten, are frequently seen following him upon such excursions. They are not strong enough to take the log from off the trapped animal, but from their keen scent41 can soon find it where the other has buried it in the snow. In this way, instead of their being providers for the wolverene, the reverse is the true story. Notwithstanding, the wolverene will eat them too, whenever he can get his claws upon them; but as they are much swifter than he, this seldom happens. The foxes, however, are themselves taken in traps, or more commonly shot by guns set for the purpose, with the bait attached by a string to the trigger. Often the wolverene, finding the foxes dead or wounded, makes a meal of them before the hunter comes along to examine his traps and guns. The wolverene kills many of the foxes while young, and sometimes on finding their burrow42, widens it with his strong claws, and eats the whole family in their nests. Even young wolves sometimes become his prey43. He lives, in fact, on very bad terms with both foxes and wolves, and often robs the latter of a fat deer which they may have just killed, and are preparing to dine upon. The beaver44, however, is his favourite food, and but that these creatures can escape him by taking to the water—in which element he is not at all at home—he would soon exterminate45 their whole race. His great strength and acute scent enable him to overcome almost every wild creature of the forest or prairie. He is even said to be a full match for either the panther or the black bear.
The wolverene lives in clefts46 of rock, or in hollow trees, where such are to be found; but he is equally an inhabitant of the forest and the prairie. He is found in fertile districts, as well as in the most remote deserts. His range is extensive, but he is properly a denizen47 of the cold and snowy regions. In the southern parts of the United States he is no longer known, though it is certain that he once lived there when those countries were inhabited by the beaver. North of latitude48 40 degrees he ranges perhaps to the pole itself, as traces of him have been found as far as man has yet penetrated49. He is a solitary50 creature, and, like most predatory animals, a nocturnal prowler. The female brings forth51 two, sometimes three and four, at a birth. The cubs52 are of a cream colour, and only when full-grown acquire that dark-brown hue53, which in the extreme of winter often passes into black. The fur is not unlike that of the bear, but is shorter-haired, and of less value than a bear-skin. Notwithstanding, it is an article of trade with the Hudson’s Bay Company, who procure54 many thousands of the skins annually55.
The Canadian voyageurs call the wolverene “carcajou;” while among the Orkney and Scotch56 servants of the Hudson’s Bay Company he is oftener known as the “quickhatch.” It is supposed that both these names are corruptions57 of the Cree word okee-coo-haw-gew (the name of the wolverene among the Indians of that tribe). Many words from the same language have been adopted by both voyageurs and traders.
Those points in the natural history of the wolverene, that might be called scientific, were imparted by Lucien, while Norman furnished the information about its habits. Norman knew the animal as one of the most common in the “trade”; and in addition to what we have recorded, also related many adventures and stories current among the voyageurs, in which this creature figures in quite as fanciful a manner, as he does in the works either of Olaus Magnus, or Count de Buffon.
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1
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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caribou
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| n.北美驯鹿 | |
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4
buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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7
radii
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| n.半径；半径（距离）( radius的名词复数 )；用半径度量的圆形面积；半径范围；桡骨 | |
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8
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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9
palatable
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| adj.可口的，美味的；惬意的 | |
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10
peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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11
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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12
lather
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| n.(肥皂水的)泡沫，激动 | |
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13
pliable
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| adj.易受影响的；易弯的；柔顺的，易驾驭的 | |
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14
stiffening
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| n. (使衣服等)变硬的材料, 硬化 动词stiffen的现在分词形式 | |
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15
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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16
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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17
parasites
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| 寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫 | |
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18
currying
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| 加脂操作 | |
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splice
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| v.接合，衔接；n.胶接处，粘接处 | |
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20
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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23
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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plunges
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| n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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29
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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30
skulking
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 ) | |
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31
glutton
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| n.贪食者，好食者 | |
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32
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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stratagem
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| n.诡计，计谋 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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entice
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| v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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38
credence
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| n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证 | |
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39
illustrates
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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40
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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41
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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42
burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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43
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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44
beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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45
exterminate
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| v.扑灭，消灭，根绝 | |
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46
clefts
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| n.裂缝( cleft的名词复数 )；裂口；cleave的过去式和过去分词；进退维谷 | |
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47
denizen
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| n.居民，外籍居民 | |
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48
latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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49
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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50
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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51
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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52
cubs
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| n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 ) | |
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53
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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54
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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55
annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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56
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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57
corruptions
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| n.堕落( corruption的名词复数 )；腐化；腐败；贿赂 | |
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