ON awaking the next morning, they found that the cabin was almost covered with snow, and the woods were filled with drifts, that rendered it impossible for them to resume their hunting. The two days that followed were passed in-doors, curing the skins of the animals they had taken, and listening to the trapper’s stories.
On the third day, a heavy thaw1 set in, and at night the wind changed around to the north, and covered the snow with a crust that would easily bear a man. Early the next morning the hunters set out. George and Frank accompanied the trapper, to assist in breaking up a moose-pen, which the latter had discovered a few days previous to the storm, and Archie and Harry2 determined3 to again attempt the capture of the black fox.
The trapper led his young companions through the woods, and across the pond where George had met with his accident. About a mile further on, he came to a halt, and said, almost in a whisper:
“Now, youngsters, we are a’most to the moose-pen. You stay here, George; an’ remember, don’t go to movin’ up on the game till you hear me shoot.”
“I don’t see any moose,” said George.
“In course you don’t,” said the trapper. “But they are in the woods here, an’ me and Frank will go an’ surround them. It’ll take mighty4 keerful steppin’, though,” he continued, turning to Frank, “for moose have got an ear like an Injun’s. Be keerful now how you walk.” So saying, the trapper shouldered his heavy rifle, and moved off through the woods, accompanied by Frank. About half a mile further on, the latter was stationed on the banks of a deep ravine; and Dick, after repeating his instructions, continued on alone.
The stalwart form of the trapper had scarcely disappeared, when Frank heard a noise in the bushes, and presently a large moose appeared, leisurely5 wading6 through the deep snow, and cropping the branches as he approached. As if by instinct, Frank’s gun was leveled; but remembering the trapper’s instructions, the weapon was lowered, and the young hunter stepped back into the bushes, and watched the motions of the animal. He was a noble fellow—very much like the one with which Frank had engaged in that desperate struggle in the woods—with antlers fully7 four feet in length. The animal appeared totally unconscious of danger, and, after browsing8 about among the bushes for a few moments, walked back into the woods again, but almost instantly reappeared, and made for the ravine at the top of his speed. At this moment, the well-known report of the trapper’s rifle echoed through the woods. It was followed by a crashing in the crust, and presently another moose appeared, and, like the former, ran toward the ravine. A short distance behind him came the trapper, holding his rifle in one hand and his huge hunting-knife in the other, and rapidly gaining on the deer, which sank through the crust into the deep snow at every step. Frank and Brave immediately joined in the pursuit, and the moose had not run far before he was overtaken and seized by the dog. Frank, remembering his first experience in moose-hunting, halted at a safe distance, and was about to “make sure work” of the game, when the trapper darted9 past him, exclaiming:
“Don’t shoot, youngster. That’s a young moose; an’ if you can ketch him, he’ll be worth more nor all the stuffed critters you’ve got at home.”
Here was an opportunity which, to Frank, was too good to be lost. Hastily dropping his gun, and producing a piece of rope from the pocket of his overcoat, he ran up to the game, and, after a brief struggle, succeeded in fastening it around his neck. The dog was then ordered to let go his hold, when the moose instantly sprang to his feet and started to run. Frank was thrown flat in the snow, but he clung to the rope with all his strength. After a short time the young moose, wearied with his useless efforts to escape, ceased his struggles, and his captors led, or rather pulled, him along through the woods toward the place where the game had first been started.
“Now,” said the trapper, “you’ve got a pet that is worth something. He’s jest the thing you want. You won’t have to drag your sleds home now.”
“Why not?” inquired Frank.
“Cause this yere moose can pull you four fellers further in one day than you can travel in two. I knowed a trader at Fort Laramie that had one o’ them critters, and he used to hitch10 him up to a sled, an’ think nothin’ o’ travelin’ sixty miles a day.”
While they were talking, George came up, and, after the hunters had collected their game, Dick led the way toward home, while Frank brought up the rear, leading the young moose.
Meanwhile, Archie and Harry were in hot pursuit of the black fox. They found the trail, as before, in the gully, and Sport started off on it, and met with no difficulty until they arrived on the banks of a small stream that ran a short distance from the cabin. Here the trail came to an abrupt11 termination, and all efforts to recover it were unavailing. This was the identical spot where they had lost it before. For almost an hour they continued, but without any success; and Harry exclaimed, as he dropped the butt12 of his gun to the ground, and leaned upon the muzzle13 with rather a dejected air:
“It’s no use. We’re fooled again. That fox has got his regular run-ways, and we might as well call off the dogs, and go home.”
“Not yet,” said Archie; “I can’t give up in this way; neither do I believe that any fox that ever lived can fool Sport. Hunt ’em up! hunt ’em up!” he continued, waving his hand to the dog, which was running about, tearing the bushes with his teeth, and whining14, as if he, too, felt the disgrace of being so easily defeated. The obedient animal sprang upon the trail and followed it to its termination, and then commenced circling around through the bushes again; and Archie walked across the stream and examined the banks for the twentieth time, but no signs of a trail could be found.
At length, Harry suddenly exclaimed:
“Look here, Archie; here’s where the rascal15 went to;” and he pointed16 to a small tree that had been partially17 uprooted18 by the wind, and leaned over until its top reached within ten feet of the ground.
“You see,” Harry went on to say, “that the tops of all the other trees are almost loaded down with snow, but this one hasn’t got a bit on it. The fox must have shaken it off when he jumped up there.”
Archie, who was ready to catch at any thing that looked like encouragement, hurriedly recrossed the stream, and, after examining the top of the tree, climbed up on it, when he discovered the tracks of the fox in the snow that had fallen on the trunk. He descended19 to the ground, and the boys ran along up the stream, carefully examining every log and stick that was large enough for a fox to walk upon, and finally, to their joy, discovered the trail, which ran back toward the gully from which it had started.
The dogs immediately set off upon it, and the boys, who had learned considerable of the “lay of the land,” struck off through the woods, in an almost contrary direction to the one the dogs were pursuing, toward a ridge20 that lay about three miles distant.
Archie led the way at a rapid pace, now and then looking over his shoulder, and exclaiming, “Hurry up, Harry.” Half an hour’s run brought them to the ridge, and their feelings were worked up to the highest pitch of excitement, when they discovered that the fox had not yet passed.
“Yes,” said Harry, “provided this is his runway.”
“O, don’t begin to throw cold water on our expectations,” said Archie. “It’ll be too bad if——. There they come, now; get out of sight, quick.”
As Archie spoke22, a long, drawn-out bay came faintly to their ears, and the dogs appeared to be coming up the ridge. The young hunters hastily concealed23 themselves, and Archie had just cocked his gun, when the black fox broke from the bushes, and, as if suspicious of danger ahead, turned off down the ridge. It was a long shot, but Archie, without a moment’s hesitation24, raised his gun to his shoulder and fired.
“I told you he was ours,” he shouted, as the smoke cleared away, and the black fox was seen struggling in the snow. A blow on the head with a stick stilled him, and the boys, after examining their prize, which was the finest of his species they had ever seen, started down the ridge to meet the dogs, and soon arrived at the cabin with their prize, and were delighted to find how successful their comrades had been in capturing the moose.
Frank and Archie immediately set to work to break the young moose to harness. He proved very tractable25, and soon learned to draw the boys in a sled, over the ice, with all the regularity26 of a well-broken horse, more than compensating27 them for all the care they had bestowed28 upon him.
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1
thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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2
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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3
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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4
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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6
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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7
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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browsing
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| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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9
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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10
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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11
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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12
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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13
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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14
whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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15
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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16
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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18
uprooted
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| v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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22
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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23
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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25
tractable
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| adj.易驾驭的；温顺的 | |
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26
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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27
compensating
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| 补偿，补助，修正 | |
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28
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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