“We had better keep this meat for winter,” the trapper suggested, “for until it freezes up, we can get all the fresh meat we want.”
Tim, who used to amuse himself for hours at a time by playing with Meetcha, was in great anxiety, because the pet raccoon had once more mysteriously disappeared.
Bill and Barker and the Indian looked in every place, where Meetcha was accustomed to dig for grubs or hunt for frogs, but he was not to be found.
“He has gone to find a sleeping-place for the winter,” Tatanka told his friends. “He feels that it is growing cold.”
Tatanka’s guess proved true, for on the second day, Meetcha was found curled up and fast asleep in a hollow log a quarter of a mile from camp.
“We’ll fix him,” said Tatanka, as he cut off the branches of the hollow basswood.
Meetcha woke up, but recognizing his friends, did not come out of the log.
“Now help me carry the log home.”
Tim clapped his thin hands with joy when the three coon-hunters arrived at camp and laid the log down in a sheltered spot.
One end of the log was naturally closed, and Tim filled the other end with dry leaves. In this way Meetcha followed the custom of his tribe and went into winter quarters.