“‘Now, Cigous,’ says Wiesacajac, ‘I’ll been good spirit, else surely I’ll punish you plenty for stealing when you tol’ me you’ll be good animal. Already I’ll made you white, all but your tail. Now that the people may always know you for a thief, you an’ all your family must have black spot on tail in the winter-tam. I would make you black all over, Cigous, but I have take pity on your family, who must not starve. Maybe so you could caught meat, but all the tam your tail will mark you for a thief!’
“From that time,” said Moise, concluding, “the ermine, Cigous, has always been a good honter. But always he’s brown in the summer-tam, an’ in the winter-tam he isn’t not quite white. That is because he is such thief. I know this is so, because my onkle she’ll tol’ me. I have finish.”
XXVI
TRAILING THE BEAR
“
I’ll tell you what,” said John, in the morning, as they still lingered at their pleasant camp; “we’re not apt to have a much nicer stopping place than this, so why not make a little hunt, and come back here to-night?”
“Not a bad idea,” said Alex.
“What’s the best way to plan it out?” asked John. “Ought we to go by boats down the river, and then come back here?”