Tales out of school

by Frank R. Stockton

Suddenly a red light flashed up from the horizon, and ran across the sky, quickly followed by other flashes of various colors. This circumstance did not alarm the boys, for it had happened often enough before, and they knew it to be the commencement of what we call an Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. We see them sometimes in this part of the world, but ours are very feeble compared to those in the Arctic zone. This proved to be such a magnificent display that even these Esquimaux boys were touched with the sense of its beauty, and paused for awhile, and gazed upward with delight. White, red, yellow, green and blue lines crossed each other all over the sky in bewildering confusion. These would suddenly vanish, and great spears of flaming red would stand marshalled in rows. Then yellow and green banners waved across them, and extinguished them, and the whole air seemed filled with undulating waves of color. Finally, these took form, and hung, high up in the vault of heaven, a gorgeous canopy that seemed to be formed of crystal pendants, and jewelled columns, glittering with every conceivable shade and color. Every peak and crag was touched with light. Even the little stones on the beach gleamed like gems.

AN AURORA BOREALIS.

The boys could not have described the scene to give you any idea of it, as I have tried to do, but they enjoyed it. It never occurred to them to ask what it was, or where it came from. They accepted it as they did their six months’ day and night, and great snows, and volcanoes, and all the other forms of Nature. If they thought about it at all, they probably supposed that all the world was just like Greenland.

After a little while they grew tired of the Aurora, and turned their attention once more to the traps. Polargno’s were on a point of land, shielded somewhat by a large rock. He had no less than four, and he usually found them all empty. As the boys silently approached this rock they caught sight of an animal, which was circling about the outside of one of the traps. All saw it at the same instant, and all knew it to be one of the most valuable of their Arctic animals. Their seal-skin boots had made no noise on the smooth ice, and the animal was not aware of their approach. They were not on his windward side, and therefore he was not likely to detect them by scent. The boys stood still behind the rock, and cautiously peered around it, watching every movement of the creature. They were afraid to draw a long breath lest he should hear them.

Polargno’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Here was a prize indeed! This was a fine Arctic fox, and he had never caught so valuable an animal! It was seldom that anybody did, for the Arctic fox is quite as wise and cautious as his brethren of warmer climes. He imagined himself returning to the village with this trophy, and thought with pride of the excitement he would cause, and how the people would gather around him, and congratulate him, and how the fur traders would praise him. And then he began to think what fine things he would get from them in exchange for the skin.

But still he was anxious; for, all this time, the animal was on the wrong side of the trap. If he did not go inside of it, farewell to Polargno’s visions, for the boys had no guns, and they would not have done much with them, if they had had them, for they were not skilful in the use of firearms. The animal was evidently suspicious of the fir boughs thrown so carelessly down, and lightly covered with snow; but he was also very hungry, and eager for the food under this arrangement. His hunger proved too great for his prudence, and, after investigating the trap on all sides, and thinking over the matter for a time that seemed very long to the watching boys, he cautiously placed one foot over the spot where the bait lay. This was enough. Click went a wooden spring, concealed among the branches, and down went the fox through a wooden trap underneath, that snapped together again, and shut him in.

“Hi,” cried Polargno, as he rushed out from behind the rock, followed by both boys. But he was in too great a hurry. He stumbled over a stone. His feet went up into the air, and his back and head went crashing down into the trap, sending fir boughs and splints of wood flying in all directions.

The fox snapped at him, but, fortunately missed his face; and having snipped a little piece out of the boy’s ear, evidently came to the conclusion that running away was better than revenge. He therefore ran over Polargno’s prostrate body, and up his elevated legs, and, making a tremendous spring from the quivering feet, he darted away at his utmost speed.

The boys left Polargno to get out of his trap as best he could, and immediately gave chase to the fox. But they knew it was useless. They might as well try to catch the wind. If they had brought the dogs the fox would probably have had the worst of it. But, as it was, he escaped—hungry, but safe.