“All of us could,” answered Sahwah, eager to sing the praises of the group as a whole.
The Captain said nothing. He felt that he had disgraced the Sandwiches by letting a girl get ahead of him. It did not help him any to note that Hinpoha was looking at him and evidently thinking the same thing. The Captain was very sore at heart. He liked and admired Hinpoha more than any of the other Winnebagos, and they had always been the best of friends until suddenly, for some reason which he could not explain, she had turned against him. And she had done the one thing to him that he could never forgive. She had called him “Cicero.” All was over between them. Winter hikes weren’t such a lot of fun after all, he told himself.
“Hi, look at the rabbit,” shouted Pitt, pointing out an inquisitive bunny that sat upon his haunches under a tree, “to see the parade go by.”
“Don’t hurt him, don’t hurt him,” cried Sahwah, dancing up and down and trying to focus her camera on him.
“Who’s hurting him?” said the Captain. “We haven’t anything to hurt him with, unless Slim steps on him.” Sahwah clicked her camera and at the click Br’er Bunny vanished into space.
“Let’s see what kind of tracks he made,” said Sahwah, and they all willingly detoured a trifle to examine the footprints in the snow.
“There are some others beside his,” said Bottomless Pitt. “What kind of an animal is that, Uncle Teddy?”
Uncle Teddy examined the tracks and nodded his head with a satisfied air. “You boys ought to know those tracks,” he said provokingly. “What kind of scouts are you, anyway? Here, Captain, quit your scowling like a thundercloud and tell us what animal has been taking a walk. I certainly have taught you enough about woodcraft to know that.”
The Captain looked at the tracks closely. “I think it’s a ’coon,” he said finally.
“Think so!” scoffed Uncle Teddy. “Don’t you know so? Pitt, what do you say?”