Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, November 1899: Volume LVI, No. 1Various
Science
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, November 1899: Volume LVI, No. 1
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
In answer to my request for particulars, he replied that for some
mornings past when he went to visit it he found, entangled in the
meshes, several heads of whitefish. Yet the net was always in its right
position in the water. On my suggesting that perhaps otters, fishers,
minks, or other fish-eating animals might have done the work, he most
emphatically declared that he knew the habits of all these and all
other animals living on fish, and it was utterly impossible for any of
them to have thus done this work. The mystery continuing for several
following mornings, Papanekis became frightened and asked me to get
some other fisherman in his place, as he was afraid longer to visit the
net. He had talked the matter over with some other Indians, and they
had come to the conclusion that either a _windegoo_ was at the bottom
of it or the _meechee munedoo_ (the devil). I laughed at his fears,
and told him I would help him to try and find out who or what it was
that was giving us this trouble. I went with him to the place, where we
carefully examined both sides of the stream for evidences of the clever
thief. There was nothing suspicious, and the only tracks visible were
those of his own and of the many dogs that followed him to be fed each
morning. About two or three hundred yards north of the spot where he
overhauled the net there rose a small abrupt hill, densely covered with
spruce and balsam trees. On visiting it we found that a person there
securely hid from observation could with care easily overlook the whole
locality.
At my suggestion, Papanekis with his axe there arranged a sort of a
nest or lookout spot. Orders were then given that he and another Indian
man should, before daybreak on the next morning, make a long detour
and cautiously reach that spot from the rear, and there carefully
conceal themselves. This they succeeded in doing, and there, in perfect
stillness, they waited for the morning. As soon as it was possible to
see anything they were on the alert. For some time they watched in
vain. They eagerly scanned every point of vision, and for a time could
observe nothing unusual.
"Hush!" said one; "see that dog!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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