Oowikapun, or, How the Gospel reached the Nelson River Indians — John Shaqi
Oowikapun, or, How the Gospel reached the Nelson River IndiansYoung, Egerton Ryerson
History
Oowikapun, or, How the Gospel reached the Nelson River Indians
Young, Egerton Ryerson
Indians of North America -- Missions -- Fiction
Hearing from some other hunters of a place where grey wolves were
numerous, and being ambitious to kill some of these fierce brutes, that
he might adorn his wigwam with their warm skins, he took his traps and
camping outfit and set out for that region of country, although it was
more than two hundred miles away. Here he found tracks in abundance,
and so before he made his little hunting lodge in the midst of a spruce
grove, he set his traps for the fierce wolves in a spot which seemed to
be a rallying place of theirs. As they are very suspicious and clever,
he carefully placed two traps close together and sprinkled them over
with snow, leaving visible only the dead rabbits which served as bait.
Then scattering more snow over his own tracks as he moved away, in order
to leave as little evidence of his having been there as possible, he
returned to his little tentlike lodge and prepared and ate his supper,
smoked his pipe, and then wrapping himself up in his blanket was soon
fast asleep. Very early next morning he was up and off to visit his
traps. His axe was slipped in his belt, and his gun, well loaded, was
carried ready for use if necessary. When he had got within a few
hundred yards of the place where he had set his heavy traps, he heard
the rattling of the chains which were attached to them, each fastened to
a heavy log. This sound, while it made his heart jump, was very
welcome, for it meant that he had been successful. When he drew near
the spot where he had set the traps, he found that a fierce old wolf, in
trying to get the rabbit from one of them without springing it, had got
caught in the other, and although both of his hind legs were held by the
sharp teeth of the trap, he had managed to drag it and the heavy log
fastened to it to quite a distance.
When Oowikapun drew near, the wolf made the most desperate efforts to
escape; but the strong trap held him securely, and the heavy log on the
chain made it impossible for him to get far away.
Oowikapun could easily have shot him, but ammunition was dear and the
bullet hole in the skin would be a blemish, and the sound of the gun
might scare away the game that might be near; so he resolved to kill the
wolf with the back of his axe. Better would it have been for him if he
had shot him at once. So putting down his gun he took his axe out of
his belt and cautiously approached the treacherous brute. The sight of
the man so near seemed to fill him with fury, and, unable to escape, he
made the most desperate efforts to reach him. His appearance, was
demoniacal, and his howls and snarls would have terrified almost anybody
else than an experienced, cool-headed hunter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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