The great nostrils drank in a draught that conveyed
terror to the creature's soul, and wheeling it started at its
best pace to the distant swamp, to be seen no more.
Five times, during these four days, did deer come by and behave
as though they knew perfectly well that this young human was
harmless, entirely without the power of the far-killing mystery.
How intensely Rolf wished for a gun. How vividly came back the
scene in the trader's store, -- when last month he had been
offered a beautiful rifle for twenty-five dollars, to be paid for
in fur next spring, and savagely he blamed himself for not
realizing what a chance it was. Then and there he made resolve
to be the owner of a gun as soon as another chance came, and to
make that chance come right soon.
One little victory he had in that time. The creature that had
torn open the venison bag was still around the camp; that was
plain by the further damage on the bag hung in the storehouse,
the walls of which were not chinked. Mindful of Quonab's remark,
he set two marten traps, one on the roof, near the hole that had
been used as entry; the other on a log along which the creature
must climb to reach the meat.
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