by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
THE ARCTIC FOX AND WHITE WOLF.
Lucien turned round to get hold of his rifle, intending to punish theermine, although the little creature, in doing what it did, had onlyobeyed a law of nature. But the boy had also another design in killingit: he wished to compare it with some ermines he had seen whiletravelling upon Lake Winnipeg, which, as he thought, were much larger--one that he had caught having measured more than a foot in length,without including the tail. He wished, also, to make some comparisonbetween it and the common weasel; for in its _winter dress_, in thesnowy regions, the latter very much resembles the ermine; and, indeed,the trappers make no distinction between them.
With these ideas Lucien had grasped his gun, and was raising himself tocreep a little nearer, when his eye was arrested by the motions ofanother creature coming along the top of the wreath. This last was asnow-white animal, with long, shaggy fur, sharp-pointed snout, erectears, and bushy tail. Its aspect was fox-like, and its movements andattitudes had all that semblance of cunning and caution socharacteristic of these animals. Well might it, for it _was_ a fox--thebeautiful white fox of the Arctic regions.
It is commonly supposed that there are but two or three kinds of foxesin America; and that these are only varieties of the European species.
This is an erroneous idea, as there are nearly a dozen varietiesexisting in North America, although they may be referred to a lessnumber of species. There is the Arctic fox, which is confined to thecold Northern regions, and which in winter is white.
The "sooty fox" is a variety of the "Arctic," distinguished from it onlyby its colour, which is of a uniform blackish brown.
The "American fox" (_Vulpes fulvus_), or, as it is commonly called, the"red fox," has been long supposed to be the same as the European redfox. This is erroneous. They differ in many points; and, what issomewhat curious, these points of difference are similar to those thatexist between the European and American wolves, as already given.
The "cross fox" is supposed by the Indians and some naturalists to beonly a variety of the last. It derives its name from its having twodark stripes crossing each other upon the shoulders. Its fur from thiscircumstance, and perhaps because the animal is scarce, is more prizedthan that of the red variety. When a single skin of the latter is worthonly fifteen shillings, one of the cross fox will bring as much as fiveguineas.
Another variety of the red fox, and a much more rare one, is the"black," or "silver" fox. The skins of these command six times theprice of any other furs found in America, with the exception of thesea-otter. The animal itself is so rare that only a few fall into thehands of the Hudson's Bay Company in a season; and Mr Nicholay, thecelebrated London furrier, asserts that a single skin will fetch fromten to forty guineas, according to quality. A remarkable cloak, orpelisse, belonging to the Emperor of Russia, and made out of the skinsof silver-foxes, was exhibited in the Great London Exposition of 1851.It was made entirely from the neck-part of the skins--the only part ofthe silver-fox which is pure black. This cloak was valued at 3400pounds; though Mr Nicholay considers this an exaggerated estimate, andstates its true value to be not over 1000 pounds. George the Fourth hada lining of black fox-skins worth 1000 pounds.
The "grey fox" is a more southern species than any already described.Its proper home is the temperate zone covered by the United States;although it extends its range into the southern parts of Canada. In theUnited States it is the most common kind, although in that districtthere is also a "red fox," different from the _Vulpes fulvus_ alreadynoticed; and which, no doubt, is the red fox of Europe, introduced bythe early colonists of America.
Still another species, the smallest and perhaps the most interesting ofany, is the "kit fox." This little creature is an inhabitant of theprairies, where it makes its burrows far from any wood. It is extremelyshy, and the swiftest animal in the prairie country--outrunning even theantelope!
When Lucien saw the fox he thought no more of the ermine, but drew backand crouched down, in hopes he might get a shot at the larger animal.He knew well that the flesh of the Arctic fox is highly esteemed asfood, particularly by persons situated as he and his companions were,and he hoped to be able to add it to their larder.
When first seen it was coming towards him, though not in a direct line.It was engaged in hunting, and, with its nose to the snow, was runningin zig-zag lines, "quartering" the ground like a pointer dog. Presentlyit struck the trail of the ermine, and with a yelp of satisfactionfollowed it. This of course brought it close past where Lucien was;but, notwithstanding his eagerness to fire, it moved so rapidly alongthe trail that he was unable to take sight upon it. It did not halt fora moment; and, as Lucien's gun was a rifle, he knew that a flying shotwould be an uncertain one. In the belief, therefore, that the fox wouldstop soon--at all events when it came up with the ermine--he restrainedhimself from firing, and waited.
It ran on, still keeping the track of the ermine. The latter, hithertobusy with his own prey, did not see the fox until it was itself seen,when, dropping the half-eaten mouse, it reared up on its hindquarterslike a squirrel or a monkey, at the same time spitting as spitefully asany other weasel could have done. In a moment, however, it changed itstactics--for the open jaws of the fox were within a few paces of it--andafter making a short quick run along the surface, it threw up itshindquarters, and plunged head-foremost into the snow! The fox sprangforward, and flinging his brush high in air, shot after like an arrow!
Both had now disappeared from Lucien's sight. For a moment the surfaceof the snow was disturbed above the spot where they had gone down, butthe next moment all was still, and no evidence existed that a livingcreature had been there, except the tracks, and the break the twocreatures had made in going down. Lucien ran forward until he waswithin a few yards of the place, and stood watching the hole, with hisrifle ready--thinking that the fox, at least, would soon come up again.
He had waited for nearly five minutes, looking steadily at this point,when his eye was attracted by a movement under the snow, at aconsiderable distance, quite fifty paces, from where he stood. Thefrozen crust was seen to upheave; and, the next moment, the head of thefox, and afterwards his whole body, appeared above the surface. Luciensaw that the ermine lay transversely between his jaws, and was quitedead! He was about to fire, but the fox, suddenly perceiving him, shotoff like an arrow, carrying his prey along with him. He was soon out ofreach, and Lucien, seeing that he had lost his chance, was about toreturn to the fire, when, all at once, the fox was observed to stop,turn suddenly in his tracks, and run off in a new direction! Lucienlooked beyond to ascertain the cause of this strange manoeuvre. Thatwas soon ascertained. Coming down from among the rocks was a largeanimal--five times the fox's size--but in other respects not unlike him.It was also of a snow-white colour, with long hair, bushy tail, andshort erect ears, but its aspect was not to be mistaken. It was thegreat _white wolf_.
When Lucien first saw this new-comer, the latter had just espied thefox, and was about stretching out into a gallop towards him. The fox,_watching backwards_ as he ran, had not seen the wolf, until the latterwas within a few springs of him; and now when he had turned, and bothwere in full chase, there was not over twenty yards between them. Thedirection in which they ran would bring them near to Lucien; and so theycame, and passed him--neither of them seeming to heed his presence.They had not got many yards farther, before Lucien perceived that thewolf was fast closing on the fox, and would soon capture him. Believinghe would then stop, so as to offer him a fairer chance for a shot,Lucien followed. The wolf, however, had noticed him coming after, andalthough the next moment he closed his great jaws upon the fox, he didnot pause for a single instant, but, lifting the latter clear up fromthe ground, ran on without the slightest apparent diminution of speed!
Reynard was seen to struggle and kick, while he squeaked like a shotpuppy; but his cries each moment grew feebler, and his struggles sooncame to an end. The wolf held him transversel
y in his jaws--just as hehimself but the moment before had carried the ermine.
Lucien saw there was no use in following them, as the wolf ran on withhis prey. With some disappointment, therefore, he was about to returnto the fire, where, to add to his mortification, he knew he would findhis tea-leaves parched to a cinder. He lingered a moment, however, withhis eyes still fixed upon the departing wolf that was just about todisappear over the crest of a ridge. The fox was still in his jaws, butno longer struggling. Reynard looked limber and dead, as his legs swungloosely on both sides of the wolf's head. Lucien at that moment saw thelatter suddenly stop in his career, and then drop down upon the surfaceof the snow as if dead! He fell with his victim in his jaws, and layhalf doubled up, and quite still.
This strange action would have been a difficult thing for Lucien toexplain, but, almost at the same instant in which he observed it, a puffof blue smoke shot up over the ridge, and quickly following was heardthe sharp crack of a rifle. Then a head with its cap of raccoon skinappeared above the snow, and Lucien, recognising the face of Basil, ranforward to meet him.
Both soon stood over the body of the dead wolf, wondering at what theysaw; but Basil, far more than Lucien--for the latter already knew thecircumstances of that strange scene of death. First there was the greatgaunt body of the wolf stretched along the snow, and quite dead.Crossways in his mouth was the fox, just as he had been carried off; andacross the jaws of the latter, lay the long worm-like body of theermine, still retaining between its teeth the half-devoured remains ofthe white-footed mouse! A very chain of destroyers! These creaturesdied as they had lived, preying one upon the other! Of all four thelittle mouse alone was an innocent victim. The other three, thoughmorally guilty by the laws of man, yet were only acting in obedience tothe laws of Nature and necessity. Man himself obeys a similar law, asBasil had just shown. Philosophise as we will, we cannot comprehend whyit is so--why Nature requires the sacrifice of one of her creatures forthe sustenance of another. But although we cannot understand the cause,we must not condemn the fact as it exists; nor must we suppose, as somedo, that the destruction of God's creatures for our necessitiesconstitutes a crime. They who think so, and who, in consistency withtheir doctrines, confine themselves to what they term "vegetable" food,are at best but shallow reasoners. They have not studied Nature veryclosely, else would they know that every time they pluck up a parsnip,or draw their blade across the leaf of a lettuce, they cause pain anddeath! How much pain we cannot tell; but that the plant feels, as wellas the animal, we can clearly _prove_. Probably it feels less, and itmay be each kind of plant differs from others in the amount, accordingto its higher or lower organism. Probably its amount of pleasure--itscapability of enjoyment--is in a direct proportion to the pain which itendures; and it is highly probable that this double line of ratios runsin an ascending scale throughout the vegetable kingdom, graduallyjoining on to what is more strictly termed the "animal." But thesemysteries of life, my young friend, will be interesting studies for youwhen your mind becomes matured. Perhaps it may be your fortune tounravel some of them, for the benefit of your fellow-men. I feelsatisfied that you will not only be a student of Nature, but one of hergreat teachers; you will far surpass the author of this little book inyour knowledge of Nature's laws; but it will always be a happiness tohim to reflect, that, when far advanced upon the highway of science, youwill look back to him as one you had passed upon the road, and who_pointed you to the path_.
Though Basil had shot the wolf, it was plain that it was not the firstnor yet the second time he had discharged his rifle since leaving thecamp. From his game-bag protruded the curving claws and wing-tips of agreat bird. In one hand he carried a white hare--not the Polar hare--but a much smaller kind, also an inhabitant of these snowy regions; andover his shoulders was slung a fierce-looking creature, the greatwild-cat or lynx of America (_Lynx Canadensis_). The bird in his bagwas the golden eagle (_Aquila chrysaetos_), one of the few featheredcreatures that brave the fierce winter of a northern climate, and doesnot migrate, like its congeners the "white-head" and the osprey, to moresouthern regions.
Basil had returned alone--for the three, Basil, Norman, and Francois,had taken different directions at setting cut. This they had done, inorder to have as great a number of chances as possible of finding thegame. Norman came in a few minutes after, bearing a whole deer upon hisshoulders--a glad sight that was--and, a short interval having passed,Francois's "hurrah" sounded upon their ears, and Francois himself wasseen coming up the valley loaded like a little donkey with two bunchesof large snow-white birds.
The camp now exhibited a cheering sight. Such a variety was never seeneven in the larder of a palace kitchen. The ground was strewed withanimals like a dead menagerie. There were no less than a dozen kindsupon it!
The hare-soup was now quite ready, and was accordingly served up byLucien in the best style. Lucien had dried a fresh "grist" of thetea-leaves, and a cheering cup followed; and then the party all sataround their log-fire, while each of them detailed the history of hisexperience since parting with the others.
Francois was the first to relate what had befallen him.
