CHAPTER VII
THE WOOING OF SHE WOLF
And so they trotted into the forest. But She Wolf ran ahead of No Man to show that she was not afraid of him.
Old One Eye, who was just awake, heard them as they passed up the valley below his cave. And he said, “that is No Man and he is running with She Wolf, I do not see why she has accepted the advances of such a weak good-for-nothing. He will make her do the hunting while he sits in the cave and scratches on bone.”
She Wolf and No Man trotted steadily for two hours until they had come to a good hunting ground. And as they ran their noses and ears twitched.
Presently and of one accord they stopped, and She Wolf pointed to a dense thicket of alders that stood about a pool of a stream. They could hear the occasional clink of hoofs on submerged stones, and a sound of cropping and munching.
She Wolf and No Man dropped to the ground, and crawled to the alders and into them as silently as two serpents. A buck with a fine head was wading in the midst of the pool and feeding among the lily pads.
There was no way in which She Wolf could get at him with club or spear, and she had about made up her mind to rush into the pool, on the chance of striking before he could get away. But it was a poor chance and she knew it. Still she gathered herself to spring, and just then—twang—she turned with a snarl, for she had forgotten all about No Man and his bent stick. No Man was looking innocently at his right hand, and holding the bow in his left.
“You don’t even know enough to keep still,” said She Wolf angrily, “no wonder everybody despises you.”
“Look in the pool,” said No Man imperturbably.
The open place that the buck had occupied among the lily pads, was red and oily with blood. But the buck had gone.
“He went out upon the other side,” said No Man. “Let us follow him.”
So they waded thro’ the pool and the stones clicked under their feet, but this time it was No Man who went ahead.
Here and there the leaves of the alders were splashed with blood, and some of the sharp tracks that the buck had made as he leaped were full of blood.
The track led out of the alders, across a gray marsh and into a thicket of beechnut bushes and wild raspberries.
Out of the midst of this thicket the buck suddenly sprang, clear to the hooves, and leaped away. His antlers were laid back on his shoulders and he made a noise that was between a whimper and a scream.
They came upon him further on in another thicket, but he could not get up, he could only look at them with his great brown eyes, and tremble.
There was a bunch of blue feathers that seemed to be sprouting from his side. Every now and then the buck turned his head and licked the feathers with his rough tongue.
She Wolf was now thoroughly afraid of No Man and she was sorry she had come into the forest with him. Therefore, to give herself heart she stepped forward and hit the buck a terrible blow with her club, right between the eyes.
“Take your knife and cut off some meat,” said No Man, “for it is a good time to eat.”
She Wolf did what she was told, and for the first time in her life. When they had eaten as much as they could, No Man said:
“Now, we will go and drink.”
They found a place above the alder pool, where the brook grass was sweet and soft to lie in, and the brook tinkled clear and cold among the stones.
No Man lay on his belly and drank till he swelled. Presently he rose with dripping face and mouth.
“When I have drank,” said She Wolf, “I shall sleep as is my custom. But if you come near me, I will take my club to you.”
“Drink,” said No Man.
She Wolf placed her club and her spear and her knife carefully to one side, and lay down to drink. When she had finished she started to rise, pushing against the ground with her hands. But No Man who had possessed himself secretly of the club, now brought it down on her head so that she pitched face downward into the stream.
No Man dragged her out and waited patiently for her to recover consciousness.
After a time she came to, but she was dazed and looked about uncomprehendingly.
“Which is the stronger of us?” said No Man. Then She Wolf knew that No Man had struck her, and she sprang at him furiously, her big sharp teeth flashing, and her lips curling. But her hands were empty and No Man struck her again with the club.
“They are all alike,” he repeated as she lay for the second time insensible on the grass. “Some are stronger than others, but no one of them is so strong as a man.”
As she lay insensible, her lips twitched and she groaned.
“She will not wish to fight with me any more,” said No Man.
She opened her eyes. But they were not the eyes of a woman; they were those of a frightened animal.
“Which is the stronger of us,” said No Man.
“You are the stronger,” said She Wolf.
And she crawled to his feet, whining and moaning.
“Will you come and live in my cave?” said No Man.
But She Wolf was not yet conquered, and she made a crafty snatch for the club. Failing in this she flung herself on the ground, for she made sure No Man would kill her.
“I will show you who is the master,” said No Man.
And he took up the spear and beat her with the handle. But She Wolf did not scream or cry out. She grunted only and moaned a little, for knowing that she had found her master, she took a certain pleasure in the blows.
No Man did not stop beating her until he was tired of plying the spear handle.
For the second time she crawled to his feet whimpering and seeking to ingratiate herself with him.
“I will go to your cave,” she said.
“That is good talk,” said No Man “and I will not beat you any more to-day.”
She Wolf whimpered and touched his feet.
“There is a thorn in your foot,” said No Man, and he drew it out for her.
At that tears gushed from She Wolf’s eyes and she sobbed, and it was because her master had been kind to her.
“This,” said No Man to himself, “is something that I have never seen before. It may be that I have struck her too hard and that she will die. And that will be a great trouble for she is very alluring.”
But She Wolf did not die; and she abode with No Man for three days in that place, and afterward she went with him to his cave, and fawned upon him.
