by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER XXXII.
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 muchlarger--one that he had caught having measured more than a foot inlength, without including the tail. He wished, also, to make somecomparison between it and the common weasel; for in its _winter dress_,in the snowy 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" or, as it is commonly called, the "red fox," has beenlong supposed to be the same as the European red fox. This is erroneous.They differ in many points; and, what is somewhat curious, these pointsof difference are similar to those that exist between the European andAmerican 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 two darkstripes 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 the priceof any other furs found in America, with the exception of the sea-otter.The animal itself is so rare that only a few fall into the hands of theHudson's Bay Company in a season; and Mr. Nicholay, the celebratedLondon furrier, asserts that a single skin will fetch from ten to fortyguineas, according to quality. A remarkable cloak, or pelisse, belongingto the Emperor of Russia, and made out of the skins of silver-foxes, wasexhibited in the Great London Exposition of 1851. It was made entirelyfrom the neck-part of the skins--the only part of the silver-fox whichis pure black. This cloak was valued at 3400_l._; though Mr. Nicholayconsiders this an exaggerated estimate, and states its true value to benot over 1000_l._ George the Fourth had a lining of black fox-skinsworth 1000_l._
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 _Vulpus 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. Heknew well that the flesh of the Arctic fox is highly esteemed as food,particularly by persons situated as he and his companions were, and hehoped 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 along thetrail that he was unable to take sight upon it. It did not halt for amoment; 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 hind-quarterslike 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 itshind-quarters, and plunged head-foremost into the snow! The fox sprangforward, and flinging his brush high in the air, shot after like anarrow!
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 was withina few yards of the place, and stood watching the hole, with his rifleready--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 of reach, and Lucien, seeing that he had lost hischance, was about to return to the fire, when, all at once, the fox wasobserved to stop, turn suddenly in his tracks, and run off in a newdirection! Lucien looked beyond to ascertain the cause of this strangemanoeuvre. That was soon ascertained. Coming down from among the rockswas a large animal--five times the fox's size--but in other respects notunlike him. It was also of a snow-white colour, with long hair, bushytail, and short erect ears, but its aspect was not to be mistaken. Itwas the great _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. Theyhad not got many yards farther, before Lucien perceived that the wolfwas fast closing on the fox, and would soon capture him. Believing hewould then stop, so as to offer him a fairer chance for a shot, Lucienfollowed. The wolf, however, had noticed him coming after, and althoughthe next moment he closed his great jaws upon the fox, he did not pausefor a single instant, but, lifting the latter clear up from the 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 transversely in his jaws--just as hehimself but the moment bef
ore 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 return tothe fire, where, to add to his mortification, he knew he would find histea-leaves parched to a cinder. He lingered a moment, however, with hiseyes 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.Cross-ways in his mouth was the fox, just as he had been carried off;and across 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 creatures diedas they had lived, preying one upon the other! Of all four the littlemouse alone was an innocent victim. The other three, though morallyguilty by the laws of man, yet were only acting in obedience to the lawsof Nature and necessity.
Man himself obeys a similar law, as Basil had just shown. Philosophizeas we will, we cannot comprehend why it is so--why Nature requires thesacrifice of one of her creatures for the sustenance of another. Butalthough we cannot understand the cause, we must not condemn the fact asit exists; nor must we suppose, as some do, that the destruction ofGod's creatures for our necessities constitutes a crime. They who thinkso, and who, in consistency with their doctrines, confine themselves towhat they term "vegetable" food, are at best but shallow reasoners. Theyhave not studied Nature very closely, else would they know that everytime they pluck up a parsnip, or draw their blade across the leaf of alettuce, they cause pain and death!
How much pain we cannot tell; but that the plant feels, as well as theanimal, we can clearly _prove_. Probably it feels less, and it may beeach kind of plant differs from others in the amount, according to itshigher 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 to unravel some of them, for the benefitof your fellow-men. I feel satisfied that you will not only be a studentof Nature, but one of her great teachers; you will far surpass theauthor of this little book in your knowledge of Nature's laws; but itwill always be a happiness to him to reflect, that, when far advancedupon the highway of science, you will look back to him as one you hadpassed 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--buta much smaller kind, also an inhabitant of these snowy regions; and overhis shoulders was slung a fierce-looking creature, the great wild-cat orlynx of America. The bird in his bag was the golden eagle, one of thefew feathered creatures that brave the fierce winter of a northernclimate, and does not migrate, like its congeners, the "white-head" andthe osprey, to more southern regions.
Basil had returned alone--for the three, Basil, Norman, and Francois,had taken different directions at setting out. 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 the tealeaves, and a cheering cup followed; and then the party all sat aroundtheir 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.