Part 59 (1/2)
Sam studied it carefully and wrote Forty feet. Wes put down Forty-five.
”Here, I want to be in this. I'll show you fellers how,” exclaimed Guy in his usual scornful manner, and wrote down Fifty feet.
”Let's all try it for scalps,” said Char-less, but this was ruled too unimportant for scalps, and again the penalty of failure was dishwas.h.i.+ng, so the other boys came and put down their guesses close to that of their Chief--Forty-four, Forty-six and Forty-nine feet.
”Now we'll find out exactly,” and Little Beaver, with an air of calm superiority, took three straight poles of exactly the same length and pegged them together in a triangle, leaving the pegs sticking up. He placed this triangle on the bank at _A B C_, sighting the line _A B_ for the little Hemlock _D_, and put three pegs in the ground exactly under the three pegs where the triangle was; moved the triangle to _E F G_ and placed it so that _F G_ should line with _A C_ and _E G_ with _D_. Now _A G D_ also must be an equilateral triangle; therefore, according to arithmetic, the line _D H_ must be seven-eighths of _A G. A G_ was easily measured--70 feet. Seven-eighths of 70 equals 61-1/4 feet. The width of the pond--they measured it with tape line--was found to be 60 feet, so Yan was nearest, but Guy claimed that 50 feet was within 10 feet of it, which was allowed. Thus there were two winners--two who escaped dishwas.h.i.+ng; and Hawkeye's bragging became insufferable. He never again got so close in a guess, but no number of failures could daunt him after such a success.
Sam was interested in the White-man's Woodcraft chiefly on Yan's account, but Blackhawk was evidently impressed with the study itself, and said:
”Little Beaver, I'll give you one more to do. Can you measure how far apart those two trees are on that bank, without crossing?”
”Yes,” said Yan; ”easily.” So he cut three poles 6, 8 and 10 feet long and pegged them together in a triangle (in diagram). ”Now,” said he, ”_A B C_ is a right angle; it must be, when the legs of the triangle are 6, 8 and 10; that's a law.”
He placed this on the sh.o.r.e, the side _A B_ pointing to the inner side of the first tree, and the side _B C_ as nearly as possible parallel with the line between the two trees. Then he put in a stake at _B_, another at _C_, and continued this line toward _K_. Now he slid his triangle along this till the side _G F_ pointed to _E_, and the side _H G_ in line with _C B_. The distance from _D_ to _E_, of course, is equal to _B G_, which can be measured, and again the tape line showed Yan to be nearly right.
This White-man's Woodcraft was easy for him, and he volunteered to teach the other Indians, but they thought it looked ”too much like school.” They voted him a _coup_ on finding how well he could do it. But when Raften heard of it he exclaimed in wonder and admiration, ”My, but that's mightiful!” and would not be satisfied till the _coup_ was made a _grand coup_.
”Say, Beaver,” said Woodp.e.c.k.e.r sadly, harking back, ”if a Dog's front foot is 3-1/2 inches long and 3 inches wide, what colour is the end of his tail?”
”White,” was the prompt reply; ”'cause a Dog with feet that size and shape is most likely to be a yaller Dog, and a yaller Dog always has some white hairs in the end of his tail.”
”Well, this 'un hadn't, 'cause his tail was cut off in the days of his youth!”
XXIX
The Long Swamp
The union of the tribes, however, was far from complete. Blackhawk was inclined to be turbulent. He was heavier than Beaver. He could not understand how that slighter, younger boy could throw him, and he wished to try again. Now Yan was growing stronger every day. He was quick and of very wiry build. In the first battle, which was entirely fisty, he was worsted; on the try-over, which cost him such an effort, he had arranged ”a rough-and-tumble,” as they called it, and had won chiefly by working his only trick. But now Blackhawk was not satisfied, and while he did not care to offer another deadly challenge, by way of a feeler he offered, some days after the peace, to try a friendly throw for scalps.
”Fists left out!” Just what Beaver wanted, and the biggest boy was sent flying. ”If any other Boiler would like to try I'd be pleased to oblige him,” said Yan, just a little puffed up, as he held up the second scalp he had won from Blackhawk.
Much to his surprise, Bluejay, the city boy, accepted, and he was still more surprised when the city boy sent _him_ down in the dust.
”Best out of three!” shouted Woodp.e.c.k.e.r quickly, in the interest of his friend, taking advantage of an unwritten law that when it is not stated to be in one try, usually called ”sudden death,” it is ”best two out of three” that counts.
Yan knew now that he had found a worthy foe. He dodged, waiting for an opening--gripped--locked--and had him on the hip, he thought, but the city boy squirmed in time, yielding instead of resisting, and both went down tight-gripped. For a minute it was doubtful.
”Go it, Yan.”
”Give it to him, Bluejay.”
But Yan quickly threw out one leg, got a little purchase, and turned the city boy on his back.
”Hooray for Little Beaver!”
”One try more! So far even!” cried Blackhawk.
They closed again, but Yan was more than ever careful. The city boy was puffing hard. The real trial was over and Cy went down quite easily.
”Three cheers for Little Beaver!” A fourth scalp was added to his collection, and Sam patted him on the back, while Bluejay got out a pocket mirror and comb and put his hair straight.