"It's a small wolf" he said in a shaky voice, "Will it
bite?"
Cano reached down toward the pup and
told him "Yes, it will bite. But it's not a small wolf."
He untied a corner of the hide and shook it, spilling all the pups into a
pile. "It's a pile of small wolfs."
Dola was speechless, but the pups
weren't and set out to break their previous noise record. If a sleeping
mammoth were around it would have been frightened awake. They piled over
each other trying to get away. The rawhide had come off a couple of them,
but they all stayed in a puppy pile. Dola started to pick up a pup, but
Cano warned him about their sharp
teeth. "Wrap them back up
in the pelt and take them over to Gennos, have him put them somewhere where
they can’t get away. Be careful, we don't want to lose any of them."
Dola looked up at Cano and asked,
"What are we going to do with them?"
Cano could see the concern on the
little boys face. He wasn't sure how to tell him the fate of the
pups. "We will keep them around and feed them left over food and
bones. We'll see how they act around people. If they can be used
for anything---well, we'll wait and see. If they don't work out—we'll see
about that too." Dola was a little confused, but the pups were
interesting and he did need to get them to Gennos. With a big smile on
his face, he started gathering up the pups. "I'll get them over
there right away."
Cano saw Ceola coming across the
clearing. Life is good, she is so pretty.
She spoke first, "I see you had
a good hunt, it looks like it was a big wolf. Where you in any
danger?" She had a look of deep concern on her face.
He took a breath before
answering. He thought about making up a story about a big fight but
decided against it. "There was little danger; the she wolf had been
in a fight and was near death. I followed her to her den. She was
returning to her puppies. She was dead when I got there." He
paused before continuing, "I would love to tell you a story of how
difficult it was to bring her down, but I will never lie to you," he took
a deep breath and looked into her eyes and added "I will always speak the
truth to you."
She smiled at him with her eyes and
said, "And I promise to be truthful with you."
Neither of them wanted to leave the
other, but they couldn't think of anything to say. They stood smiling at
each other.
Dola came running back and called
"Gennos is making a den for the pups. I heard Koonai talking with
Gennos, he said that all the hunters would leave camp tomorrow to hunt
mammoth. Can I go Ceola? I'm big now," he asked breathlessly.
Ceola looked away from Cano
reluctantly, "No, not this time. However, you are getting to be
big. Maybe you can help Gennos with the pups. Would you like
that?" He was disappointed, but the
pups where a major attraction. Besides he knew they wouldn't let him go
on the mammoth hunt. "Okay, I'll help with the pups." He
turned and ran back toward Gennos and the pups.
"I must
go now." Cano said as he picked up the meat from the ground.
"I will bring you something special from the hunt tomorrow."
She
smiled shyly back at him "I may have something for you when you
return. Something very special." She turned and walked away
with a provocative sway to her hips.
The Mammoth Hunt
The six hunters left the camp early
the next day. They carried their weapons and some water in skin bags. Moki had
found fresh mammoth tracks and was leading them to where he thought a small
herd would be feeding. All where experienced hunters and moved over the
uneven ground and rocks as quietly as a gentle breeze moves across the water on
a pond. By the time they had reached the freshest tracks, the sun was almost
overhead. It was hot and still and they were all sweating heavily. The only
signs of life they saw were an occasional vulture or a lizard. As they
moved down the gentle slope into a valley, the leader of
bite?"
Cano reached down toward the pup and
told him "Yes, it will bite. But it's not a small wolf."
He untied a corner of the hide and shook it, spilling all the pups into a
pile. "It's a pile of small wolfs."
Dola was speechless, but the pups
weren't and set out to break their previous noise record. If a sleeping
mammoth were around it would have been frightened awake. They piled over
each other trying to get away. The rawhide had come off a couple of them,
but they all stayed in a puppy pile. Dola started to pick up a pup, but
Cano warned him about their sharp
teeth. "Wrap them back up
in the pelt and take them over to Gennos, have him put them somewhere where
they can’t get away. Be careful, we don't want to lose any of them."
Dola looked up at Cano and asked,
"What are we going to do with them?"
Cano could see the concern on the
little boys face. He wasn't sure how to tell him the fate of the
pups. "We will keep them around and feed them left over food and
bones. We'll see how they act around people. If they can be used
for anything---well, we'll wait and see. If they don't work out—we'll see
about that too." Dola was a little confused, but the pups were
interesting and he did need to get them to Gennos. With a big smile on
his face, he started gathering up the pups. "I'll get them over
there right away."
Cano saw Ceola coming across the
clearing. Life is good, she is so pretty.
She spoke first, "I see you had
a good hunt, it looks like it was a big wolf. Where you in any
danger?" She had a look of deep concern on her face.
He took a breath before
answering. He thought about making up a story about a big fight but
decided against it. "There was little danger; the she wolf had been
in a fight and was near death. I followed her to her den. She was
returning to her puppies. She was dead when I got there." He
paused before continuing, "I would love to tell you a story of how
difficult it was to bring her down, but I will never lie to you," he took
a deep breath and looked into her eyes and added "I will always speak the
truth to you."
She smiled at him with her eyes and
said, "And I promise to be truthful with you."
Neither of them wanted to leave the
other, but they couldn't think of anything to say. They stood smiling at
each other.
Dola came running back and called
"Gennos is making a den for the pups. I heard Koonai talking with
Gennos, he said that all the hunters would leave camp tomorrow to hunt
mammoth. Can I go Ceola? I'm big now," he asked breathlessly.
Ceola looked away from Cano
reluctantly, "No, not this time. However, you are getting to be
big. Maybe you can help Gennos with the pups. Would you like
that?" He was disappointed, but the
pups where a major attraction. Besides he knew they wouldn't let him go
on the mammoth hunt. "Okay, I'll help with the pups." He
turned and ran back toward Gennos and the pups.
"I must
go now." Cano said as he picked up the meat from the ground.
"I will bring you something special from the hunt tomorrow."
She
smiled shyly back at him "I may have something for you when you
return. Something very special." She turned and walked away
with a provocative sway to her hips.
The Mammoth Hunt
The six hunters left the camp early
the next day. They carried their weapons and some water in skin bags. Moki had
found fresh mammoth tracks and was leading them to where he thought a small
herd would be feeding. All where experienced hunters and moved over the
uneven ground and rocks as quietly as a gentle breeze moves across the water on
a pond. By the time they had reached the freshest tracks, the sun was almost
overhead. It was hot and still and they were all sweating heavily. The only
signs of life they saw were an occasional vulture or a lizard. As they
moved down the gentle slope into a valley, the leader of
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