“At length one of his plans succeeded, and this is how it happened: 

“Gray Wolf enlisted a young Indian who was equally bad with himself to help him.  As Soquaatum had now been gone for some weeks to his home, which was far east from that region, Gray Wolf and his wicked companion went a good long distance—­many miles—­in that direction.  There they made a hunting lodge and laid their plans to capture Waubenoo.  Then Gray Wolf’s companion went back and remained secreted near the wigwam of Waubenoo.  One night he saw her two brothers leave, about midnight, for some distant traps that would take them all day to reach.

“As soon as this bad fellow was satisfied that they were well out of sight and hearing he rushed up to the tent of Waubenoo and hastily aroused her from her sleep.  He had arrayed himself as though he was gaining on her, she began calling:  ‘Soquaatum!  Soquaatum!’ Alas! he was far away, but there was another who, fortunately, was near.  Nanahboozhoo had been out hunting and he had a sled which he was dragging, loaded with game.  He was surprised as he heard this calling, ‘Soquaatum!  Soquaatum!’ and as he continued listening it became hoarse and then only like a whisper.  He could stand it no longer; he rushed through the woods and there he saw Waubenoo, dashing along on snow-shoes, calling in a low whisper:  ‘Soquaatum!  Soquaatum!’ while not a hundred feet behind her was Gray Wolf, yelling in triumph that he would soon capture her.  Unfortunately Nanahboozhoo was not in a very good humor that day.  He had heard of some little children that had been tattling about him, and he had heard that the children in the tent of Waubenoo had told about his visit.

“However, when he saw who it was that was in danger, and heard her cry to him for help when she saw him, and especially when he saw who it was that was after her, he quickly turned Waubenoo into a bird and without any trouble she quickly flew up into a tree out of the reach of danger.

“Ever since that Waubenoo has been the Whisky Jack, and if you will listen to Whisky Jack when he is not scolding or clamoring at your camp for food his voice is like that of the lost Indian maiden, with a bad cold, calling for her lover.”

“What did Nanahboozhoo do to Gray Wolf?” said Sagastao.

“Hush,” said Minnehaha.  “Don’t you know Nanahboozhoo doesn’t like to have children talk about him?”

This excessive caution on the part of the little girl vastly amused Souwanas.  Then he told them that Nanahboozhoo turned Gray Wolf into a dog and made him draw home his heavy load of meat.

CHAPTER XV.

A Novel Race:  the Wolverine and the Rock—­How the Wolverine’s Legs were Shortened—­A Punishment for Conceit.

There was great excitement one morning among the children in the schoolroom when Mary came in with the word that some hunters with their dog sleds had called, and that they had with them a great wolverine which had been killed in the woods not very far away.  The children ran out to look at it.