So she took in for
A house-mate another old woman. Their wigwam was all by itself, and
the next neighbor was so far off that he was not their neighbor at
all, but that of some other folks.
One night the old women made up a fire, and lay down and went to sleep
Indian-fashion,--_witkusoodijik_,--heads and points, so that both
could lie with their back to the fire.
Now while they were sound asleep, Lox, the Wolverine, or Indian Devil,
came prowling round. Some people say it was Hespuns, the Raccoon; and
it is a fact that Master Coon can play a very close game of deviltry on
his own account. However, this time it must have been Lox, as you can
see by the tracks.
While they were both sound asleep Lox looked in. He found the old women
asleep, heads and points, and at once saw his way to a neat little bit
of mischief. So, going into the woods, he cut a fine long sapling-pole
of _ow-bo-goos_, and poked one end of it into the fire till it was
a burning coal. Then he touched the soles of Mrs. Bear; and she,
waking, cried out to the other, "Take care! you are burning me!" which
the other denied like a thunder-clap.
Then Master Lox carefully applied the end of the hot pole to the feet
of the other woman. First she dreamed that she was walking on hot sand
and roasting rocks in summer-time, and then that the Mohawks were
cooking her at the death-fire; and then she woke up, and, seeing where
she was, began to blame Mrs.
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