And as a last
touch to his rage and shame, thinking in his deadly thirst of the wine,
he beheld on the ground, still left in the snow, a last summer's
pitcher-plant, half full of what might indeed pass for wine by the mere
sight thereof, though hardly to the taste. While seeking for the
biscuits on a platter, he found only certain small pellets, such as
abound about a rabbit warren. And then he swore by all his body and
soul that he would slay the next being he met, Rabbit or Indian. Verily
this time he would be utterly revenged.
Now Mahtigwess, the Rabbit, had almost come to an end of his
_m'teoulin_, or wizard power, for that time, yet he had still
enough left for one more great effort. And, coming to a lake, he picked
up a very large chip, and having seamed it with sorcery and magnified
it by magic threw it into the water, where it at once seemed to be a
great ship, such as white men build. And when the Wild Cat came up he
saw it, with sails spread and flags flying, and the captain stood so
stately on the deck, with folded arms, and he was a fine, gray-haired,
dignified man, with a cocked hat, the two points of which were like
grand and stately horns. But the Wild Cat had sworn, and he was mindful
of his great oath; so he cried, "You cannot escape me this time,
Rabbit! I have you now!" Saying this he plunged in, and tried to swim
to the ship.
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