Washer was perfectly safe in the den of wolves after that. Sneaky did not return for a long time, and when he did appear he was so meek and crestfallen that he hardly dared to say a word. Mother Wolf lorded it over him, and made him obey her every wish. She even made him take Washer and the cubs outside to watch them play in front of the cave while she took a rest.

Washer was a little alarmed at first, but Sneaky never so much as raised a paw to hurt him. He was in deadly fear of Mother Wolf.

After a while Washer lost all of his natural fear of being killed, and life became very different to him in the den. It was a pleasant enough home after all, and he was so grateful to Mother Wolf that he couldn’t do enough to please her. She smiled at him when he ran to do little errands for her, and patted him on his back. He grew more attentive to her than were her own children.

The cubs were growing rapidly, and Washer soon saw they would be much bigger and stronger than he in time; but they looked upon him as one of the family, and always treated him in a friendly way. They began calling him Little Brother, and Mother Wolf in time adopted this name. It was much better than Little Stranger, for Washer was no longer a stranger, and it seemed absurd to call him that.

Sneaky at first refused to use that name, and when alone with the raccoon he would often call him “Brat” or “Scamp.” Washer didn’t mind this, for he knew Sneaky didn’t dare abuse him.

In time the cubs grew so strong and active that they had to spend most of their time out of doors. They trotted around in the bushes, exploring the woods further and further away from home. Sneaky and Mother Wolf watched them with admiring eyes, and encouraged them in this.

“They will have to learn to hunt for themselves some day,” Mother Wolf said, “and I hope they’ll be good hunters.”

“If they take after their father they certainly will be,” replied Sneaky, licking his chops with satisfaction.

Mother Wolf did not notice this remark, for she was looking at Washer. “I wonder what kind of a hunter Little Brother will be,” she added. “Will he hunt like a Wolf or—or like a Raccoon?”

“Like a Raccoon,” replied Sneaky. “Can a Wolf change his nature, or a Raccoon be other than a Raccoon?”

Mother Wolf could not deny the truth of Sneaky’s remarks, and she sighed. Somehow she had grown greatly attached to Little Brother, and she wanted him to grow up and be like her own children.

“He must be taught to hunt with the pack,” she said suddenly. “He will learn their ways, and do as they do. Yes, we must take him to the pack and introduce him.”

Now this seemed to be a good time for Sneaky to get even with Mother Wolf for thwarting him in bringing up Washer. What would the others of the pack say when she brought a Raccoon in place of a Wolf to be entered as a member? He smiled in his superior sort of way, and nodded his head.

“I think, my dear,” he said, grinning, “you’d better leave Little Brother home when we take our children to the pack. They’d laugh at you, and maybe kill Little Brother.”

Mother Wolf’s eyes looked a little troubled. She hadn’t foreseen this difficulty, and it might be true that the other wolves would refuse to receive Little Brother as a member. But she had grown so fond of Washer that she was ready to stand up for him to the end.

“If they won’t receive him,” she replied, “they’ll never get my children. I’ll not let them join the pack.”

Sneaky was immediately angered by this threat, and in spite of his fear of Mother Wolf he jumped to his feet and let out a growl. “You don’t dare do that!” he cried. “Our children must join the pack, and you can’t deny them. I’ll see that they join. I’ll take them myself.”

“Don’t get excited, Sneaky,” interrupted his mate. “You can’t take them unless I consent.”

This also was a law of the pack, and Sneaky was angrier than ever. “Why do you always want to oppose me?” he cried. “The children are as dear to me as they are to you, and I must have something to say about their bringing up. They cannot hunt alone in the woods. If you don’t let them join I’ll see Black Wolf, our leader. Yes, I’ll see him at once, and lay the whole matter before him.”

Mother Wolf was a little troubled at this, and she tried to dissuade him. “Wait until it’s time to take them to the pack, Sneaky,” she said in a friendly way. “I wouldn’t trouble Black Wolf now. He’s very busy, you know.”

“No,” growled Sneaky stubbornly, “I’ll see him at once. I’ve given in to you in everything, but now it’s my turn to rule, I’ll go to Black Wolf tonight.”

Sneaky could be very stubborn if he made up his mind, and Mother Wolf saw that he was determined now to appeal to the leader of the pack over her head. She sighed, but pretended not to care.

“All right, Sneaky,” she replied meekly, “but see that you tell the truth, and nothing but the truth.”

“Trust me for that,” was the grinning reply.

And that very night Sneaky trotted away through the dark woods to where Black Wolf lived in a den by himself. Black Wolf was not only the leader of the pack, but a big powerful creature with hair so long and shaggy that no animal who tried to kill him could bite through it to reach his flesh. He had eyes that could see through the blackest night, and muscles that were like steel.

He received Sneaky with a growl of discontent, for he had traveled far that day to settle another family dispute among his people, and he was very tired and drowsy.

“What do you want, Sneaky?” he demanded fiercely. “Can’t you see I’m tired and sleepy?”

“Yes, Black Wolf, I know you’ve earned a good night’s rest, but I bring a gift to you,” replied Sneaky, laying before the leader the leg of a lamb he had stolen from a farm-house on his way.

“Thanks,” replied Black Wolf, sniffing to see if it was fresh meat. “I’ll eat it in the morning.”

He closed his eyes, and soon would have been snoring if Sneaky hadn’t continued. “I came to see you for another reason,” he added. “I want to lay a question before you. Is it against the law of the pack to admit a Raccoon as a member?”

Black Wolf opened one eye, and said crossly: “Why do you want to bother me with such a foolish question, Sneaky! I’m in no mood for joking.”

“This is no joke, Black Wolf. It’s very serious. My mate has brought up a Raccoon as one of her children, and now she intends to bring him to the pack for admission. What message shall I carry back to her?”

Black Wolf snorted, and raised his head long enough to think. Then, in a loud voice he added: “Go back and tell her that if she brings a Raccoon to the pack we’ll pounce upon him and eat him alive. Go and tell her that I, Black Wolf, leader of the pack, has given his word.”

“Thank you,” replied Sneaky, bowing low, and crawling out of the den. He had obtained just the message he wanted, and he couldn’t hurry fast enough to deliver it to Mother Wolf. In the next story we will see what Mother Wolf thought of it.

[Pg 42]
[Pg 43]