Sneaky returned home and entered the den with every appearance of being greatly pleased with himself. He licked his chops, smiled at the cubs, and said a pleasant word of of greeting to Mother Wolf. Indeed, he was so polite and agreeable that Washer wondered if something had happened to change his disposition for good; but Mother Wolf was not at all deceived. She understood that Sneaky had some important news on his mind that he was anxious to get off.

After a while, when the little ones were outside of the den playing, she humored him with a smile, and said: “Why don’t you tell me now, Sneaky? You’ve been dying to get it off your mind. Now’s a good time.”

“What do you mean my dear?” he asked, opening one eye, and looking as surprised and innocent as a baby.

“Don’t put on that innocent air,” protested his mate impatiently. “I’ve lived long enough with you to know when important news is bothering you. Now out with it!”

Sneaky yawned dreadfully long, and stretched his limbs in the most deliberate manner. He knew that Mother Wolf was as impatient to hear the news as he was to tell it. So he did not propose to humor her right away.

“You surprise me, my dear,” he said finally. “What news do you speak of? I’m not a carrier of tales like Grayback the Weasel or Mr. Fox. I wouldn’t stoop to such things.”

Mother Wolf laughed so hard that she had to hold her sides with both front paws. There was no way to tease Sneaky equal to that of laughing at his serious remarks. In a few minutes his face grew red and his ears lay back, and all the innocent expression vanished from his eyes.

“I don’t see anything to laugh at,” he growled. “Why don’t you tell me what it is, and I’ll join you if it’s worth a laugh. It’s very ill-mannered of any one to laugh alone in company!”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” replied Mother Wolf, wiping her eyes. “But”—regarding him slyly out of the corner of her eyes—“I didn’t know you were company, Sneaky. Are you?”

“Never mind such foolish questions!” was the quick retort. “What were you laughing at—me?”

“Why, no, Sneaky, not at you. I wouldn’t do such a thing. But I was laughing at what you had on your mind.”

“What had I on my mind?”

“The news that Black Wolf sent to me.”

Sneaky was a little taken back by this remark, for he hadn’t mentioned any message from Black Wolf.

“How do you know I’ve been to see Black Wolf?” he asked after a pause.

“You said you we’re going. Didn’t you expect me to believe you? Surely you haven’t begun fibbing to me at your time of life, have you, Sneaky?”

“No, of course not,” he stammered. “I didn’t mean that. Yes, I’ve been to see Black Wolf.”

“And he sent a message with you for me?”

“Well, now that you speak of it I remember he did,” replied Sneaky, squatting down on his haunches.

“Then why didn’t you say so at first?” snapped Mother Wolf. “Why did you pretend surprise, and try to look so innocent? I knew all the time you had a message for me, and it was because you were trying so hard to look innocent that made me laugh. Sneaky, you’re not a good actor. I wouldn’t try it again if I were you.”

His pride was wounded at this denial of all talent for acting, and Sneaky dropped his nose down between his paws and looked very crestfallen. “I suppose,” he grumbled, “you think you know so much you could tell me what Black Wolf’s message is.”

Mother Wolf paused before him and looked silently into his eyes before she spoke again. Then she nodded her head. “I think I could almost guess it.”

“Then it isn’t necessary for me to tell you,” replied Sneaky, thinking he had cornered her this time.

“Black Wolf was very much surprised and disgusted when you told him I was to bring Little Brother into the pack,” she went on, ignoring his remark, “and of course you didn’t help matters any by telling my side of the story. You didn’t tell Black Wolf how I had brought Little Brother up as my own child until I loved him as much as any of the cubs. You didn’t tell him that from the first you wanted to kill him, and that you were anxious to get rid of him, and turn him loose in the woods so the whole pack could hunt him. You didn’t tell him that he had been with us for so long that he was more Wolf than Raccoon, and that his own people would not accept him, and if we abandoned him he would be without any family or friends. Oh, no you didn’t explain any of these things to Black Wolf!”

“But, my dear, how could you expect me in a few minutes to tell all that?” protested Sneaky. “Black Wolf was very tired and surly, and he didn’t want to talk to me at all. If I hadn’t taken a present to him he would have turned me out without listening.”

Mother Wolf nodded. “I can quite understand that, Sneaky. He’s bothered to death by settling the quarrels of the pack. It’s not all pleasure in being a leader.”

“I should think not. It’s a terribly responsible position, and I know if I were leader I’d have my time well occupied.”

“Yes, I think you would. You wouldn’t have time to be interfering with home matters so much. It must be great to be the mate of the leader of the pack.”

Sneaky raised his head and flashed an angry glance at Mother Wolf, for her words recalled something unpleasant to the memory. When a young Wolf, with eyes always smiling and laughing, and hair long and curly as the silk of the corn tassel, Mother Wolf was the envy of every hunter of the pack, and Black Wolf had cast envious eyes upon her before he had been chosen leader. Sneaky recalled also that he had deceived Black Wolf by telling him one day that Mother Wolf had promised to be his mate, although no such promise had then been made. He wondered if Mother Wolf had ever found out his little deception, and if Black Wolf suspected anything. This doubt had given him many unpleasant moments.

His wandering thoughts were suddenly recalled to the present by Mother Wolf. “Black Wolf told you,” she said quietly, “that if I brought Little Brother to the pack council he’d refuse to receive him as a member. Isn’t that what he said?”

“Yes,” admited Sneaky, “and he said something more. If you bring Little Brother before him, he’ll order the whole pack to pounce on him and kill him.”

“He said that!” exclaimed Mother Wolf in alarm. “Black Wolf sent that message to me.”

“Yes,” replied Sneaky, smiling. “Now if you love Little Brother you will keep him away from the pack council. You’d better turn him loose and let him return to his own people.”

Mother Wolf was silent a moment. Then she raised her head, and said defiantly: “No, I’ll never do that. His own people would reject him. I’ve brought him up, and I’ll always be a mother to him unless he turns against me, and even then I shall continue to love him.”

She stopped before adding her final challenge. “And, listen, Sneaky, I shall take him before the pack council, and if Black Wolf orders the pack to pounce on him they’ll have to fight me first.”

Sneaky was so troubled by this that he had nothing to say. In the next story Washer shows the cubs a trick.

[Pg 50]
[Pg 51]