The Trapper and the Brave, Part I
It was back in nineteen-nineteen
when Timlin Rivers checked his traps,
by one he found just a weasel skin,
did not know what to make of that.
Why would bother to raid a trap
but leave the pricey skin behind?
Who’d take a weasel for the meat
and then leave behind the hide?
He moved down the trapline a bit,
saw the situation repeat!
His trap had snagged a wolverine,
the pelt was still there but no meat!
Now Timlin had seen many things
since crossing the pond in ninety-eight,
but never a man raiding the traps
to keep the white hunger away.
So the next day he hid his dogs
and approached a lynx trap on foot,
he could smell a small fire burning,
the thief must’ve stopped to cook!
He peered past the snow-covered boughs,
saw an Indian-boy in his teens,
in the boy’s hands was the dead lynx,
the cat he was carefully skinning.
Timlin stepped out, rifle in hand,
the boy jumped up with a shout,
Timlin said,”Now calm down their son,
just tell me what this all is about?”
The book looked on with terrified eyes,
said,”I only wanted to eat.
I left the pelts behind for you,
I swear to you, I ain’t no thief!”
Timlin looked warily at the kid,
said,”Maybe you want to explain?”
The boy nodded,”I come from the east,
'Flying Bill' is my given name.
“See two weeks ago my father died,
and my step-mother kicked me out,
I have no other family left,
so I wandered to the nearest town.
“I went to every shop I could
Seeking someone who would employ,
but the teotenny had no use
for an orphaned Indian boy.
“So I came out into these woods,
hoping I could so some hunting,
but there was no big game for miles,
desperate, I had to do something!I”
Timlin nodded, said,”Usually boy
I shoot a man who’s robbing my traps.
But I don’t think I’ll shoot down a man
who’s pushed so far he will eat cat.
“If you were so very hungry
you should have come to me and asked,
got enough caches in this cold ground
for three whole full-grown men to last!
“You answered square, and saved my pelts,
there’s clearly good in you my friend.
Jump on my sled, we’ll get real food,
I’ll decide what to do with you then.”
It was two hours to the cabin
as the silver-grey huskies run,
inside the stove was fast stoked up
to cook moose liver and onions.
Bill chowed down like a starving wolf,
he swallowed down three whole helpings,
TImlin just watched, enrapt in thought,
what ever was to be done with him?
CONTINUES IN PART II...
Copyright © David Welch | Year Posted 2018
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