"You needn't be afraid," Washer said finally. "The cubs never deceivedme. They've gone away for good, and there's no danger."
"Why did they do that?" asked one of the raccoons.
"Because I was brought up in the den with them as their brother, andwe always played together and loved each other until the wolf packdrove me away. I cannot go back to the den, for the price of death ison my head. I have no friends among them, except Mother Wolf whoraised me, and the cubs, who are too young yet to want to kill me. Butin time they will forget their Little Brother, and hunt me like allthe others."
"What were you doing in the wolf's den in the first place?" asked oneof the raccoons.
"I was lost, and Sneaky picked me up to feed the cubs. He carried meto his cave, but Mother Wolf took pity on me because I was only ababy. She saved me from Sneaky and raised me with her own children."
"Why were you lost when only a baby?" queried another.
"Alas! I fell in the river one day when I was playing with my twobrothers, and I was carried over the falls. I couldn't swim, but Iclung to a board, and that saved me. I thought I was killed a dozentimes, but I wasn't, and below the falls I found a landing on theshore. It was there that Sneaky found me and carried me away to killfor his young."
Now one of the raccoons, who had been listening silently to Washer'swords, suddenly jumped to his feet, and ran up and peered into hisface. He looked at him so long and intently that Washer wasembarrassed.
"How many brothers had you?" he asked.
"Two," replied Washer sadly. "They were both dear to me, but I neversaw them again."
"Where was it that you fell in the river?" added the excited raccoon.
"Where the big pine lies in the river just above the falls. It waswhere mother took us to play on pleasant days."
"What did your mother call you?" went on the speaker excitedly.
"Washer!"
The raccoon who had been asking these questions suddenly sprang towardWasher as if he intended to bite him; but instead of doing that heflung both front paws around his neck and hugged him.
"Don't you know me, Washer?" he cried. "Don't you know your ownbrother? I was with you that day, and heard you cry. I thought youwere joking, and I didn't reply. Then mother heard you, and she randown to the river just in time to see you go over the falls. You're mylong lost brother?"
Washer was so surprised and overcome by this announcement that for amoment he could not speak. Tears of joy started from his eyes.
"You're my own real brother?" he said in awe.
"Yes, see this scar on my paw. You remember how I got it the day Itumbled out of my nest on the rocks?"
"Yes, yes," cried Washer excitedly. "And you remember how I broke offthe tip of my tail. See, it's gone yet. It never grew on again."
"Now, I know you, Washer," added the other, examining the end of thetail. "Of course, you're my long lost brother."
Before the surprised raccoons they began embracing each other.Washer's joy was so great that his heart beat like a trip-hammer.After a while, he asked.
"And my other brother--is he alive?"
"Yes, he was with us, but didn't reach the rock. He's probably hidingup some tree, expecting we'll all be killed by the wolves."
"Then I must go to him, too. I want to see him. And mother--is shestill alive?"
"Yes, Washer, she's alive, too, but so old and feeble, she can't huntwith us. We have to carry food home to her. She's never forgivenherself for losing you. She blames herself for letting you fall in theriver. It made her whole life sad. I think the joy of seeing you againwill make her young again."
"Then I must go to her at once! You will show me the way?"
"Yes, we'll all go now."
It was then that the big raccoon, who had led the others in the chase,and who had driven Washer out of the tree, stepped forward and spoke.He was so big and fierce looking that Washer knew he was the leader:of the colony.
"Let me say a word before you go," he interrupted. "If this is WasherI am glad to welcome him home again. But first I want to ask hisforgiveness. He's twice saved my life. That day when I was treed bythe wolves, and he sent them off until I could escape, I thought itwas only a trick to get me out of the tree. I bit him severely andcalled him a traitor."
"But you didn't understand," interrupted Washer.
"No, I didn't understand. And again tonight when you came into SilverBirch grove, I thought it was a trick to trap us. I saw you had a wolffor a friend, and I thought you intended to trick all of my people.Now, after chasing you, and threatening to kill you, you saved all ourlives again by calling off the cubs. That was a noble thing to do,Washer. I shall never forget it--none of us shall ever forget it."
"Why, what else could I do?" stammered Washer. "I couldn't see my ownpeople killed."
"Not if they drove you away and refused to recognize you?" asked theleader.
"No, not if they killed me," replied Washer.
The leader was greatly affected by these words, and his voice trembleda little when he spoke again. "I shall never forget those words,Washer. You have made me your friend forever. Come now, we must go toyour mother. I shall tell her the whole story, and it will gladden herheart, and lift the sorrow that has long made it heavy."
You can imagine how happy Washer was to come back to his people and bewelcomed by them, but his joy was still greater to find that his oldmother was waiting to receive him, and that his two brothers wereready to do anything for him to show their love. And so the greatadventure down Rocky Falls ended happily. Mothered by a wolf, Washerhad learned ways of hunting that would be of great value to him in thefuture, and long after he returned to his own people he taught themlittle tricks that saved many of them from the jaws of the wolf pack.They became so shrewd and wise that the wolves found their hunting sopoor that they drew further and further away from the grove of SilverBirches, and life was made happier and happier for the colony ofraccoons.
Washer lived a long and useful life in the woods, and perhaps youwill hear more of him and his friends in the book of
"Sandy the Crane."
Sandy is the first of the series of "Twilight Bird Stories," whichinclude interesting adventures of "Scarlet the Ibis," "Pintail theWild Duck," "Plover the Golden," and "Skinner the Tern."
If you read one you will want to read all, for all these bird friendsof the woods and swamps had many wonderful adventures.
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