Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-04-06
ISHMAEL OF THE HEMLOCKS.
BY CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS.

An lShmael indeed, his fangS anu Ills
claws were against every other dwellei
of the wilderness, great or small. And
every other dweller OF the wilderness
was against him, the small and weak with
unsIeeping terror, and even the powerful
with hate that was not unmiXed with
dread. The bear himself. serenely Scorn-
ful OF much bigger foes, condeScended to
regard him with vigilant animoSlty. On
ly the giant moose ignored him utterly,
and Stalked through the forest uncon-
scious OF his presence.
Yetthis creature that was able to win HIM
self the tribute OF so much fear and so
much hate, this IShmael OF the hemlock
glooms, was no bigger than boocat or
a fox. Among the backwoodSmen and
trapperS he was known by various names.
The most common OF these was the fish
er; though why he should be so called
was something Of mystery, his prowesS
as fisherman being much inferior even
to that of the racoon, and OF course in no
way comparable with tine skill OF such ex-
pertS as the mink and otter. He was
known also as the black cat; though he
was not black, and neither was he a cat
That he should have been so lnappro-
priately named, however, is perhaps not
surprising. His personality was not one
that lent itself to exact or intimate obser-
vation, and such information as men were
able to gather in regard to HIM was apt,
in the long run, to prove inaccurate.
A member OF the great and redoubta-
BILE Mustela family, this lshmael OF the
hemlock gloomS had all the lightning
agility and ferocious, untamable courage
OF his little cousin, the weasel, together
with the mercileSs craft and much OF the
astonishing muscular strength OF his bulk
ier kinsman, the hated wolverine, or "ln-
| jun devil" Though hardly more than
three feet in length, from his sharp, cruel
muzzle to the tip OF his handsome, buShy,
brown tail, by means OF the incredible
SwiftneSS and savagery OF his attack he
was more than match for the most pow
erful of foxes, or for any dog OF even
twice his eight The few adversarieS
whom he was forced TO recognize as out
CHASING him in strength he could gener-
ally manage TO overreach by craft.
1t was in dark and tangled hemlock
wood that IShmael had his retreat, where
the Somber evergreenS shut out the sun IN
winter as in summer, and fallen decaying
trunks made the earth labyrinth of tor
tuouS runways and unexpected hdingS.
This was his chosen domain; for he
climbed like squirrel, and it was all the
same to him whether he travelled on the
ground or by way of the swaying tree
tops. But the game was no longer very
abundant in the hemlock wood, - his
methods of hunting were too effective tor
that, t,-and he was wont to forage tar
ateld. Running soundlesSly as a mink
and tire lesSly as wolf, he would cover
enormous distances between the evening
and the morning red. He was no respec-
tor of bounds; but poached impartlllly
on all preserves, challenging every other
marauder of the forest to the contest OF
either strength or craft.
And all day. amid the somber green
shadows ofthe hemlockS, he would sleep,
cured up like a peaceful taUby, in the
heart OF some hollow trunk. He was
fond OF sleep. His tremendous energies
required lot OF It. And this was fortu-
nate for other forest kindredS, who were
thus enabled TO go all day hither and
thither through the hemlock gloomS, on
Ltheir furtive affairs intent, without fear OF
the dreader sleeper in his tree.
But when dusk fell even the nimble
wood nice were shy OF the neighoor-
| hood and the wild rabbits, who were
lshmael's chief dependence for his daily
diet, fled to the more open hardwood
ridges for their moonlight revelings. Ev-
en- that implacable little killer, the weasel,
forbore to hunt in the hemlock wood for
he knew that lShmaeI would not only
hunt l,im,-perhapS for sheer delight in
the difficult chase,-but would even de-
YOUR his rank and stringY flesh, tough as
whipcord, which none OF the other for
| est providers would touch unless in the
EXTREMIST pangS OF hunger.
On a certain spring evening, when the
light of an early rising moon silvered the
hemlock tops even before the last OF the
sunset had faded from the sky, lshmael
awoke with an unusually lively appetite.
| He came gliding forth somewhat hurried
ly. and took not his usual time to stretch
himself on the long, Slanting trunk that
led down from his hole. On the previous
night he had fed exclusively on rabbit
and rabbit meat has this peculiarly that,
as woodsmen say, it does not stand by
one." After never so hearty a meal oil
il, one is soon hungry again, so that they
who feed on that flesh must feed often
which is perhaps provision OF Nature
that the prolific family OF rabbits shall moi
be allowed to overrun the earth.
AS Ishmael emerged upon his ladder, &
hollow, booming voice cried suddenly
through the treetops. 1t was a dreadful
voice. And it sounded very near, though
with vagueness that made it impossible
to say just where it came from. lshmaeI
knew that menacing voice very well ou
paying no heed to ii whatever, he ran or
down the sIoping trunk. The grea
horned owl, the terror OF all lesser prowl'
ers of the night, had no terors Tor him.
But this winged marauder, as it CHANGED
W S newcomer. migrant from those