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Authors: Elizabeth George Speare
Tags: Ages 10 and up, Newbery Honor
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horror at the creature about to charge. Somehow he did move. He swung the dead rabbit by its ears and hurled it straight at the bear's head. The tiny body struck the bear squarely on its nose. With a jerk of her head the bear shook it off as though it were a buzzing mosquito. The rabbit flopped useless to the ground. The bear did not even bother to look down at it. She had been distracted for only an instant, but in that instant something flashed through the air. There was a sharp twang and the dull thud of a blow. Just between the eyes of the bear, the shaft of Attean's arrow quivered. As the waving forepaws began to lower, a second arrow struck just below the bear's shoulder.
The great head shuddered and sank toward the ground. With a wild yell, Attean sprang forward and thrust his knife deep, just behind his first arrow. Still scarcely aware that he moved at all, Matt leaped after him. Jerking his own knife from his belt, he sank it into brown fur. His blow had been misplaced, but it was not needed. The bear's sides were heaving. The boys stood watching, and in a few moments it lay still.
Matt stared down at the creature in horror. The fearsome yellow teeth were still bared in a snarl. Saliva and blood dribbled down from the open jaws. The little eyes that had glittered so savagely were filmed over. The long, sharp claws hung powerless, clotted with pawed-up earth.
Now that there was nothing to fear, Matt felt his knees shaking. He hoped that Attean would not notice, and he managed a wide grin to hide his trembling. But Attean did not grin back. He stood over the bear, and he began to speak, slowly and solemnly, in his own tongue. He spoke for some time.
"What were you saying?" Matt demanded when the speaking was over.
"I tell bear I do not want to kill," Attean answered. "Indian not kill she-bear with cub. I tell bear we did not come here to hunt."
"But it might have killed us both!"
"Maybe. I ask bear to forgive that I must kill."
"Well, I'm mighty thankful you did," Matt said stoutly. He was about to say that he had never been so scared in his life, but he thought better of it.
Attean looked at him, and his solemnness suddenly dissolved in a grin. "You move quick," he said. "Like Indian."
Matt felt his cheeks turn red. "You killed him," he said honestly. Yet he knew that he had had a part. He had given Attean just that instant in which to notch his arrow.
Attean nudged the bear with his toe. "Small," he said. "Just some fat. Good for eat."
Small! That monstrous creature! It certainly was too big for two boys to carry. It appeared that Attean had no intention of trying.
"Belong squaw now," he said. "I go tell."
"You mean a squaw is going to carry that heavy thing?"
"Cut up meat, then carry. Squaw work," Attean answered. It was plain that he had done the man's work and was finished with it.
"The cub," Matt remembered now. It was nowhere in sight.
Attean shook his head. "Let cub go," he said. "When
sigwan
come again, him plenty big to eat.
"Take rabbit," Attean reminded him.
Matt looked with distaste at the rabbit, almost covered by the bear's heavy paw, the fur matted and bloody. He would rather not have touched it, but obediently he pulled it out. It was his dinner, after all. And he knew that in Attean's world everything that was killed must be used. The Indians did not kill for sport.
When Attean had disappeared into the forest, Matt still stood looking down at the first bear he had ever seen. He felt resentful. Attean had killed the bear, of course. It was his by right. But Matt would have liked just a small share of that meat, or even one of those big claws to show his father. Then he remembered the Indian boy's tribute. He had moved fast, like an Indian. That would have to be share enough.
CHAPTER 16
I N T H E L A T E A F T E R N O O N M A T T S A T I N T H E C A B I N doorway. He couldn't think of any work to do. He felt restless, the excitement still jumping about inside him. He needed to talk
The great head shuddered and sank toward the ground. With a wild yell, Attean sprang forward and thrust his knife deep, just behind his first arrow. Still scarcely aware that he moved at all, Matt leaped after him. Jerking his own knife from his belt, he sank it into brown fur. His blow had been misplaced, but it was not needed. The bear's sides were heaving. The boys stood watching, and in a few moments it lay still.
Matt stared down at the creature in horror. The fearsome yellow teeth were still bared in a snarl. Saliva and blood dribbled down from the open jaws. The little eyes that had glittered so savagely were filmed over. The long, sharp claws hung powerless, clotted with pawed-up earth.
Now that there was nothing to fear, Matt felt his knees shaking. He hoped that Attean would not notice, and he managed a wide grin to hide his trembling. But Attean did not grin back. He stood over the bear, and he began to speak, slowly and solemnly, in his own tongue. He spoke for some time.
"What were you saying?" Matt demanded when the speaking was over.
"I tell bear I do not want to kill," Attean answered. "Indian not kill she-bear with cub. I tell bear we did not come here to hunt."
"But it might have killed us both!"
"Maybe. I ask bear to forgive that I must kill."
"Well, I'm mighty thankful you did," Matt said stoutly. He was about to say that he had never been so scared in his life, but he thought better of it.
Attean looked at him, and his solemnness suddenly dissolved in a grin. "You move quick," he said. "Like Indian."
Matt felt his cheeks turn red. "You killed him," he said honestly. Yet he knew that he had had a part. He had given Attean just that instant in which to notch his arrow.
Attean nudged the bear with his toe. "Small," he said. "Just some fat. Good for eat."
Small! That monstrous creature! It certainly was too big for two boys to carry. It appeared that Attean had no intention of trying.
"Belong squaw now," he said. "I go tell."
"You mean a squaw is going to carry that heavy thing?"
"Cut up meat, then carry. Squaw work," Attean answered. It was plain that he had done the man's work and was finished with it.
"The cub," Matt remembered now. It was nowhere in sight.
Attean shook his head. "Let cub go," he said. "When
sigwan
come again, him plenty big to eat.
"Take rabbit," Attean reminded him.
Matt looked with distaste at the rabbit, almost covered by the bear's heavy paw, the fur matted and bloody. He would rather not have touched it, but obediently he pulled it out. It was his dinner, after all. And he knew that in Attean's world everything that was killed must be used. The Indians did not kill for sport.
When Attean had disappeared into the forest, Matt still stood looking down at the first bear he had ever seen. He felt resentful. Attean had killed the bear, of course. It was his by right. But Matt would have liked just a small share of that meat, or even one of those big claws to show his father. Then he remembered the Indian boy's tribute. He had moved fast, like an Indian. That would have to be share enough.
CHAPTER 16
I N T H E L A T E A F T E R N O O N M A T T S A T I N T H E C A B I N doorway. He couldn't think of any work to do. He felt restless, the excitement still jumping about inside him. He needed to talk
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