186 GLOOSCAP AND OTHER STORIES true, for lie trusted no one, being so deceitful himself. At last, he was so curious to try the charm that, although he had made but a half-hour's journey, he could wait no longer. So he gath¬ ered his sticks together and arranged them as the Wolf Chief had directed. Then he jumped over them; and lo! At once his sticks were blazing with fire. The Badger stopped to warm himself by the fire, and then went on his way again. Very soon he began to feel cold, and he thought how pleasant it would be to have a warm fire. So he placed sticks together again, and jumped over them; and as before there arose a blaze. The Badger was pleased. But this was his sec¬ ond fire, and he had still three cold nights before he would reach the end of his journey. He went on a little further, and although it was only afternoon, he began to think about his third fire. "Now, who knows," he thought, "but the weather may take a turn to a thaw, and give us a warm night? The clouds look as though the wind would soon be southwesterly. Have I not heard my grandmother say that such a red colour meant something of the sort? Any¬ how, I will take a chance, for I need a fire." The Badger again arranged the sticks and jumped over them, and soon was enjoying a fine