On this day, after a night rain, the sun had not yet peeked out from the clouds.
On the Yunwu Mountain, the clouds are flowing out, the green mist is floating, the weeds and mountain flowers are still stained with dew, and the air is filled with bursts of moisture.
Two monkeys, Zuo and You, picked some wild fruits in the mountains and took them to the grass shed.
Zhang Shaofei and Wang Shaoxiang were playing with monkeys respectively.
Liang Futian brought some salt and oil to the hay shed to visit Zhang Shaofei and his son.
During the chat, Liang Futian said that the hunting dog Awang at home was about to give birth and he wanted to find some papaya to induce lactation.
After hearing this, Zhang Shaofei said: "A few days ago, I saw two wild papaya trees at the entrance of Laohukeng. The fruits on the trees are almost ripe. I will take you there."
"This is great." Liang Futian clapped his hands happily.
Liang Futian and Zhang Shaofei took the two monkeys out of the hay shed and walked to the tiger pit.
When we arrived at the entrance of the tiger's pit, there were indeed two tall papaya trees on the side of the path. They may have grown because someone ate ripe papayas before spitting the seeds on the road. The fruits on the tree have turned brown.
Zhang Shaofei put the leaf to his mouth, whistled, and raised his hand to point upward.
When the two monkeys heard the order, they crawled in twos and twos and quickly picked the papayas from the tree and placed them at Zhang Shaofei's feet.
Suddenly, Liang Futian noticed something and pointed to the ground two feet away from the papaya tree: "Ah, look, there are blood stains here."
It rained heavily yesterday and the ground was still muddy. There was a large pool of blood on the messy grassland, as well as some gray-white fur.
Liang Futian picked up the bloody fur and identified it: "This is the fur left after the hare was bitten."
Zhang Shaofei bent over and lowered his head to look here and there. After examining carefully, he exclaimed: "Ah, big footprints!"
Liang Futian Dunsheng walked over and saw a deep footprint left on the soft and moist soil. While looking at it, he asked: "A Fei, are these the tiger's footprints?"
After Zhang Shaofei inspected it carefully, he replied: "Uncle Tian, you are right, this is a typical big tiger footprint."
Although Liang Futian had hunting experience, when he saw Zhang Shaofei's words, he said, "Ah, it's a big tiger. How dare you be so sure?"
Zhang Shaofei nodded confidently: "I have seen the footprints of those big tigers in Longshan, and they look like this."
Liang Futian asked: "What is the basis for your statement?"
Zhang Shaofei pointed to the footprints and said: "The footprints of other beasts in the mountains are not so big. You see, it is in the shape of a plum blossom. The parallel palm pads at the back and the three plum blossom toe prints in the front are clearly visible. The outermost toe print is square. The border is vaguely discernible, which is the characteristic impression of the large tiger's outer toe print."
Liang Futian listened to Zhang Shaofei's explanation. After looking at it, he said, "This footprint is just like what you said. Can you estimate how big this tiger will be?"
Not long ago, Zhang Shaofei saved a sika deer by hitting a big tiger with a stone, and was later hunted by the tiger. Fortunately, he climbed up the steep rock wall in time to avoid danger, so he was deeply impressed by the big tiger. Pointing to the ground, he said: "Uncle Tian, look at these footprints, which are nearly five inches wide, and the distance between the two footprints is three feet. The footprints are so deep, so it can be seen that this is a big tiger weighing nearly a thousand kilograms."
"Wow, a big tiger that weighs nearly a thousand kilograms?" Liang Futian knew that big tigers are not food for vegetarians. Recently, he found that the blood stains on the animals in the mountains were increasing after being bitten, and a look of worry suddenly appeared on his face. "Now it looks like it will be bigger." The killing starts, what should we do?"
Zhang Shaofei was thinking: "This..."
Liang Futian pondered over and expressed his worries: "A Fei, you should know that the big tiger in the pit has very thick skin. If we want to shoot it with a bow and arrow, it will be difficult to kill it with one arrow. If we just kill it with one arrow, It has shot you, and the enraged tiger will rush towards you desperately to retaliate wildly. How can we deal with this?"
"Uncle Tian, you said it is indeed a difficult problem, but as long as you use your brain, there will always be a way." Zhang Shaofei held his chin, pondered for a while, and said, "Don't you guys specially install animal traps in the mountains?"
"Install a bear trap?" Liang Futian still looked embarrassed, "The big tiger in the tiger pit is very smart and will not be fooled according to your wishes. In the past, I have pretended many times, but only caught When it comes to wild boars, muntjacs, sika deer, etc., I can never catch that big tiger.”
Zhang Shaofei: "Let's think of more solutions."
Liang Futian stood and thought for a while, a little puzzled: "You used to see wild beasts caught in iron traps in the mountains, and you often untied them from the iron shackles and released them, saying that you should be compassionate and kill less. But why did you ask me to install the bear trap today?"
Zhang Shaofei has his own opinion in his heart: "We can't be so absolute in dealing with things. One moment will come and another will come."
Although Liang Futian did not fully understand what Zhang Shaofei said, during these days, he had been in contact with Zhang Shaofei and always felt that his idea was good and he had many methods, so he said: "Since it is your idea to install the animal trap, then just do it." .”
"Okay." Zhang Shaofei reminded Liang Futian, "We have to anticipate in advance that once the big tiger is trapped, he will definitely try his best to break free. It should be noted that the tiger is extremely powerful when it shows off its power. Therefore, it is necessary to install this animal trap. It needs to be installed very solidly.”
"Your idea is good, we should think more carefully. This time, I will choose the largest and strongest animal trap to install." After Liang Futian said this, he thought for a moment and asked: "A Fei, in your opinion , then where should the bear trap be installed?”
Zhang Shaofei said confidently: "As the saying goes, snakes have snake paths, and tigers have tiger tracks. You are a hunter, so you should have a lot of experience. Of course we have to place them on the path that the tiger must pass."
Liang Futian said with admiration: "It seems that you are more familiar with this than me, so let's do what you want."
Zhang Shaofei nodded: "Okay."
A few days later, Liang Futian came to the straw shed with a modified bear trap. Zhang Shaofei walked with him to the tiger pit.
When he came to the place where he found blood stains last time, Zhang Shaofei stopped, looked at it carefully, squatted down and measured it with his hands for a while, and finally nodded: "Hey, this is a trail that tigers often walk through."
"Okay, let's set up traps and place animal traps secretly on this path." After Liang Futian responded, he took out the animal trap.
Zhang Shaofei first used iron branches to dig three deep piles into the ground beside the trail, and then installed the animal traps on them. Then a thin layer of grass was spread on top of the bear trap as a camouflage cover.
Liang Futian followed Zhang Shaofei's instructions and tied a card on a roadside tree two feet away from the animal trap. It read: "Bear Trap, Danger! Please don't come close."
…
A few days later, in the evening, the setting sun was as bright as blood. The western sky was filled with layers of burning clouds, and the Yunwu Mountain was painted with a layer of golden red.
The weather was very hot, with gusts of mountain wind carrying a rolling heat wave. The returning birds in the forest were flapping and making noisy noises.
In Liangtian Village, some people were chopping firewood and others washing rice.
Today is Liang Futian's 50th birthday. Zhang Shaofei and his mother Wang Shaoxiang came to Liang Futian's home in Liangtian Village to congratulate and help.
Zhang Shaofei was holding an ax and chopping firewood in the yard, sweating profusely from exhaustion.
Liang Zhenhui was holding a big bowl and feeding Awang, a hunting dog that had just given birth to puppies.
Liang Zhenlian was busy in the kitchen.
Liang Futian, as today's birthday boy, sat on a camphor wood pier, held up a long pipe, smoked cigarettes, and puffed away leisurely.
Suddenly, bursts of shrill howling sounds were faintly heard in the distance.
Wang Shaoxiang: "A Fei, what is this cry?"
"Wait until I go out and listen." Zhang Shaofei hurriedly ran out of the house and listened carefully. Through the sound of mountain wind and pine waves, he judged that it was the cry of a tiger.
Zhang Shaofei's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly returned to the yard and said to Liang Futian: "Hey, Uncle A Tian, if something happens, I recognize that this is the roar of a tiger!"
After Liang Futian heard this, he immediately removed the long pipe from his mouth and shouted: "Yo!"
Liang Zhenhui also heard it at this time: "Is it in the direction of the tiger pit?"
Zhang Shaofei affirmed: "Yes. It can't be wrong!"
Liang Futian knocked his long pipe against the wooden pier and guessed: "The tiger must have stepped on the trap we set up at the tiger pit and was caught in the trap."
Zhang Shaofei urged: "Uncle A Tian, Zhenhui, let's go to the tiger pit and have a look."
"Okay." Liang Zhenhui put down the big bowl in his hand and picked up the hunting fork in the yard.
Liang Futian stuck his long pipe into his waist, walked quickly into the house, picked up his bow and arrow, and ran towards the tiger pit with Zhang Shaofei.
The flowers, plants and trees on both sides kept passing by them, and before long, they arrived at the tiger pit.
Sure enough, an eye-catching white-fronted tiger had fallen into the trap they set. This tiger is five feet long, has a natural character "王" in the middle of its forehead, and its eyes are as big as copper bells. The brown tiger skin with black spots was shiny and shiny, and the big tiger's hair stood on end. The animal trap set by Liang Futian and the others caught its right hind leg.
After the big tiger fell into the trap, it struggled hard to escape, but the more it struggled, the tighter the hind legs were clamped by the iron clamp, and a large pool of blood flowed on the ground of the trap.
At this time, there were several big men standing not far from the tiger. At the front is Orion Zhong Hanqiang from Honggang Village.
Just now, Zhong Hanqiang and several brothers were hunting in the nearby mountains. Hearing the screams of animals, they knew that prey had fallen into the hunter's trap. They followed the sound and rushed towards them, so they came earlier than Zhang Shaofei and the others. He was standing about three feet away from the big tiger.
The ox that was well raised in Zhong Hanqiang's home was seriously injured by a tiger not long ago. Now that he saw this enemy, of course he was furious and cursed, "Huh, let's see how powerful you are, now you are going to die?!" He said With anger, he drew the strong bow full, with a sharp arrow on the bowstring, and was about to shoot at the tiger's eye.
