"Our next was a fishing excursion. As I have said, Cudjo had already
discovered that our stream contained fish, and had caught several of
them. They were something like bass, although differing considerably
from the common species. Nevertheless they were very delicious eating,
and we were all very fond of them.
"We set forth in the morning, but on this occasion we left Pompo and his
cart behind, as we had not far to go--only a short distance down the
stream, where Cudjo knew a large pool in which the fish were plenty. We
took with us lines, made out of the wild flax that grows in the valley,
and which, Mary tells us, is found in all countries that border upon the
Rocky Mountains. Our rods were long tapering canes such as grew in
abundance around us. For hooks we used pins bent into the proper shape;
and our bait consisted of a variety of worms. All these things were
carried by Harry and Frank, while Cudjo and I took the younger ones in
our arms, and Mary was left free to botanise as we passed along. Castor
and Pollux accompanied us of course; and Pompo, as he saw us leave the
house, ran neighing around his enclosure, as if quite vexed at our
leaving him behind. Cudjo, of course, became our guide, taking us
through the woods to that part of the stream where was his favourite
fishing-ground.
"After travelling at our leisure about a quarter of a mile, we were all
brought to a sudden halt by an exclamation from my wife, who stood
pointing at some trees a little to one side of the path.
"`What, mamma!' cried Harry, `another fine tree? Why, the real
bread-fruit and the cocoa-nuts will turn up yet, I believe, in spite of
our latitude.'
"`I am sorry for your sake, Harry,' replied his mamma, `as well as our
own, that I have not made the discovery of another fine tree. No, it is
quite another thing, and not a very useful discovery. But it may be
curious to you; and papa, here, can read you a chapter of natural
history upon it. It is in his line. It is a four-footed animal.'
"`Animal!' exclaimed Harry; `I see no animal. Where is it, mamma?'
"`Nor do I,' replied his mother; `but I see indications of the presence
of one, and a very destructive one, too. Look there!'
"As Mary said this, she pointed to a grove of young cotton-wood trees,
from which the bark and leaves were stripped off as cleanly as if they
had been gnawed by goats, or scraped with a knife. Some of the trees
were quite dead, while others of them were freshly peeled, and only
waited for a little time to go to decay also.
"`Oh, I see what you mean now, mamma,' said Harry. `Some animal has
done this--but what one? The beavers cannot climb; and I am sure
neither squirrels, raccoons, nor opossums, would take the bark from
trees in that manner.'
"`No; it was none of them. Your papa can best inform you what sort of
animal has been so destructive to these young trees, which, you
perceive, are of the beautiful cotton-wood species,--the _populus
angulatus_ of botanists.'
"`Come, Harry,' said I, `let us first find the animal if we can.'
"We all turned toward the leafless grove. We had not walked many steps
in that direction, when the very animal we were in search of appeared on
the ground before us. It was quite three feet long, thick, broad in the
back, and arched from the nose to the tail. It was of a speckled grey
colour, but with the roughest coat of hair that could possibly be
imagined. Its head and nose were very small for the size of its body;
and its short, stout legs, with their long claws, were scarcely visible
under the thick, shaggy hair. Its ears were also buried under the hair;
and it looked more like a round tufted mass than an animal. It was down
upon the ground; and had evidently perceived our approach, as it was
making off through the grass as fast as it could. That, however, was
not very fast--not faster than a frog could go--for the animal in
question is one of the very slowest travellers.
"As soon as I caught sight of it, and saw that it was upon the ground--
and not among the branches, where I had expected to find it--I turned
round to secure the dogs. I was too late, for these unreasoning animals
had already seen it, and, forgetful of the lesson which the skunk had
taught them, were dashing forward in full cry. I endeavoured to call
them off; but, heedless of our shouts, both rushed on the strange
creature at once. The latter, seeing them approach, immediately
stopped, buried its head under its breast, seemed suddenly to swell
upward and outward to twice its natural size--while its rough thick tail
was brandished from side to side in a furious and threatening manner.
"We could all now see that that which had appeared to be coarse thick
hair was nothing else than long bristling spines, and Harry at once
cried out,--
"`A porcupine! a porcupine!'
"The dogs, unfortunately for themselves, did not know what it was; nor
did they stop to consider, but lashed upon it open-mouthed, as they
usually do with any strange animal. They did not hold it long; for the
next moment they dropped it, and came running back more open-mouthed
than ever--uttering the most piteous howls--and we saw that their noses,
lips, and jaws, were sticking full of the sharp quills! Meanwhile the
porcupine again stretched himself out; and, crawling to the foot of a
tree, commenced climbing up. But Cudjo, who was highly incensed with
the treatment which his favourites had received, rushed after; and,
knocking down the animal with his spear, soon despatched him.
"Harry, who had grown much wiser since his adventure with the skunk, was
rather shy of approaching the porcupine--particularly as he had heard
that this animal possesses the power of shooting his quills to some
distance, and sticking them like arrows into his enemies. Frank
inquired if this were true.
"`No,' I replied; `it is only one of those fabulous stories which the
ingenious French naturalist, Buffon, so much delighted to recount. The
porcupine's quills may be pulled out easily by anything which presses
too rudely against them, such as the mouth of a mastiff; and this
because they are very slightly attached by their roots, and have a barb
upon their tops that takes hold upon any enemy that may attempt to touch
them. This is the only defence the poor animal has got--as it is so
slow of foot that any of its enemies can easily come up with it. But,
notwithstanding its slowness, most of the fierce creatures find it
better to leave the porcupine to himself, and his innocent occupation of
"barking" the trees. He generally proves more than a match for any of
them; and, in fact, neither wolf, panther, nor wildcat, can kill him--as
there is not a spot of his body which they can touch when he prepares
himself for their attack. On the other hand, he frequently kills them--
only in self-defence, however, as he never attacks any animal, but lives
altogether on his simple food, the bark and leaves of trees. The cougar
is often found dead in the woods,--his death occasioned by the
porcupine's quills that are seen sticking in his mouth and tongue. So
also the lynx has been found, as well as many dogs and wolves.'
"So much of the natural history of this strange animal I related to my
companions at the time; but, shortly after, an incident was witnessed by
Harry and myself which showed us that the porcupine, notwithstanding his
bristling armour, had one enemy, at least, who could master him upon
occasions. Although it occurred some months after our fishing
excursion, now that we are speaking of the porcupine, I shall relate
it."