THE HEART OF THE SOUTHERN CATSKILLS 37 



sticks and the cord we finally threw him over on his 

 back and exposed his quill-less and vulnerable under 

 side, when he fairly surrendered and seemed to say, 

 " Now you may do with me as you like." His 

 great chisel-like teeth, which are quite as formidable 

 as those of the woodchuck, he. does not appear to use 

 at all in his defense, but relies entirely upon his 

 quills, and when those fail him he is done for. 



After amusing ourselves with him awhile longer, 

 we released him and went on our way. The trail 

 to which we had committed ourselves led us down 

 into Woodland Valley, a retreat which so took my 

 eye by its fine trout brook, its superb mountain 

 scenery, and its sweet seclusion, that I marked it 

 for my own, and promised myself a return to it at no 

 distant day. This promise I kept, and pitched my 

 tent there twice during that season. Both occasions 

 were a sort of laying siege to Slide, but we only skir- 

 mished with him at a distance; the actual assault 

 was not undertaken. But the following year, rein- 

 forced by two other brave climbers, we determined 

 upon the assault, and upon making it from this the 

 most difficult side. The regular way is by Big In- 

 gin Valley, where the climb is comparatively easy, 

 and where it is often made by women. But from 

 Woodland Valley only men may essay the ascent. 

 Larkins is the upper inhabitant, and from our camp- 

 ing-ground near his clearing we set out early one 

 June morning. 



One would think nothing could be easier to find 

 than a big mountain, especially when one is en- 



