196 RIVERBY 



Eternal vigilance is the price of life with most of 

 the wild creatures. There is only one among them 

 whose wildness I cannot understand, and that is 

 the common water turtle. Why is this creature so 

 fearful ? What are its enemies ? I know of nothing 

 that preys upon it. Yet see how watchful and sus- 

 picious these turtles are as they sun themselves upon 

 a log or a rock. Before you are fairly in gunshot of 

 them, they slide down into the water and are gone. 



The land turtle, or terrapin, on the other hand, 

 shows scarcely a trace of fear. He will indeed 

 pause in his walk when you are very near him, but 

 he will not retreat into his shell till you have poked 

 him with your foot or your cane. He appears to 

 have no enemies ; but the little spotted water turtle 

 is as shy as if he were the delicate tidbit that every 

 creature was searching for. I did once find one 

 which a fox had dug out of the mud in winter, and 

 carried a few rods and dropped on the snow, as if 

 he had found he had no use for it. 



One can understand the fearlessness of the skunk. 

 Nearly every creature but the farm-dog yields to him 

 the right of way. All dread his terrible weapon. 

 If you meet one in your walk in the twilight fields, 

 the chances are that you will turn out for him, not 

 he for you. He may even pursue you, just for the 

 fun of seeing you run. He comes waltzing toward 

 you, apparently in the most hilarious spirits. 



The coon is probably the most courageous creature 

 among our familiar wild animals. Who ever saw 

 a coon show the white feather ? He will face any 



