THE PORCUPINE 105 



after dark could not reach me. I lay down, 

 rolled in my blankets, with a long staff by my 

 side, in anticipation of visits from the porcu- 

 pines. In the middle of the night I was awak- 

 ened, and, looking out cf my den, saw a por- 

 cupine outlined against the starlit sky. I made 

 a thrust at him with my staff, when, with a 

 grunt or grumble, he disappeared. A little later 

 I was awakened again by the same animal, or 

 another, which I repelled as before. At inter- 

 vals during the rest of the night they visited me 

 in this way ; my sleep was by short stages from 

 one porcupine to another. 



These animals are great gnawers. They seem 

 to be specially fond of gnawing any tool or ob- 

 ject that has been touched or used by human 

 hands. They would probably have gnawed my 

 shoes or lunch basket or staff had I lain still. 

 A settler at the foot of the mountain told me 

 they used to prove very annoying to him by 

 getting into his cellar or woodshed at night, and 

 indulging their ruling passion by chewing upon 

 his tool-handles or pails or harness. " Kick one 

 of them outdoors," he said, " and in half an 

 hour he is back again." In winter they usually 

 live in trees, gnawing the bark and feeding upon 

 the inner layer. I have seen large hemlocks 

 quite denuded and killed in this way. 



