GATHERED BY THE WAY 



would do with the dogs. As the climber advanced 

 the rodent went higher, till the limb he clung to was 

 no larger than one s wrist. This the young man 

 seized and shook vigorously. I expected to see the 

 slow, stupid porcupine drop, but he did not. He 

 only tightened his hold. The climber tightened his 

 hold, too, and shook the harder. Still the bundle 

 of quills did not come down, and no amount of 

 shaking could bring it down. Then I handed a long 

 pole up to the climber, and he tried to punch the 

 animal down. This attack in the rear was evidently 

 a surprise ; it produced an impression different from 

 that of the shaking. The porcupine struck the pole 

 with his tail, put up the shield of quills upon his 

 back, and assumed his best attitude of defense. 

 Still the pole persisted in its persecution, regardless 

 of the quills; evidently the animal was astonished: 

 he had never had an experience like this before ; he 

 had now met a foe that despised his terrible quills. 

 Then he began to back rapidly down the tree in the 

 face of his enemy. The young man s sweetheart 

 stood below, a highly interested spectator. &quot; Look 

 out, Sam, he s coming down!&quot; &quot;Be quick, he s 

 gaining on you!&quot; &quot;Hurry, Sam!&quot; Sam came as 

 fast as he could, but he had to look out for his foot 

 ing, and his antagonist did not. Still, he reached the 

 ground first, and his sweetheart breathed more 

 easily. It looked as if the porcupine reasoned thus: 

 &quot; My quills are useless against a foe so far away ; 

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