A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



to death, jumped backward beyond the length 

 of Satan's chain. Satan held on, and the 

 trousers were stripped from the hips to the 

 knees. Fortunately, the coon's claws did not 

 reach the flesh. 



The dude put on a pair of my trousers, 

 and with needle and silk I essayed to mend 

 the lavender wreck. My work was rather 

 clumsy. I should starve to death if I de- 

 pended on the needle. I toiled and wrestled 

 for two hours with that piece of work. It 

 was a warm day, and I was nearly drowned 

 in my own perspiration. 



The dude put on the mended trousers and 

 left me without saying so much as " thank 

 you." Thus was Hood's " Song of the Shirt " 

 verified. 



On the approach of cold weather I made 

 arrangements to winter Satan in the cabin. 

 I placed a box inside, and the cage outside, 

 and connected the two by a passage made 

 of boards. The passage was eight inches 

 square, and near the end that entered the 

 cage I had hung a swinging door to keep 

 48 



