THE SOUTHERN CATSKILLS 



springing his tail and receiving the quills in a rot- 

 ten stick, we made a slip-noose out of a spruce root, 

 and, after much manoeuvring, got it over his head 

 and led him forth. In what a peevish, injured tone 

 the creature did complain of our unfair tactics! He 

 protested and protested, and whimpered and scolded 

 like some infirm old man tormented by boys. His 

 game after we led him forth was to keep himself as 

 much as possible in the shape of a ball, but with two 

 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- 

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