showed that the porcupine had thrust his 

 forehead promptly against a tree to save his 

 face, according to his wont, and then stood 

 ready, a bristling cushion of spears, defying 

 anything to touch him. 



Pequam circled swiftly behind his game 

 and plunged into the snow and disappeared. 

 Deep under the deadly tail and the feet and 

 body of Unk Wunk he pushed his tunnel; 

 then thrust his nose out of the snow just 

 under the porcupine's throat and gripped 

 him and held fast. A porcupine never strug- 

 gles when wounded, but holds his thorny 

 guard till he dies. Pequam, lying under the 

 snow with only his muzzle exposed, so that 

 the barbed and swift-striking tail could not 

 touch him, simply held his grip on the throat 

 till the tense muscles relaxed their .- tV 

 spasmodic pull and lay still. Then \ t 

 he came out, opened his game 

 carefully along the under side, !*~, fH, m 

 where there are no quills, and < <^ 

 ate his fill and went away 

 untouched, leaving the bri- i 

 ery, untoothsome morsels • 4f 



269 



7fie7rai/oflfie 

 Cunning One 





V2Z- ." — ' 



