XIV 



FOXES AND SNOW-SHOES 



...I'^ERING out and very much frightened, 



^JT'-' . ;B first Nat was going to call, then he 



,,.^ , -■ , :^ :,. thought that perhaps he might startle 



\}^ the Porcupine and make him angry, 



so he staid quite still waiting to see 



w|at would happen. Everything was 



paiiiBly quiet; why did not one of the 



others wake up? Even a snore would have 



sihumIimI ('(Mripanionable. 



'J'lic I'lii^^jine ambled toward the bunk, but 

 stopped by one of the posts that supported it and began 

 to gnaw with his strong, sharp-cutting teeth. Next he 

 sampled all four legs of the taljle, tlien went to the 

 water pail ; he seemed tn scent the tracks of the Coon 

 and E(« and crouched in a, heap with his quills bristling 

 on his liack and his tail ready to strike. Finding that 

 he was not disturlied, he began walking about again, 

 finally climbing up to a log that ran across the face of 

 the chimney, quite near the roof. 



In spite of feeling a trifle afraid, Nat could not help 

 noticing how easily the Porcupine climbed and swung 

 himself about, but Avlien the animal had settled himself 

 comfortably on the beam, something happened that was 

 so strange that Nat first rubbed his eyes to be sure that 



194 



