1892 
July 14
(No 5)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass
Concord. - At about noon to-day as I was approaching the 
Ball's Hill landing an animal started out from the edge
of the lily pads some distance in advance of me and headed
directly across the river - here about 100 yards wide. At
first I took it for a Muskrat but the head looked
large and was carried a little higher which as I approached
nearer I could see a large dark eye showing conspicuously.
The creature now perceived me for the first time and turned
back although it had nearly reached the middle of the
open water. I overhauled it quickly and found that it
was a Woodchuck apparently of this season's birth but
well grown. When I came up with it it turned on me
and floating quietly on the surface awaited what it must
have thought to be certain death with the calm fortitude
so characteristic of its race. The large, fine eyes met
mine unflinchingly. Their expression was at once honest
and fearless with nothing of the sullen desperation which
gleams in the eye of the [delete]?[/delete] cornered Wolf or Fox nor the piteous
plea for mercy so unmistakable in the eye of the Deer or
Rabbit when it is forced to face its pursuers. Brave,
self reliant creature! I had no trampled clover fields
nor ravaged bean patches to avenge and I would
not have harmed it for worlds. But I did tease 
it a little with my paddle chiefly to try if I
could make it dive. It would not do this although
once I pushed it quite under water. It met
the paddle blade with open mouth showing its teeth
threateningly and clashing them loudly but to my
surprise it did not once seize the wood or apparently
try to do this. When I drew off it slowly swam ashore
and stood there dripping revealing more slender, graceful

[margin]Woodchuck attempts to swim across the river[/margin]