Lake Umbagog.
1896
May 27
(No 2)
[May 27, 1896]

Pine Point
Interesting experience with a Porcupine at night.

  At about 9 o'clock this evening as we were sitting in front of the
fire a loud, startling ow, ow came from the dense evergreen woods
directly behind the camp. Jim said at first that it was an Owl but
when a moment later we heard the snapping of dead sticks & the
foot-fall of some apparently heavy animal he pronounced it to be a
Hedge-hog (Porcupine). The creature passed close by & down towards the
point calling ow at short intervals and then changing its voice
and increasing the volume until it produced a succession of really
loud and exceedingly human-like shouts. All this was exciting enough
for neither Watrous nor I could believe that a Hedgehog could
make so much noise. This impression was momentarily strengthened
when, a little later, provided with a gun and a lantern we entered
the woods and following up the sound started an animal that,
in the dim light, looked as big as a small Bear and bounded
off along the path nearly as fast as a man can run striking the
ground with a succession of quick, loud thumps. But after we
had chased it a few rods it took to a tree - a large hemlock -
and climbing up six or eight feet stopped when, bringing the
lantern to bear, we found that Jim was right for, clinging 
to the rough bark, was a Hedgehog of the largest size with
every quill erect (he had an unusually formidable equipment of
them) and the short, flat tail switching threateningly from side
to side. Presently he moved higher up by short stages, not without
effort, shinning or [?] up much after the manner of a
boy, stopping every few feet to rest and breathing loudly as
if the exertion distressed him. His claws also rattled audibly
on the bark. We left him in the tree but an hour later he
began gnawing at a small tub which had contained butter &
which lay against the wall of the camp. He kept to work at
this all night to our no small discomfort for no one of us was
able to sleep much. By morning he had gnawed away one whole side