West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-12-21
A SHARP ENCOUNTER.

! never see n hedgehog without an in
voluntary grimace. Not on account of
it's clumsy figure and gully back
merely, but from vivid recollection of
rather ticklish adventure with one
which befell me some years ago.
One cloudy day | was looking for
otter-slides along the lower course of
Wild Brook-a stream in the State of
Malne-when my attention was at
tracted to the singular appearance of a
group OF twenty or thirty poplars that
stood along the top of high bank on
the west side of the brook.
IL was in November, and the leaves
had fallen, so that noticed, while at n
considerable distance, that the tops of
the trees were tan-colored, whereas the
bark of the poplar is usually of light
feecy green.
AT first, / thought the poplars were
dead, for they stood on a dry bank, at
least thirty feet above the water, and n
September freshet had washed under the
bank, exposing the roots of several Of
the trees, so that they now stood ou
looking dry and dusty.
But on going nearer, it proved that
they were not dead, and / now discov-
ered what was the matter. Two greedy
hedgehogs were at that moment at in
one OF the poplars, among the upper
hmbs, atleast thirty-fve feet from the
ground.
III has always seemed strange to me
mat hedgehogs, although apparently 80
stupid and clumsy, can climb 30 readily
rs they do. have several times found
them IN the very tops of large poplars.
WOodchucks, also, occasionally climb
trees, as j have myself seen.
these two hedgehogs were, as / have
said, at least thirty-fve feet from the
ground. Working up carefully 10
within twenty or thirty yards Of the
loot OF the poplar, fired at one OF them.
The oristly little animal tumbled off the
nmo at once, but caught in a crotch be-
tween lower limb and trunk Of the
tree, where it hung.
lbe other, alarmed by the report Of
the gun and the fall OF it's mate. started
TO come down, but lost It's hold and
tumbled from limb 20 limb. catching AZ
each with it's toes But down he caTne
with sounding thump, on the grhund,
had to jump aside to avoid being
struck by him.
In moment lac was curled up in a
thorny ball. did not like to strike
him with the butt Of my gun. aod
waited a second too long; for the next
moment he uncoiled as quickly ne he
had rolled himself up, and made won.
dertully direct bolt for an old upturned
root Before ! could leap 20 cut him
of, he had made good his retreat into a
hole under the root.
Well done, little fellowW 7 ex.
claimed. ButPll have your mate -
30, pulling Oft my shooting.iacket.
With its flask and shot-belt. started mo
The, poplar, bear-fashion. with nv hands
locked round the trunk.
IT cost some little exertion and good
deal OF wriggling 70 get Up thirty feet.
and 70 much wriggling produced an
effect on the tree which ! had not ex.
pected
As | have said, IL stood on a crun,b.
ling bank, and by the time ] had got nm
nearly % where the hedgehog was the
Tree began TO sag over towards the
stream, and TO slide bodily down At the
same time
IT kept sliding and falling over.
slowly at first, but awfully sure.
ielt II going, and knew 10 was sixty
ieet down to the water If IL wss an inch.
How deep the water was. I could onlv
hole