The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-08-02
ATTACKED BY HEoceHocs.
A Curious Adventure of a Hunter with q
Drove of Priekly Beasts.

waswalking rapidly, jumping from
one log to another, thence to stone,
when short, odd, grating sort of cry
caused me to stop and glance into the
poplar tops.
There my eye fell on a brownish-gray
lump of creature, apparently about
the size of a grounding or woodchuck
and perched on limb twenty or thirty
feet from the ground.
In a moment | fired at it-one bar
rel-and with another of those short,
harsh little shrieks it fell to the ground.
/ saw that it was hedgehog, or por-
cupine, and stepped forward to turn
the quilly little black-nosed monster
over with the muzzle of my piece,
when heard numerous other similar
cries, near, far, and all about, and on
looking around saw singular specta-
cle
The poplars all seemed to contain
porcupines. The trees were of good
size for second growth, being eight or
ten inches in diameter and quite tall.
As far as l could see through the tops
every tree had its hedgehog. The
branches had the appearance of hav-
ing been gnawed bare of the green
bark. At that moment all the hedge
hogs were giving vent to those eldritch
little shrieks, and | at once discovered
| that they were one and all in motion
and that their motion was downward
In an instant more they began to
slide down the tree trunks and drop to
the earth-thumpl thumpi all around
| me.
suddenly discovered they meant
me; that they were all rallying in re-
sponse to the outcry of the little brute
/ had foolishly shot. The woods about
me seemed to be populated with them.
was plainly in the heart of the hedge
hog community aud had committed q
gross act of violence of which they
were determined to take knowledge
Bump, thump, down they dropped,
and the ground, brush, and twigs be-
gan to crackle. Plainly there were
scores of them, all coming to inquire
about their injured comrade. Imme-
diately one black little snout and snap
ping, angry eyes showed in sight
among some dry brakes, few yards
from where stood on log.
He was the first'of the van. Half q
dozen more were close by-all making
in, with queer, complaining little
grunts, each delivered with an intona-
ton of suppressed anger. Raising my
gun, Knocked the first one that came
in sight heels over head.
But it was my last cartridge, and
with the report the chorus of cries was
redoubled. From every side the quilly
little beasts were pouring in. Then,
for the first time, the idea occurred to
me that they might really prove form
idable, and that might have to fight
my way clear of them.
With spring / gained another log
and then jumped to a bowlder. Two
of the bristly tykes were grunting and
swapping at me as / made the last leap.
With the butt of my gun l knocked
over number of them as they scram-
bled forward to the foot of the bowl
der. But now score or more were
gathering around the stone. Some
were of quite large size-they may,
perhaps, have weighed from Is to 25
pounds.
Each one appeared the very image
of wrath-a Kind of gnashing, wolfish
rage. Their teeth snapped, their black
snOuts shook, their quills rustled, and
their long claws scratched on the logs
and stones
The notion that hedgehogs could by
an POoSioiiily PiONC AoIHIluduIo W q
hunter was one which, 10 minutes be-
fore, should have secuted But /
had learned something within the in
terval. decided quite suddenly that
| would leave that place in haste-if /
could get away. hastily jumped from
the bowlder, and giving sidelong blows
with my gun-butt, leaping on logs, and
stepping on one quilly back, Kicking
aside two or three Others-it was thus
that Ismade most undignitied retreat
from foe contemplate in himself and
formidable only by his numbers
Youth's Companion