The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-20

E,,ov,rr Life In spite OF Dogs nna the
s,.oo, nj /, Mopster Fish Hawk.

| svoop OF % Monster Ftsh HAVE
sr,npppy SETTLEMENT, N. Y. Aug la-odd
| among Adirondack pets are foxes' skunNe'
and woodchucks, but still more uhusuu, %
a pet is the porcupinc which looks down u. .ne
PASS srby from the spruces and hemiochs '"as
surround Bill Borson's home. huhureu fou'
| from the Post Offlce at this place q,
Bilrs boys. Fred and WILL have always had
pets Of various sorts about tho house or barn,
| For instance, when Fred was IL and VIII ~
years old they had a mink trained to come ae
| their call. which proved to the woodSmen ,nus
the mink does climb trees by climbing pirch
in Bits back yard and catching the young Oh
! bird which had built its nest there.
One day n year ago last May Fred was com
| ing down the Metcalf stream trail win u sauk
Of groceries Just as he was crossing the httio
strenm about three miles from the settlement
| lie saw big porcupine run across the roao
! and up a ridge beyond. Thinking to XIII II.
| Fred dropped his sack. and. grasping club
| which happened,to lie handy by he ran after the
| porcupne and reached the top OF the rldee
| lust in time to see the beast disappear IN
| hollow beech log three or four rods away lie
went to the log and pounded 1t with his club
Almost Immediately the big porcupine ran out.
followed by q young one half grown.
| When Fred saw the latter his first thought
was what n fine pet 1t would mako. Running
after the slow-moving animals. he caught up
with tho young one as it was about to follow
tho old one UP into the branches Of n big hem
lock. Taking Off his straw hat Fred threw 1t
over the young porcupine and stood on the
hats brm while he unbuckled his belt.
After considerable man9uvring to get the
| brims togethe under the porcupine he man.
aged it. and fastened them with big safety
pin Then. with the belt as a strap to carry
the bundle by. Fred walked back over the
ria foh Ia; IN tha q " rlhhnd
his leg Just once. After removing two quilts
from his trousers Fred carried the porcupine
at almost arms length. II very tiresome load.
for the beast weighed seven pounds.
When Fred got nome he and Will made a
pen of tin cans and an unused sheetiron stove.
in which tho norcupine lived week. feeding
chiefly on hemlock boughs and lily pod leaves
which the boys brought him. Then neigh
boris valued deer hound. according to Gus
tom woods dogs have, came around to BilPs
back door and. smelling tho porcupine. went
to tho pen and stuck his nose over just in time
to see the porcupine disappear under cover Of
the stove. That reused the hounds sporting
blood. and he sprang over and dived head first
into the stove He backed out. though. very
suddenly. and Knocked down the whole pen.
None, of the Borson family was at homo
place calling salteri Saiter!" the name they
Inu given MIN because OF MS lOnQnesB 1Or
ons xxi at!
dUwn the @ t When
getn drnk ii the PIGS soP
lowed him to roam at will about the place. for
i always came when they c, called it's name:
about under the trees.
ment 1t was noticed that he would wander
from tree to tree and about the house chewing
rnds. not falling to arch its back toward any
neiGhboring but unfriend!y dog. One Of these
snne day Sy s az eafF
ing and jumping: The dog came little too
to the tail At las, the
to drive sp H the Side
ne dogs jaws: The dog ran down the road.
saw him coming and had seen the, dog get
cuded that the porcupine had better be
confined con for tho time being. Lem was angry.
the, boys got Sater, with It's mouth full OF
GuiiIs; and and now his yo%ng hshtipG bulldog had
Tie hhs G ms fs By wofns the
day on LENS unfinished barn. Now they met
roared With laughter as he looked into the
barn. At the same instant an agoniZed howl
caused the boys to look there. too: The porcu-
pine stood I6 on the barn floor Thte rolling
Hue ea fnst EHfe s fss ss sesn
WENT down The road saying Those Kids s" ii
KIN the priekly beast now. anyhow, an 1, amt
Cause they are Annes brothers. toe too "0's pot
+I lem M had been counting Anne Borson some
ts oH he Soy instead 'n Of
SSs s psr rs for tie
pitchfork over the pups neck. they held it
down while the spines were drawn out one by
from the wrathful woodsman under n soap
box. had managed to escape. and. seeing the
to it and helped himself to the end the dog was
n. sheTnS That ted the pup who
the boys came with the pinchers.
ov one ga day this spring pig fish hawk sailed
and around high in the air above the houses
and yards. The chickens ran for shelter with
s e Pea na and HIS aaSe wits bf Ss the hw
ran the porcupine sat contentedly chewing
ham rind which lay near the barn door. The
at the ,porcupine., The porcHpi made no
wings. attempted to grasp him with its talons
through tts auIIs and tear his neck with its
the Guills pierced the feet. the legs. and even
the {, head Of Of the hawk which flopped about
sa The bpd xs the the
four and a half inches spread OF wings 1t is
being mounted by taxidermist with the Quilts
left as they were when picked up The porcu-
Pine escaped with n few superficial wounds.
, To the minds Of the boys the most amusing
thing the porcupine does is when it helps Itself
70 the good things nut out for the dogs to eat
tn The dogs will he comfortably gathered about
the pan. when the porcupne viii happen
along. and casually run his nose in between
sideways and over the other dogs the moment
they ieel the porcupine makes the boys snort.
weighing Is pounds 3 ounces. 1t follows the
boys all over the town. even into the woods
wler' II has seen numbers OF other porcu-
pines Killed, but 1t evnces no desire to leave
Its adopted home.