The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-09-25
MOTHER INSTINCT.
Strategy BY Which Coon Saved HeI
Young

Strategy by Which Coon Saved HeI
Young.
On April there was every indication
Of an early spring. The snow had dis
appeared and the trailing arbutus was
bursting into bloom. The shad bush buds
were ready to open, and here and there
in the shrublands clumps of the fly
lhoneysuckle had put forth leaves. The
days were filed with bird music, while
the nights fairly thrilled with the swell !
| ing chorus of the frogs.
For several years this had been the
| day when Dame Nature had said to me
take up thy bed and walk" I hasten
ed on this April morning to obey the
command by moving from my log cabin
To my outdoor bedroom. This bedroom
was an airy affair. It consisted Of cam
vas roof to keep OIL the rain and snow,
with walls Of wire poultry netting toI
keep off dogs, sSunks and human beings.
When I awoke the next morning there
was an inch of light snow ON the ground
-athe poor mans dressing" While
crossing the dooryard to the cabin my
| footsteps were suddenly arrested by the
sight OF baby footprints in the light
snow The footprints crossed and re-
crossed the open space, disappearing UNI
der the shrubs and trees that surrounded
the cabin. I knew that the hermitage
had no baby attachment, and that it was
too far away in the woods to expect
that a human baby had wondered bare
foot SO far from home. The story books
for little folks would readily have ex-
planned the mystery by claiming the
footprints were made by the good fairies,
that had SO thoughtfulIy provided 'the
poor mans dressing As / had passed
the years Of childhood and fairyiand
there was only one solution left; the
footprints were made by the pIantigrade
foot of a raceoon.
! After breakfast followed the trail
land found the raceoon's den under huge
boulder about $50 yards from the cabin,
Before my advent rattlesnakes had 0c-
Icupied the den. 4 good Samaritan in the
interest OF berry piekers had exterminat-
ed the snakes, and Taeeoons had immedi-
lately taken possession.
i My visitors proved to be mother
raeeoon with twins on her hands.
made it a practise TO put out food every
might, and she came regularly, soon aft
ter dark, Just as the stars began to
Ishow For this reasons / named her
Starlight, Moonlight nights she made
d pretty picture in the dooryard, / often
wished that others might enjoy this bit
of wild life. but Starlight summed the
idooryard when visitors were present. AT
such time we could hear her, but she
would not leave the protection of the
lshrubbery.
/ | contrived a way to bring Starlight
close to my sleeping quarters. / scat
tered nuts along plank seat that led
TO the wire wall Of one end of the build-
ing. In 0 remarkable short time she
became tame enough 70 allow me to sit
inside while she ate nuts outside within
reach Of my hand.
When the baby racoons were as large
as small cat Starlight led them into
hte doryard. There was q nightly cir
! Gus after that. for the little imps were
! as Inischievous as monkeys. One of the
twins would drop from limb on to the
mothers back, and while she mauled
him till he whimpered the other would
: sit up and look on, seeming to enjoy
/ his mates discomfort. Perhaps in ten
minutes he would try tie trick and
} have to take his medicine. The twins
I were always on the lookout for their
! mothers TAIL and Starlight was Obliged
: to sit on this member to prevent it from
) attack
E One night the twins, while playing
t found that the wire wall OF my sleeping
{ place would tWang when touched. Il
I gave them a great fright at first, but
the scamps experimental until they lost
all fear; then they kept up such din
by running over the wires, that it was
impossible to sleep. | drove them away
! several times before Starlight took them
I'M hand. She seemed To understand
that | was annoyed BIZ the noise, and
she punished the twins severely when
( ever they approached the wires 1t did
7 not take them long To learn their lesson
! but now and then one or the seamps
: would sly up and hit the wire a SLAP
I when tile mother was not looking
It IS needless for me to state that
thoroughly enjoyed the visits Of tbs
[ lraeeoon family. There was one disquiet
7 ing feature. / looked forward with an
I xiety TO the hunting season Two rae
coon clubs visited this locality. for Il
was famous feeding ground for rae
coons. Sturdy white oak trees afford
ii ed an abundant supply Of sweet acorn.
II In the fall, while frogs and fowls were
Y accessible in the spring and summer.
$ During my life Ia the woods hat
ii stumbled on to i feature of raecoon lifs
/ wholly unknown to me heretofore. Il
: was the fact that male raccoons wert
IS the victims in the hunting season Ont
e fall ten raceoous were killed in the i'm
mediate vicinity Of my cabin, and eigh