New Britain herald., 1917-09-20
CLARENCE NAME 0F
 THIS PORCUP|NE
This Is a Story for the Younger
 Children
(RY I. N.)

beaver family, lived Clarence, pur-
 suing the stupid and even tenure of his
 ways in winter and summer careless
 and unafraid of the wild life about
 him. Of course Clarence did not
 know that that was the name by which
 he was to be known by many of the . strange white faced animals which
 walked erect and which created queer
 noises when they wished to call each
 others attention. He did not even
 realize that these same animals of
 which he had seen but one two, and
 which he feared less than he feared
 other forms of life about him which
 he saw more often, were to play an
 important part in his future. He did
 not know that he was to bear the name of one of them-but we anti
 cipate.
 At least one hundred miles from a
 railroad and nearly as far from any
 of the regular haunts of men Clar-
 ence had lived for a few years. He
 had rustled and grunted his way over
 many acres of surrounding woodland
 in search of tender twigs to chew, of
 young trees to strip of their bark in order that food might be plentiful, or
 possibly, and it was an epoch in Clar-
 ence's life should he run across such
 a treasure, a discarded axe handle or
 canoe paddle impregnated with salty
 sweat from the hand of man. Such treasure would yield him weeks Of happy knawing.
 Should he, on his trails meet with the lordly moose, whose antlers rat tied on the trees on either side, the graceful deer or the spiteful lynx he could merely curl up and with his nose buried deep in his soft stomach pre- | sent an armor impregnable to most ot the forest folk: who were accustomed 1 to read the Beware sign written on l the harmless looking black ball be- 1 fore them our friends would be given l the widest of berths. For Clarence l was porcupine. Equipped with long 1 and venomous barbed needles on his l back, sides and tail he could stand off 1 every prospective foe excepting very 1 occasionally weasel Or fox, which tempted by great hunger, would try the trick of Hopping him upon his back and biting into his stomach l while he was momentarily uncurled. Should the attacker fail, which often Happened, a mouthful of quills, barbed so that they were sure to work their way in to the vital parts of the animal in time, was the reward. Possibly a short tail armed with countless Uuills would flip around and connect with the offenders body driving deep the bony shafts. Torture was assured to the one who riskcd the attack and death lurked in the offing, a long and hideous death.
 Clarence's progress through the woods was a revelation in cock sur edness and carelessness He knew he was safe and troubled not about oth- CTS The long white tipped quills rustled like dry leaves in the wind when he climbed over an obstructlng rock or log. He always went over, '&Go round" was not in his vocabulary. Blindly and stupidly he progressed with scarcely more speed than that displayed by a turtle. Should an un- known object, a man for instance, appear before him there would be moment of querilous gazing from lit tie shoe button eyes an inquiring grunt or two and behold Clarence had re- tired into his armor, to remain there until all danger was past, and a little while longer for good measure. There was no need of hurry. Clarence was comfortable and prepared to remain curled up indefinitely.
 While in tree Clarence gained a little grace, not too much. He climbed very nicely, albeit slowly, provided his fopefeet could encircle the trunk and his long claws get a purchase. Once in the topmost branches where the bark is sweetest his forefeet were } again valuable portions of his equip ment as they reached in all directions and drew the tips to his mouth. The same tree might shelter him for days, 1 providing there was plenty of eating. His demands were not great and his 1 time was unlimited, absolutely. The God of the Wilds had produced him, the God of the Wilds had given him protection. and it was up to the God of the Wilds to furnish him food which grew upon every tree. Verify Clarence was satisfied and showed it in every actiOn
 One day an indescribab ble uneasiness {pervaded the atmosphere. Even our 1 hero was aware of something, intangi- ble and strange something which did | not concern him much but which had an effect upon the life about him. The mother sheldrake plotting her brood over the surface of the lagoon cease flessly eyed the banks of her home and monotonously croaked orders to kher fuzzy little followers Should a red squirrel raise miniature cyclone in the branches of a nearby tree she would skip across the quiet water her little ones following With a great splashing of stuhby wings and a great ! (paddlng of webbed feet in the sub stance below until a friendly reed grown hummock was reached when the whole aggregation faded into hot slingness with an effect that was
 nothing short of marvellous. The iantlered moose, standing up to his
 withers in the mud and water, dove his enormous head for roots of lily
 pads, but kept it under for but the shortest of instants, t1icking it up sud-