Brute Neighbors

uldnotbeworthmuchthereafter.Ineverlearnedwhichpartywasvictorious,northecauseofthewarbutIfeltfortherestofthatdayasifIhadhadmyfeelingsexcitedandharrowedbywitnessingthestruggle,theferocityandcarnage,ofahumanbattlebeforemydoor. KirbyandSpencetellusthatthebattlesofantshavelongbeencelebratedandthedateofthemrecorded,thoughtheysaythatHuberistheonlymodernauthorwhoappearstohavewitnessedthem.“?neasSylvius,”saythey,“aftergivingaverycircumstantialaccountofonecontestedwithgreatobstinacybyagreatandsmallspeciesonthetrunkofapeartree,”addsthat“‘ThisactionwasfoughtinthepontificateofEugeniustheFourth,inthepresenceofNicholasPistoriensis,aneminentlawyer,whorelatedthewholehistoryofthebattlewiththegreatestfidelity.’AsimilarengagementbetweengreatandsmallantsisrecordedbyOlausMagnus,inwhichthesmallones,beingvictorious,aresaidtohaveburiedthebodiesoftheirownsoldiers,butleftthoseoftheirgiantenemiesapreytothebirds.ThiseventhappenedprevioustotheexpulsionofthetyrantChristierntheSecondfromSweden.”ThebattlewhichIwitnessedtookplaceinthePresidencyofPolk,fiveyearsbeforethepassageofWebster’sFugitive-SlaveBill. ManyavillageBose,fitonlytocourseamud-turtleinavictuallingcellar,sportedhisheavyquartersinthewoods,withouttheknowledgeofhismaster,andineffectuallysmelledatoldfoxburrowsandwoodchucks’holesledperchancebysomeslightcurwhichnimblythreadedthewood,andmightstillinspireanaturalterrorinitsdenizens—nowfarbehindhisguide,barkinglikeacaninebulltowardsomesmallsquirrelwhichhadtreeditselfforscrutiny,then,canteringoff,bendingthebusheswithhisweight,imaginingthatheisonthetrackofsomestraymemberofthejerbillafamily.OnceIwassurprisedtoseeacatwalkingalongthestonyshoreofthepond,fortheyrarelywandersofarfromhome.Thesurprisewasmutual.Neverthelessthemostdomesticcat,whichhaslainonarugallherdays,appearsquiteathomeinthewoods,and,byherslyandstealthybehavior,provesherselfmorenativetherethantheregularinhabitants.Once,whenberrying,Imetwithacatwithyoungkittensinthewoods,quitewild,andtheyall,liketheirmother,hadtheirbacksupandwerefiercelyspittingatme.AfewyearsbeforeIlivedinthewoodstherewaswhatwascalleda“wingedcat”inoneofthefarm-housesinLincolnnearestthepond,Mr.GilianBaker’s.WhenIcalledtoseeherinJune,1842,shewasgonea-huntinginthewoods,aswasherwont,(Iamnotsurewhetheritwasamaleorfemale,andsousethemorecommonpronoun,)buthermistresstoldmethatshecameintotheneighborhoodalittlemorethanayearbefore,inApril,andwasfinallytakenintotheirhousethatshewasofadarkbrownish-graycolor,withawhitespotonherthroat,andwhitefeet,andhadalargebushytaillikeafoxthatinthewinterthefurgrewthickandflattedoutalonghersides,formingstripestenortwelveincheslongbytwoandahalfwide,andunderherchinlikeamuff,theuppersideloose,theundermattedlikefelt,andinthespringtheseappendagesdroppedoff.Theygavemeapairofher“wings,”whichIkeepstill.Thereisnoappearanceofamembraneaboutthem.Somethoughtitwaspartflying-squirrelorsomeotherwildanimal,whichisnotimpossible,for,accordingtonaturalists,prolifichybridshavebeenproducedbytheunionofthemartenanddomesticcat.Thiswouldhavebeentherightkindofcatformetokeep,ifIhadkeptanyforwhyshouldnotapoet’scatbewingedaswellashishorse? Inthefalltheloon(Colymbusglacialis)came,asusual,tomoultandbatheinthepond,makingthewoodsringwithhiswildlaughterbeforeIhadrisen.AtrumorofhisarrivalalltheMill-damsportsmenareonthealert,ingigsandonfoot,twobytwoandthreebythree,withpatentriflesandconicalballsandspy-glasses.Theycomerustlingthroughthewoodslikeautumnleaves,atleasttenmentooneloon.Somestationthemselvesonthissideofthepond,someonthat,forthepoorbirdcannotbeomnipresentifhediveherehemustcomeupthere.ButnowthekindOctoberwindrises,rustlingtheleavesandripplingthesurfaceofthewater,sothatnolooncanbeheardorseen,thoughhisfoessweepthepondwithspy-glasses,andmakethewoodsresoundwiththeirdischarges.Thewavesgenerouslyriseanddashangrily,takingsideswithallwater-fowl,andoursportsmenmustbeataretreattotownandshopandunfinishedjobs.Buttheyweretoooftensuccessful.WhenIwenttogetapailofwaterearlyinthemorningIfrequentlysawthisstatelybirdsailingoutofmycovewithinafewrods.IfIendeavoredtoovertakehiminaboat,inordertoseehowhewouldman?uvre,hewoulddiveandbecompletelylost,sothatIdidnotdiscoverhimagain,sometimes,tillthelatterpartoftheday.ButIwasmorethanamatchforhi