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208
Animal Heroes
·
Ernest Thompson Seton
101
III
THE
HOME
OF
THE
LYNX
At
first
Thor,
being
town-bred,
was
timid
about
venturing
into
the
woods
beyond
the
sound
of
Corney's
axe;
but
day
by
day
he
went
farther,
guiding
himself,
not
by
unreliable
moss
on
trees,
but
by
sun,
compass,
and
landscape
features.
His
purpose
was
to
learn
about
the
wild
animals
rather
than
to
kill
them;
but
the
naturalist
is
close
kin
to
the
sportsman,
and
the
gun
was
his
constant
companion.
In
the
clearing,
the
only
animal
of
any
size
was
a
fat
Woodchuck;
it
had
a
hole
under
a
stump
some
hundred
yards
from
the
shanty.
On
sunny
mornings
it
used
to
lie
basking
on
the
stump,
but
eternal
vigilance
is
the
price
of
every
good
thing
in
the
woods.
The
Woodchuck
was
always
alert
and
Thor
tried
in
vain
to
shoot
or
even
to
trap
him.
"Hyar,"
said
Corney
one
morning,
"time
we
had
some
fresh
meat."
He
took
down
his
rifle,
an
old-fashioned
brass-mounted
small-bore,
and
loading
with
care
that
showed
the
true
rifleman,
he
steadied
the
weapon
against
the
door-jamb
and
fired.
The
Woodchuck
fell
backward
and
lay
still.
Thor
raced
to
the
place
and
returned
in
triumph
with
the
animal,
shouting:
"Plumb
through
the
head--one
hundred
and
twenty
yards."
Corney
controlled
the
gratified
smile
that
wrestled
with
the
corners
of
his
mouth,
but
his
bright
eyes
shone
a
trifle
brighter
for
the
moment.
It
was
no
mere
killing
for
killing's
sake,
for
the
Woodchuck
was
spreading
a
belt
of
destruction
in
the
crop
around
his
den.
Its
flesh
supplied
the
family
with
more
than
one
good
meal
and
Corney
showed
Thor
how
to
use
the
skin.
First
the
pelt
was
wrapped
in
hardwood
ashes
for
twenty-four
hours.
This
brought
the
hair
off.
Then
the
skin
was
soaked
for
three
days
in
soft
soap
and
worked
by
hand,
as
it
dried,
till
it
came
out
a
white
strong
leather.
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