WILDERNESS WAYS
BY
WILLIAM J. LONG
SECOND SERIES
BOSTON, U.S.A.
GINN & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS
The Athenæum Press
1900
TO KILLOOLEET, Little Sweet-Voice,
who shares my camp and
makes sunshine as I work and play.
PREFACE.
The following sketches, like the "Ways of Wood Folk", are the resultof many years of personal observation in the woods and fields. Theyare studies of animals, pure and simple, not of animals with humanmotives and imaginations.
Indeed, it is hardly necessary for genuine interest to give humantraits to the beasts. Any animal is interesting enough as an animal,and has character enough of his own, without borrowing anything fromman—as one may easily find out by watching long enough.
Most wild creatures have but small measure of gentleness in them, andthat only by instinct and at short stated seasons. Hence I have givenboth sides and both kinds, the shadows and lights, the savagery aswell as the gentleness of the wilderness creatures.
It were pleasanter, to be sure, especially when you have been deeplytouched by some exquisite bit of animal devotion, to let it go atthat, and to carry with you henceforth an ideal creature.
But the whole truth is better—better for you, better forchildren—else personality becomes confused with mere animalindividuality, and love turns to instinct, and sentiment vaporizesinto sentimentality.
This mother fox or fish-hawk here, this strong mother loon or lynxthat to-day brings the quick moisture to your eyes by her utterdevotion to the little helpless things which great Mother Nature gaveher to care for, will to-morrow, when they are grown, drive those samelittle ones with savage treatment into the world to face its dangersalone, and will turn away from their sufferings thereafter withastounding indifference.
It is well to remember this, and to give proper weight to the word,when we speak of the love of animals for their little ones.
I met a bear once—but this foolish thing is not to be imitated—withtwo small cubs following at her heels. The mother fled into the brush;the cubs took to a tree. After some timorous watching I climbed afterthe cubs, and shook them off, and put them into a bag, and carriedthem to my canoe, squealing and appealing to the one thing in thewoods that could easily have helped them. I was ready enough to quitall claims and to take to the brush myself upon inducement. But themother had found a blueberry patch and was stuffing herselfindustriously.
And I have seen other mother bears since then, and foxes and deer andducks and sparrows, and almost all the wild creatures between, drivingtheir own offspring savagely away. Generally the young go of their[VII]own accord as early as possible, knowing no affection but onlydependence, and preferring liberty to authority; but more than once Ihave been touched by the sight of a little one begging piteously to befed o