rmit as a storehouse. Here the
animal's useful nose caught an alluring scent. The logs of the building
were thick, but patient search was at length rewarded by the discovery
of a large chink. His keen cutting-teeth at once came into play and the
sound of his gnawing, which carried clearly in the still night air,
awakened the Hermit.

[Illustration: Pal stopped, clearly astonished.]

"Only a porcy," he said to himself, after listening a moment, and he
went peacefully to sleep, little dreaming of the havoc which that same
"porcy" was to make.

In a very short time Kagh had succeeded in gnawing a hole large enough
to permit his entrance into the storehouse. Then indeed he found himself
in rich pasturage. The first thing he came to was a small basket of
eggs, a delicacy which he prized highly. When these were neatly reduced
to shells, he gnawed a hole in a barrel near by and sampled the little
stream of flour which ran out. This was not to be compared with eggs,
however, and after scattering a goodly quantity about the floor, he
finished his meal on a side of fat bacon. When at last he turned his
face toward the forest, he found that the hole, which had been a tight
squeeze when he entered, was now out of the question, and he must do
some further gnawing before he could squeeze his fat sides through.

Once in the open he set a leisurely course toward the borders of the
forest, only to be interrupted by a series of staccato barks as Pal
rounded the cabin and glimpsed the night prowler. Like the bear cub, Pal
had had no experience with a porcupine to teach him prudence. He felt
that the beast had no business in the clearing and accordingly charged,
barking furiously, only to be met by a round ball of bristling quills.
Pal stopped, clearly astonished. Then, as the ball lay deceivingly
still, he rashly tried closer investigation, and was met with a smashing
blow from the barbed tail.

Several quills fastened themselves in the dog's soft and tender nose
and there they stayed, paining him unbearably. The aggressive challenge
changed to yelps of pain and, as swiftly as he had charged, Pal
retreated to the cabin, vainly trying to free his muzzle of the fiery
barbs. With his efforts they but sank the deeper. He suffered agony
until his master, aroused by the outcry, came to his relief. Holding the
struggling dog firmly with both hands, the Hermit extracted the quills
with his teeth. It was a painful process and both were glad w