AsIcamehomethroughthewoodswithmystringoffish,trailingmypole,itbeingnowquitedark,Icaughtaglimpseofawoodchuckstealingacrossmypath,andfeltastrangethrillofsavagedelight,andwasstronglytemptedtoseizeanddevourhimrawnotthatIwashungrythen,exceptforthatwildnesswhichherepresented.Onceortwice,however,whileIlivedatthepond,Ifoundmyselfrangingthewoods,likeahalf-starvedhound,withastrangeabandonment,seekingsomekindofvenisonwhichImightdevour,andnomorselcouldhavebeentoosavageforme.Thewildestsceneshadbecomeunaccountablyfamiliar.Ifoundinmyself,andstillfind,aninstincttowardahigher,or,asitisnamed,spirituallife,asdomostmen,andanothertowardaprimitiverankandsavageone,andIreverencethemboth.Ilovethewildnotlessthanthegood.Thewildnessandadventurethatareinfishingstillrecommendedittome.Ilikesometimestotakerankholdonlifeandspendmydaymoreastheanimalsdo.PerhapsIhaveowedtothisemploymentandtohunting,whenquiteyoung,myclosestacquaintancewithNature.Theyearlyintroduceustoanddetainusinscenerywithwhichotherwise,atthatage,weshouldhavelittleacquaintance.Fishermen,hunters,woodchoppers,andothers,spendingtheirlivesinthefieldsandwoods,inapeculiarsenseapartofNaturethemselves,areofteninamorefavorablemoodforobservingher,intheintervalsoftheirpursuits,thanphilosophersorpoetseven,whoapproachherwithexpectation.Sheisnotafraidtoexhibitherselftothem.Thetravellerontheprairieisnaturallyahunter,ontheheadwatersoftheMissouriandColumbiaatrapper,andattheFallsofSt.Maryafisherman.Hewhoisonlyatravellerlearnsthingsatsecond-handandbythehalves,andispoorauthority.Wearemostinterestedwhensciencereportswhatthosemenalreadyknowpracticallyorinstinctively,forthataloneisatruehumanity,oraccountofhumanexperience.
TheymistakewhoassertthattheYankeehasfewamusements,becausehehasnotsomanypublicholidays,andmenandboysdonotplaysomanygamesastheydoinEngland,forherethemoreprimitivebutsolitaryamusementsofhuntingfishingandthelikehavenoty