notbeworthmuchthereafter.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-hou