"After running around several times, as we have described, he at length
posted himself near the hind-quarters of the porcupine, and with his
nose a few inches from the tail of the latter. In this position he
stood for some moments, apparently watching the tail, which still
continued to oscillate rapidly. He stood in perfect silence, and
without making a movement.

"The porcupine, not being able to see him, and perhaps thinking that he
was gone, now waved his tail more slowly; and then suffered it to drop
motionless.

"This was what the other was waiting for; and, the next moment, he had
seized the tail in his teeth. We saw that he held it by the tip, where
it is destitute of the thorny spines.

"What would he do next? Was he going to bite off the end of the
porcupine's tail? No such thing. He had a game different from that to
play--as we soon witnessed.

"The moment the marten caught the tail, the porcupine uttered its
querulous cries; but the other heeding not these, commenced walking
backward, dragging his victim after him. Where was he dragging it to?
We soon saw. He was pulling it to a tree, close by, with low branches
that forked out near the ground. But for what purpose? thought we. We
wondered as we watched.

"The porcupine could offer no resistance. Its feet gave way, and
slipped along the snowy ground; for the marten was evidently the much
stronger animal.

"In a short time, the latter had reached the tree, having pulled the
other along with him to its foot. He now commenced ascending, still
holding the porcupine's tail in his teeth; taking good care not to brush
too closely against the quills. `Surely,' thought we, `he cannot climb
up, carrying a body almost as big as himself!' It was not his intention
to climb up--only to one of the lowermost branches--and the next moment
he had reached it, stretching his long body out on the limb, and
clutching it firmly with his cat-like claws. He still held fast hold of
the porcupine which was now lifted into such a position, that only its
forequarters rested on the ground, and it appeared to stand upon its
head--all the while uttering its pitiful cries.

"For the life of us, we could not guess what the marten meant by all
this manoeuvring. _He_ knew well enough, as he gave proof the moment
after. When he had got the other as it were on a balance, he suddenly
sprang back to the ground, in such a direction that the impetus of his
leap jerked the p