“The hunter was so frightened at hearing the head speak that he jumped up and started home without tasting the meat. He told his friends about the queer experience and they marveled.
“The next day the hunter went to look after his beartraps. The Porcupine, from sheer curiosity, crept over to see if the Bear had been caught. The man tightened the release of one of the traps, but the dead-fall came down and struck the Porcupine on the back of the neck. His head fell off and, as it rolled away under the leaves, a Ground-hog came from its hole.
“The hunter went his way, but the Ground-hogs said: ‘Oh, the Porcupine’s head! the Porcupine’s head! It will never trick the Ground-hogs again!’
“The Beavers heard the echo of the cry and hurried to the spot where the Porcupine’s head lay, and they took up the refrain: ‘Oh, the Porcupine’s head! the Porcupine’s head! It will never trick the Beavers again!’
“But the old Bear, who was glad, also, that the Porcupine was dead, kept away from the spot, for he knew the trap was as dangerous as the quills.”
As Tally concluded his camp-fire tale the scouts looked disappointed, and Joan said: “Oh, is that all?”
“It was quite long enough,” said Mrs. Vernon. “It is time for bed, because we wish to get up at dawn and resume the climb to the peak.”
Thus, with the next day’s adventures in mind the girls agreed to go to bed without offering any protests.
It was so cold up on Grass Mountain that night that the scouts shivered in their sleep, and all were glad to jump up early in the morning to bestir themselves and get the blood circulating freely.