The proper thing
for you to do is to keep out of my way."
"Why, there's some sense in that argument,"
admitted the Shaggy Man, thoughtfully; "but
people who are strangers, and don't know you
are here, won't be able to keep out of your way."
"Tell you what," said Scraps, who was trying
to pull the quills out of her own body, "let's
gather up all the quills and take them away with
us; then old Chiss won't have any left to throw
at people."
"Ah, that's a clever idea. You and Ojo must
gather up the quills while I hold Chiss a
prisoner; for, if I let him go, he will get some of
his quills and be able to throw them again."
So Scraps and Ojo picked up all the quills
and tied them in a bundle so they might easily
be carried. After this the Shaggy Man released
Chiss and let him go, knowing that he was
harmless to injure anyone.
"It's the meanest trick I ever heard of,"
muttered the porcupine gloomily. "How would you
like it, Shaggy Man, if I took all your shags away
from you?"
"If I threw my shags and hurt people, you would
be welcome to capture them," was the reply.
Then they walked on and left Chiss standing in
the road sullen and disconsolate. The Shaggy Man
limped as he walked, for his wound still hurt him,
and Scraps was much annoyed because the quills
had left a number of small holes in her patches.
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