Animal Heroes | Page 3

may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by disk, book or any other
medium if you either delete this "Small Print!" and all other references to Project
Gutenberg, or:
[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this requires that you do not remove,
alter or modify the etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, if you wish,
distribute this etext in machine readable binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary
form, including any form resulting from conversion by word pro- cessing or hypertext
software, but only so long as *EITHER*:
[*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and does *not* contain characters
other than those intended by the author of the work, although tilde (~), asterisk (*) and
underline (_) characters may be used to convey punctuation intended by the author, and
additional characters may be used to indicate hypertext links; OR
[*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at no expense into plain ASCII,
EBCDIC or equivalent form by the program that displays the etext (as is the case, for
instance, with most word processors); OR
[*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at no additional cost, fee or expense,
a copy of the etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC or other equivalent
proprietary form).
[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this "Small Print!" statement.
[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the net profits you derive
calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you
don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are payable to "Project Gutenberg
Association/Carnegie-Mellon University" within the 60 days following each date you
prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax

return.
WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO?
The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, scanning machines, OCR
software, public domain etexts, royalty free copyright licenses, and every other sort of
contribution you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg Association /
Carnegie-Mellon University".
*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END*

This Etext prepared by Bill Stoddard - e-mail: [email protected]

Animal Heroes
by Ernest Thompson Seton

Note to Reader
A hero is an individual of unusual gifts and achievements. Whether it be man or animal,
this definition applies; and it is the histories of such that appeal to the imagination and to
the hearts of those who hear them.
In this volume every one of the stories, though more or less composite, is founded on the
actual life of a veritable animal hero. The most composite is the White Reindeer. This
story I wrote by Utrovand in Norway during the summer of 1900, while the Reindeer
herds grazed in sight on the near uplands.
The Lynx is founded on some of my own early experiences in the backwoods.
It is less than ten years since the 'Jack Warhorse' won his hero-crown. Thousands of
"Kaskadoans" will remember him, and by the name Warhorse his coursing exploits are
recorded in several daily papers.
The least composite is Arnaux. It is so nearly historical that several who knew the bird
have supplied additional items of information.
The nest of the destroying Peregrines, with its owners and their young, is now to be seen
in the American Museum of Natural History of New York. The Museum authorities
inform me that Pigeon badges with the following numbers were found in the nest: 9970-S,
1696, U. 63, 77, J. F. 52, Ex. 705, 6-1894, C 20900. Perhaps some Pigeon-lover may
learn from these lines the fate of one or other wonderful flier that has long been recorded
"never returned."
THE SLUM CAT
LIFE I
I
M-e-a-t! M-e-a-t!" came shrilling down Scrimper's Alley. Surely the Pied Piper of
Hamelin was there, for it seemed that all the Cats in the neighborhood were running
toward the sound, though the Dogs, it must be confessed, looked scornfully indifferent.
"Meat! Meat! "and louder; then the centre of attraction came in view--a rough, dirty little
man with a push-cart; while straggling behind him were a score of Cats that joined in his
cry with a sound nearly the same as his own. Every fifty yards, that is, as soon as a

goodly throng of Cats was gathered, the push-cart stopped. The man with the magic voice
took out of the box in his cart a skewer on which were pieces of strong-smelling boiled
liver. With a long stick he pushed the pieces off. Each Cat seized on one, and wheeling,
with a slight depression of the ears and a little tiger growl and glare, she rushed away
with her prize to devour it in some safe retreat.
"Meat! Meat!"