156 THE TANAGER'S NEST. 



the ground was wet, and ferns of many kinds 

 grew luxuriantly, and the walk was mostly over 

 a dainty corduroy of minute moss-covered logs. 



At the end of the fernery are two ways. The 

 first runs along the edge of the forest, whose 

 outlying saplings hang over and make a cool 

 covered walk. Down this path I almost had an 

 adventure one day. The morning was warm 

 and I was alone. As I came out of this covered 

 passage, beside an old stump, I noticed in a de- 

 pression in the ground at my feet a squirming 

 mass of fur. On looking closer I saw four or 

 five little beasts rolling and scrambling over 

 each other. They were as big, perhaps, as a 

 month-old kitten, but they were a good deal 

 more knowing than pussy's babies, for as I 

 drew near they stopped their play and waited 

 to see what would happen. I looked at them 

 with eager interest. They were really beauti- 

 ful; black and white in stripes, with long bushy 

 tails. Black and white, and so self-possessed ! — 

 a thought struck me. "Mephitis," I gasped, 

 and instantly put several feet more between us. 

 So attractive and playful were they, however, 

 that notwithstanding I feared it might be hard 

 to convince their mamma, should she appear, of 

 my amiable intentions, I could not resist another 

 look. Calm as a summer morning walked off 

 one of the mephitis babies, holding his pretty tail 



