26 SQUIRRELS AND OTHER FUR-BEARERS 



swept down and out at right angles with its first 

 course. 



The weasel would pause each time at this 

 elbow and turn back. It seemed as if he knew 

 that particular branch held his prey, and yet its 

 crookedness each time threw him out. He would 

 not give it up, but went over his course again 

 and again. 



One can fancy the feelings of the chipmunk, 

 sitting there in plain view a few feet away, 

 watching his deadly enemy hunting for the clue. 

 How his little heart must have fairly stood still 

 each time the fatal branch was struck ! Probably 

 as a last resort he would again have let go his 

 hold and fallen to the ground, where he might 

 have eluded his enemy a while longer. 



In the course of five or six minutes the weasel 

 gave over the search, and ran hurriedly down the 

 tree to the ground. The chipmunk remained mo- 

 tionless for a long time ; then he stirred a little 

 as if hope were reviving. Then he looked ner- 

 vously about him ; then he had recovered him- 

 self so far as to change his position. Presently 

 he began to move cautiously along the branch 

 to the bole of the tree ; then, after a few mo- 

 ments' delay, he plucked up courage to descend 

 to the ground, where I hope no weasel has 

 disturbed him since. 



