30 SQUIRRELS AND OTHER FUR-BEARERS 



as if in search of something, and passed up, and 

 down, and around, but did not quite hit the 

 spot. Shortly, the first returned a third time, 

 and had now grown a little fastidious, for he 

 began to sort over my berries, and to bite into 

 them, as if to taste their quahty. He was not 

 long in loading up, however, and in making off 

 again. But I had now got tired of the joke, and 

 my berries were appreciably diminishing, so I 

 moved away. What was most curious about the 

 proceeding was, that the little poacher took dif- 

 ferent directions each time, and returned from 

 different ways. Was this to elude pursuit, or 

 was he distributing the fruit to his friends and 

 neighbors about, astonishing them with straw- 

 berries for lunch ? 



On another occasion I was much amused by 

 three chipmunks, who seemed to be engaged in 

 some kind of game. It looked very much as if 

 they were playing tag. Round and round they 

 would go, first one taking the lead, then an- 

 other, all good-natured and gleeful as schoolboys. 

 There is one thing about a chipmunk that is 

 peculiar : he is never more than one jump from 

 home. Make a dive at him anywhere and in he 

 goes. He knows where the hole is, even when 

 it is covered up with leaves. There is no doubt, 

 also, that he has his own sense of humor and 



