THE CHIPMUNK 19 



pile of chestnut posts about twenty yards from 

 where I sat. Nig saw it, and was off my lap 

 upon the floor in an instant. I spoke sharply 

 to the cat, when she sat down and folded her 

 paws under her, and regarded the squirrel, as I 

 thought, with only a dreamy kind of interest. 

 I fancied she thought it a hopeless case there 

 amid that pile of posts. " That is not your game, 

 Nig," I said, " so spare yourself any anxiety." 

 Just then I was called to the house, where I was 

 detained about five minutes. As I returned I 

 met Nig coming to the house with the chipmunk 

 in her mouth. She had the air of one who had 

 won a wager. She carried the chipmunk by the 

 throat, and its body hung limp from her mouth. 

 I quickly took the squirrel from her, and reproved 

 her sharply. It lay in my hand as if dead, though 

 I saw no marks of the cat's teeth upon it. Pre- 

 sently it gasped for its breath, then again and 

 again. I saw that the cat had simply choked it. 

 Quickly the film passed off its eyes, its heart 

 began visibly to beat, and slowly the breathing 

 became regular. I carried it back, and laid it 

 down in the door of its den. In a moment it 

 crawled or kicked itself in. In the afternoon I 

 placed a handful of corn there, to express my 

 sympathy, and as far as possible make amends 

 for Nig's cruel treatment. 



