266 Trails to Woods and Waters 



" Soon you may hear a pitter-patter in the 

 leaves. That is a squirrel ; it may be a weasel, 

 but it is more likely to be a squirrel. If the 

 noise is more like a strut than a pitter-patter, 

 it is a partridge and it may be feeding, look- 

 ing here and there in the ends of rotten logs 

 and stumps for grubs. 



" If the sounds are further apart and more 

 uneven, it is probably a rabbit. The steady 

 trot, trot, trot, of a fox is always easy to rec- 

 ognize. 



" It is as easy to recognize these little foot- 

 falls in the woods, once you have learned 

 them, as it is to tell the step of your father or 

 mother in your own home." 



" Don't you ever get deceived, Ben? " I 

 asked. For to me nearly all the sounds in the 

 woods were merely noises, although I recog- 

 nized most of the bird songs and their call 

 notes. 



" Oh, yes, even the best ear is deceived 

 sometimes," replied Ben, " but you must 

 learn in the woods to hear or see a little part 

 of the truth and supply the rest. 



