A Winter Walk 293 



large as a bushel basket. When this is done 

 they dig a hole from the lower side into the 

 middle of this nest. The hole is always on 

 the lee side of the nest so that they will not get 

 the wind. There they sleep, while the wind 

 rocks their cradle. 



" In the same manner a porcupine will 

 crawl up to the very top of a slight tree and 

 let the wind rock him to sleep. He hasn't 

 any fear either that he will forget himself and 

 let go when he is napping. About the only 

 thing his feet have ever been taught is to 

 hold on. 



" Here we are at the rabbit swamp. Now 

 we will have to take off our snowshoes and 

 wallow." 



It was not so much fun treading our way 

 through the laurel as it had been scuffing 

 along on the top of the snow. Occasionally, 

 I would catch my toe under a root or in a tan- 

 gle of underbrush, and down I would go. 

 Once in a while, I would step in some deep 

 hole that the snow had covered up and would 

 go in almost to my armpits ; then Ben would 



