296 Trails to Woods and Waters 



Ben pointed out fresh scratches that some 

 animal had made by climbing the tree re- 

 cently. 



" There is another point where he resem- 

 bles the bear; he always backs down out of his 

 front door as Bruin does. Ten to one, 

 Harry, there are three or four fat coons in 

 there asleep at this very moment.'* 



" There is one thing that I don't under- 

 stand, Ben," I said, as we again put on our 

 snowshoes and tramped on through the open 

 hard wood. 



" When I go into the woods alone there 

 don't seem to be so very many things to see, 

 although I see more than I used to, but when 

 I go with you every old stump contains some- 

 thing." 



Ben chuckled. "Does seem as though I 

 had the street and number for all the wild folk 

 down in my head, doesn't it? Well, I haven't 

 at all. I just have to look for things like 

 other people. A great many of the things 

 that I show you I have spent days and weeks 

 looking for, The secrets of the woods don't 



