A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



run to a limb just over my head and look down 

 in a cute way that meant " breakfast for two." 

 If I did not respond he would probably say 

 to himself, " The hermit don't mean to feed me 

 to-day. I must fall back on the food that I 

 hid away yesterday. Let me see, that first 

 nut is under the edge of a boulder just back 

 of the cabin." Off he goes straight to the 

 spot. He noses out the nut, which he eats on 

 the limb over my head, scattering the bits of 

 shell on to the breakfast-table. He is very 

 sociable while eating, for he stops now and 

 then to say something to me. I do not under- 

 stand his exact language, but I know by the 

 tone that he means to be friendly. 



Bismarck did not always hide bread beneath 

 pine-needles or leaves. At a certain season 

 of the year the trees about my cabin were made 

 into storehouses. This season was governed 

 by the blue jays. When they were nesting 

 they did not come to the cabin and Bismarck 

 could store food in the trees without fear of 

 being robbed. 



My attention was called early to the fact 

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