A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



had triumphed. Every sportsman knows how 

 it is. He finds the wild things just as in- 

 telligent and crafty as man with all his boasted 

 superiority. 



I desire to emphasize what I have already 

 stated as to the peculiar method employed 

 by these mice when communicating with each 

 other. 



If any one has been fortunate enough to 

 have heard a vocal sound uttered by a white- 

 footed mouse, I shall greatly like to hear of 

 the fact. A daily and nightly knowledge of 

 these little mice for more than fifteen years 

 has led me to believe that they are completely 

 dumb. They talk with their toes just as deaf 

 and dumb people talk with their fingers, only 

 they are guided by the ear instead of the eye. 

 Proof that they are talking together is found 

 in the fact that they go on with the drumming 

 when in full view of each other. When calling 

 to attract attention, they drum a long roll 

 which corresponds to the halloo of the tele- 

 phone. The answer is the same; afterward 

 the rolls are variously interrupted. Through 



