A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



I had placed an empty cigar-box. I investi- 

 gated, and the mystery was solved. A dozen 

 mice occupied the box as a safe retreat from 

 their enemy, the stoat. Whenever a mouse 

 entered or left the box the cover was raised, 

 and, falling into its place again, made the 

 click that had so annoyed me. 



The box-cover was heavy enough to severely 

 pinch a mouse's tail, but the cunning mice 

 had provided for this danger. A hole about 

 the size of a lead-pencil had been gnawed in 

 the side of the box, just below the cover, and 

 afforded a channel for the tail, while it was 

 too small to attract the attention of a stoat. 



A more cunningly contrived retreat from 

 an enemy could not be invented. It shows 

 that this wild mouse of the woods possesses 

 intelligence which passes far beyond the 

 powers of instinct. 



It would take a volume to record the inci- 

 dents that have transpired in connection with 

 these mice during the fifteen years of my her- 

 mit life. 



Some of these incidents are comical, others 

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