A CLEVER BEASTIE 



eluded that with her own harvests and the additions 

 from my granary her stores were considerable. 



One morning I happened to see a chipmunk, 

 larger and a little lighter-colored than my neighbor 

 across the way, come down out of the orchard, cross 

 the road to the wall, and quickly work his way 

 down to her den, which he boldly entered. I had 

 just seen the rightful owner go off down the wall the 

 other way, but in a moment she came back and 

 entered her hole. 



"Now there will be trouble," I said to myself. 



In a few seconds there was a yellow streak out of 

 the hole, and two chipmunks were spinning along 

 the wall at their best speed, the larger one keeping 

 about a yard ahead. I could see that the leader had 

 something in one cheek pocket. It is curious that on 

 such occasions, among both birds and animals, the 

 thief, no matter if he is the larger and stronger, will 

 always flee. A guilty conscience seems to make 

 cowards of all creatures, and a sense of right em- 

 boldens the weakest. 



My plucky little neighbor pursued the intruder 

 until I lost them from sight. That she compelled 

 him to disgorge I can hardly believe. When she 

 returned, five or six minutes later, she fell to eating 

 the kernels of green corn that I had placed upon the 

 wall in front of her den. 



A quarter of an hour later I saw the thief coming 

 cautiously along the wall, as if bent on making 

 145 



