OUR COUNTRY NEIGHBORS. 89 



ably have sat immovable any length of time that could be 

 desired 



Of other woodland neighbors there were some which we 

 saw occasionally. The shores of the river were lined here 

 and there with the holes of the muskrats ; and, in rowing 

 by their settlements, we were sometimes strongly reminded 

 of them by the overpowering odor of the perfume from 

 which they get their name. There were also owls, whose 

 nests were high up in some of the old chestnut-trees. Often 

 in the lonely hours of the night we could hear them gib- 

 bering with a sort of wild, hollow laugh among the distant 

 trees. But one tenant of the woods made us some trouble 

 in the autumn. It was a little flying-squirrel, who took to 

 making excursions into our house in the night season, com- 

 ing down chimney into the chambers, rustling- about among 

 the clothes, cracking nuts or nibbling at any morsels of 

 anything that suited his fancy. For a long time the in- 

 mates of the rooms were awakened in the night by myste- 

 rious noises, thumps, and rappings, and so lighted candles, 

 and searched in vain to find whence they came ; for the 

 moment any movement was made, the rogue whipped up 

 chimney, and left us a prey to the most mysterious alarms. 

 What could it be? 



But one night our fine gentleman bounced in at the 

 window of another room, which had no fireplace ; and the 

 fair occupant, rising in the night, shut the window, with- 



