212 HAPS IN THE FIELD 



had strayed over the rock from above, seek- 

 ing a more secure foothold. The other side 

 of my shelf looked into thick woods. The 

 floor was in great waves as if the earth's 

 ribs came to the surface. 



Surely, I thought, I shall have this place 

 to myself. Alas, while the thought passed 

 through my mind, behold chipmunk himself 

 who came after ! Not laboriously hauling him- 

 self up, and slipping back at every step, but 

 lightly, easily skipping over every obstacle, 

 with only his four clasping feet to help him. 

 O what discoveries in bird-ways might one 

 make were he but a chipmunk ! It is a lesson 

 in nest-finding to watch this knowing little 

 fellow. He goes into every hole, through 

 every tuft of grass or fern, thrusts his sharp 

 nose into every crevice big enough for an 

 egg, peeps into every bush, runs out on 

 every branch, all in perfect silence, and al- 

 most as well as if he had wings. What bird 

 indeed could hope to hide the nest from him 

 if he should happen to be fond of eggs ! 



When his eyes fell upon me, after the 

 first moment of breathless surprise, when he 

 sat upright with his two hands upon his 



