NOTES BY THE WAY 



observation and resumed his feeding, Cuff started 

 swiftly but stealthily up the hill, precisely in the 

 attitude of a cat when she is stalking a bird. When 

 the woodchuck rose up again, Cuff was perfectly 

 motionless and half hid by the grass. When he 

 again resumed his clover, Cuff sped up the hill as 

 before, this time crossing a fence, but in a low 

 place, and so nimbly that he was not discovered. 

 Again the woodchuck was on the outlook, again 

 Cuff was motionless and hugging the ground. As 

 the dog neared his victim he was partially hidden 

 by a swell in the earth, but still the woodchuck 

 from his outlook reported "All right," when Cuff, 

 having not twice as far to run as the chuck, threw 

 all stealthiness aside and rushed directly for the 

 hole. At that moment the woodchuck discovered 

 his danger, and, seeing that it was a race for life, 

 leaped as I never saw marmot leap before. But he 

 was two seconds too late, his retreat was cut off, 

 and the powerful jaws of the old dog closed upon 

 him. 



The next season Cuff tried the same tactics again 

 with like success, but when the third woodchuck 

 had taken up his abode at the fatal hole, the old 

 churner's wits and strength had begun to fail him, 

 and he was baffled in each attempt to capture the 

 animal. 



The woodchuck always burrows on a sidehill. 

 This enables him to guard agaiast being drowned 

 177 



