EYE-BEAMS 113 



into his den," I said; "let us watch him." 

 In four or five minutes he reappeared, coming 

 back over the course along which he had just 

 passed, running over and under the same stones 

 and down the same decayed log, and was soon 

 out of sight in the swamp. We had not 

 moved, and evidently he had not noticed us. 

 After about six minutes we heard the same 

 rustle as at first, and in a moment saw the 

 weasel coming back with another mouse in his 

 mouth. He kept to his former route as if 

 chained to it, making the same pauses and 

 gestures, and repeating exactly his former 

 movements. He disappeared on our left as 

 before, and after a few moments' delay, re- 

 emerged and took his course down into the 

 swamp again. We waited about the same 

 length of time as before, when back he came 

 with another mouse. He evidently had a big 

 crop of mice down there amid the bogs and 

 bushes, and he was gathering his harvest in 

 very industriously. We became curious to see 

 exactly where his den was, and so walked 

 around where he had seemed to disappear each 

 time, and waited. He was as punctual as 

 usual, and* was back with his game exactly on 

 time. It happened that we had stopped within 

 two paces of his hole, so that, as he approached 

 it, he evidently discovered us. He paused, 

 looked steadily at us, and then without any 

 sign of fear entered his den. The entrance 

 was not under the rocks as we had expected, 

 but was in the bank a few feet beyond them. 



