150 THE CHIPMUNK 



Yet cats do have the secret of catching squirrels, 

 and birds, and mice, but I have never yet had 

 the luck to see it done. 



It was not very long before the chipmunk 

 was going to and from her den as usual, though 

 the dread of the black monster seemed ever 

 before her, and gave speed and extra alertness 

 to all her movements. In early summer four 

 young chipmunks emerged from the den, and 

 ran freely about. There was nothing to disturb 

 them, for alas, Nig herself was now dead. 



One summer day I watched a cat for nearly 

 a half hour trying her arts upon a chipmunk 

 that sat upon a pile of stone. Evidently her 

 game was to stalk him. She had cleared half 

 the distance, or about twelve feet, that separated 

 the chipmunk from a dense Norway spruce 

 when I chanced to become a spectator of the 

 little drama. There sat the cat crouched low 

 on the grass, her big, yellow eyes fixed upon 

 the chipmunk, and there sat the chipmunk at 

 the mouth of his den motionless with his eye 

 fixed upon the cat. For a long time neither 

 moved. "Will the cat bind him with her 

 fatal spell ? " I thought. Sometimes her head 

 slowly lowered and her eyes seemed to dilate, 

 and I fancied she was about to spring. But 

 she did not. The distance was too great to be 

 successfully cleared in one bound. Then the 

 squirrel moved nervously, but kept his eye 

 upon the enemy. Then the cat evidently 

 grew tired and relaxed a little and looked 

 behind her. Then she crouched again and 



