UNDER THE APPLE-TREES 



open door this arch-enemy of our small rodents 

 brown of back and white of belly. He rushed in as if 

 on very hurrying business, and all my efforts to de- 

 tain him, by squeaking like a mouse, and chirping 

 like a bird, proved unavailing. He thrust out his 

 impudent snake-like head and neck from an opening 

 in the wall, and fixed his intense, beady eyes upon 

 me for a moment, and was gone. I feared he was on 

 the trail of the chipmunk that had just carried away 

 the cherry-pits I had placed for him on a stone near 

 by; but the little rodent appeared a half -hour later, 

 as sleek as ever, but with a touch of something sus- 

 picious and anxious in his manner, as if he had at 

 least had tidings that his deadly enemy was in the 

 neighborhood. 



After I had cracked some hickory-nuts for my 

 little friend this morning, and he had got a taste of 

 the sweet morsel inside, he quickly began to stuff 

 the whole nuts into his pockets and carry them to 

 his storehouse. It was amusing to see him struggle 

 with the larger nuts, first moistening them with his 

 tongue, to force them into those secret and appar- 

 ently inadequate pockets. The smooth, trim cheeks 

 would suddenly assume the appearance of enormous 

 wens, extending well down on the sides of the neck. 

 The pouches are not merely passive receptacles; 

 they evidently possess some power of muscular ac- 

 tion, like the throat muscles, which enables them to 

 force the grain and nuts along their whole course. 

 18 



